#THANK YOU FOR THE ASK i don’t talk about makotos enough these days | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

haunted-creations · 1 year

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Different Friend Types HC's Pt. 1

I wanted to do some platonic friendship hc's so I picked characters that fit certain types of friends. ^-^

💚 The Doting Parent – Makoto Tachibana (Free!)

Makoto is totally the type to fuss and care for you much like a doting parent regardless of how competent you are. He’s always looking out for you and wants to make sure you’re doing well.

If you’re not very good at taking care of yourself, Makoto will step in and help. He already has some experience with his own siblings and Haruka after all, what's one more? He’ll make sure you’re on time for whatever you have to do, he’ll kindly fuss and try to get you to go outside if you don’t get out enough, make sure you're not skipping meals, drinking enough liquids, keep you on task and help you with anything you need to get done. If you’re feeling down or upset about anything, he’s right there with a kind smile and asking what you need from him.

Makoto gets embarrassed if you try to take care of him and if he's unable to take care of himself for whatever reason, he'll constantly apologize for it because he doesn't want to inconvenience you. But when he's able, he'll definitely either get you a thank you gift or return that care two fold. It's not often anybody takes care of him so he appreciates it greatly and will let you know that.

If you're the type to become a dual parent friend with Makoto, you two are gonna be quite the pair. Sometimes you'll both become almost overwhelmed with how much you two take on to help your friends, but you two will always be in sync catching wherever the other falls short. It's a lot of work for sure but you guys easily become an essential core to your friend group and really make it feel like a family. Outside of your friend group though, you and Makoto definitely at least take one day every week to do a spa day or have a chill lazy hangout day together to refresh yourselves.

"Hey, how've you been? Are you eating and drinking enough? How's your sleep? Ah don't call me mom, I just want to make sure you're ok, you know...?"

☀️ Your #1 Fan – Mirio Togata (BNHA)

Mirio is the best cheerleader you’ll ever have in your corner. He's all about bringing out people's greatest potential and any buddy of his is guaranteed to feel supported and self-assured.

Even though Mirio's an overall high energy optimist, he understands that everybody can have different preferences for what they want in encouragement. He also understands that sometimes people just need general support and he's more than willing to provide just that. He'll never push you to do anything you don't want to do or force optimism on you. He just wants you to know he's got your back.

Mirio’s favorite kind of motivation is to hype people up! Compliments and praises left and right, motivational talks all over the place if needed, he’ll make sure you won’t leave without at least some upgrade in your confidence. He’ll even chant his encouragement to you with enough energy for a whole crowd. He believes in you 1000% even if you don’t, and by no means do mistakes or failures mean you’re any less of an amazing person in his eyes because it's all part of the process of progress. You're trying and that's what really matters!

If you’re one of those people that aren’t quite that high energy and have trouble with motivation, he’s got you. He’ll listen to what troubles you and gives calmer words of encouragement. If you need help with doing things that are too overwhelming for you, he’s ready to assist in any way he can to make it easier. If you need a little push to do something that scares you, he’s there to be your safety net and express how proud he is that you had the courage to try. If you feel like you can’t do anything because life is just too hard, he’ll tell you that that’s ok. He’s proud of you for trying to push through because it takes a lot of strength to endure what you’re going through. If you ever need anything, he’ll always be there for you.

“There’s my awesome buddy! How’s being the best person in the world going for ya? Nah it’s not an exaggeration, it’s the truth! Honest!”

💀 Partner in Crime – Guzma (Pokémon)

Guzma’s that type of friend that’s fun to get in trouble with and may or may not be a bad influence on you. Parents hate him lol.

Despite Guzma’s delinquent ways he has a moral compass in there. He wouldn’t go as far as to do anything truly heinous, he’s just here to let loose and have fun. His kind of misfit fun is pranking people (especially assholes), maybe a little vandalizing and stealing things from said assholes, graffiti, trespassing to explore abandoned places, hitting up underground parties or clubs, etc. If there’s anything you haven’t tried that you weren’t sure about or didn’t want to do alone, he’s totally down for it. If anything, he might be the safest person to have around for whatever it is because he always makes sure to look out for you when you guys get up to stuff.

Guzma would never snitch on you for anything, momma didn’t raise no snitch. You won’t realize it until he does this or if you guys start playing with hypotheticals, but Guzma will give himself up or take the blame to protect you if needed. He’s aware that the way he lives isn’t a good lifestyle and he’ll partially blame himself for letting you almost get in trouble. But it hardly gets up to that point because he’s pretty good at getting you guys out of trouble whether it be through clever street smarts or intimidation. Also you know, he's got a whole gang/family to back him up and by extension back you up.

FOR LEGAL REASONS, I DO NOT CONDONE THIS AND IT’S A JOKE-: Assuming you and Guzma are thick as thieves, he’d help you get away with murder. There will be no questions. The less he knows, the better, but you're gonna be handling the majority of taking care of the body. He'll put up with a lot, but the dead gives him the jeebies.

“You and me? We're like chaos and destruction in human form. The world's gonna be shakin' at the mention of us, just you wait!”

😏 Are Y'all Dating or...? (The Bestie) – Oikawa Tooru (HQ)

Oikawa’s that type of friend to be so close with you that people wonder and ask if you two are dating. The answer is always no…uNLESS…!!

Oikawa wants to do ALL the things with you and you two never truly get tired of each other. There will be many sleepovers, shopping trips, gossip, spa days, trying new things together, road trips. Each of your families and friends will be well acquainted with you two to the point that it’s almost annoying how much you two bring each other up to people. His other good friend Iwa-chan is kind of relieved at first that there’s someone else to take on Oikawa’s antics, but soon realizes that it’s become double trouble for him as a result.

For Oikawa it’s like he’s found his platonic soulmate and he couldn’t imagine his life without you. Which is why he’s also pretty protective of you and becomes suspicious of any newcomers, though he knows how to respect your boundaries and let you live your life how you want. If you have a crush that he gets good enough vibes from, he will hype you up and try to figure out a plan to help you two get together. If anyone hurts you, he will get them back for it in a crafty yet subtle way that will simultaneously make it obvious to only that person that he’s the source of their torment.

At first people thought you guys were like siblings but with the amount of joking you guys do about cuddling and how excessively you compliment each other, people’s perceptions quickly turned. Some people might even want you two to get together, but you guys aren’t into each other like that. You’re both just platonically comfortable and close enough to make those kinds of jokes and find it amusing that people even think you two are romantically involved.

“Bestie!! I found this new café that just opened up, we gotta go try it! And tell me all about this new person you’ve got your eye on~”

👿😈The Chaotic Gremlin(s) – Denji & Power (CSM)

Denji and Power are about the same type of gremlin with slightly different quirks and might as well be a packaged deal, so here we are.

What could go wrong with these two? Literally everything. If you choose to hang out with these two you know exactly what you signed up for. You’re going to constantly get in trouble with them for destroying large amounts of property. You will be dragged into devil fights and often become the damsel in distress if you don’t have a way to protect yourself, but at least these two will literally rip the devil to shreds or be ripped to shreds to protect you. While this is nice, you’ll more than likely end up with broken bones anyways because Denji accidentally drops you from a considerable height or Power flings you out of the way without considering what the impact could do to you, much less looking where she flings you. You better be durable.

Denji and Power are constantly bickering and since you’re a third addition to this now group, they’re gonna fight over you. They come up with strange and nonsensical ways to compete in spending time with you or even just getting your attention. You’ve basically become the older sibling that the younger siblings will do anything to gain your favor and praises. Whether you use this to your advantage or not is up to you, but I have a sneaking suspicion you get these two into trouble in doing so and quickly make your escape before they can blame you for it.

On a more wholesome side of things, Denji and Power would be like a brother and sister for you. If they do anything they find personally impressive, they want you to witness it and praise them. As mentioned before they always want to win you over: Denji trying to be genuinely considerate of you and make you laugh while Power will sabotage him and even go as far as to cause trouble on purpose and accuse him of being the culprit. They’re basically your feral guard dogs, so if anybody ever harasses you these two will be threatening them with things worse than death. Whenever they want to play games or go out, you’re always dragged along. Sure their constant quarreling and grapple for your attention can get annoying, but that comes with the territory and you wouldn't have it any other way with these dummies.

Power: “The great Power demands your presence! Let’s go. Leave stinky Denji.” Denji: “Hey no fair, it’s my turn to hang out with them! And you stink worse!!”

#hcs #platonic hcs #platonic #x reader #gn reader #free!#makoto tachibana #bnha #mirio togata #pokemon #guzma #haikyuu #oikawa tooru #chainsaw man #csm denji #csm power

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vgckwb · 2 months

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P5R: Rebel Girl (A FeMC Story/P5R Rework) Chapter 205: Sae's Palace: Act 2

November 6th. Today was the day. The thieves gathered at Leblanc before attending Sae’s trial. “Alright,” Ren said. “Do we have any new information?”

“Well,” Futaba interjected, “Riko and I came up with a ploy to make sure things go smoothly on the other side during the heist.”

“Will it work?” Ryuji asked.

“I think so,” Futaba answered.

“Well, that’s a good start,” Ren said.

“Oh, um, that reminds me,” Haru said. She took out a small drive and handed it to Futaba. “Here. It’s the data you wanted.” “Heh heh,” Futaba chuckled. “Perfect! With this, we can cross-reference the schematics of Starfall Coffee with my mom’s notes.”

“Sorry I didn’t get it back earlier,” Haru apologized. “I know I got this from you the day after Halloween, but I had trouble getting to the right computer without getting noticed.”

“No biggie,” Futaba said. “I’m glad you managed to do it at all.”

“Well, being the heiress has its advantages,” Haru chuckled.

“So, the plan is still to send the calling card at the last possible moment?” Makoto asked.

Ren nodded. “That’s right. As long as the warrant isn’t live, and the director is under suspicion, the ball is in our court.”

“But what happens after that?” Ann asked.

“I suppose we just need to leave luck to Heaven,” Yusuke said.

“Although I don’t think Heaven’s going to like our thievery,” Jose remarked.

“It’s a gamble for sure,” Ren said. “Eris even told me as such. Something is going to happen regardless of what we do. Our moves here are to get in a position where we aren’t worse for wear.”

“I’ve got an uneasy feeling about that…” Lena said.

“I think we all do,” Morgana assured her. “But we’ve come this far already, and we have no intention of stopping now!”

Lena chuckled. “Thanks Morgana.”

“By the way, how is the research into the director coming along Futaba?” Sumire asked.

“Riiiight…” Futaba said. “The man is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. Publicly, he seems to be a well-respected prosecutor, and a well-meaning family man. But every time I dig, it’s like the trail goes cold. Well, apart from one thing.”

“Go on,” Ren instructed.

“I looked into his son murdering his wife,” Futaba explained. “From what I can find, the method used was to slip her sleeping pills to make sure she fell asleep in the bath to make it look like she just passed out and drowned. And you’ll never guess how the director’s wife died…”

“You’re kidding!” Ryuji said.

“I wouldn’t joke about this thing,” Futaba said.

“Hold on,” Makoto said. “I know my sister. She should have seen the similarity.”

“Perhaps,” Yusuke said. “But correlation doesn’t equal causation. I’m sure it would be difficult to prove that the director did the same thing at this point.”

“I guess that’s true…” Makoto said.

“Still,” Sumire said, “given his connection to whoever is in charge, I think it’s safe to say it’s at least possible.”

“Oh yeah,” Jose said. “That reminds me. Whoever is really in charge is the same person who that principal was talking about, right?” Everyone nodded. “And we think he came from that wall of water to take us out?”

“Oh, right!” Futaba said. “There’s that too.”

“We should come up with a plan to investigate it,” Yusuke said.

“I think the next time we go to Mementos, we should make that our first stop,” Lena suggested.

“I agree,” Haru said.

“But, um, how?” Ann said. “It’s a literal wall of water. It’s not going to be easy to investigate.”

“I think we can get some rope,” Ren said. “We attach it to someone, and they go out to explore. They tug when they want to come back, and the rest of us pull.”

“Seems simple enough,” Ryuji said.

“But who will investigate?” Makoto said.

“I think it should be someone light,” Jose said. “So the rest of us can pull easier.”

“But it also has to be someone who can make a good amount of ground,” Morgana said. “I’m fairly light, but…well…I don’t take to water too well.”

“I’ll do it,” Sumire offered.

Everyone was shocked. “You will?” Ann said.

Sumire nodded. “I’m fairly light, but I’m also quick and nimble. I think I have the best shot at this.”

“Are you sure?” Ren asked.

“Yes,” Sumire said, smiling. “I know it’ll be alright, because I trust you all.”

Ren smiled. “Right. Of course.” She sighed.

Sumire chuckled. “It’s OK. I know you worry because you care.”

“Yeah,” Ren admitted.

“Is there anything else?” Haru asked.

“I think that’s about as much as we can glean for now,” Futaba said.

“Well then,” Makoto said, “I suggest we go see sis put on a show.” Everyone nodded, and they headed out.

In the courtroom, the thieves had assembled. “Woah,” Ryuji remarked. “This place seems imposing…”

“I get that it’s meant to be a little imposing,” Yusuke said, “and by technicality, we are criminals, but it does seem a bit much.”

“Remember,” Makoto said. “The system isn’t 100% fair.”

“Yeah,” Lena said. “Although, I guess the justice system all across the world needs improvement.”

“And I think we should advocate for such improvement,” Ren said. “But right now, we can’t vote, so our voices don’t have as much of an impact just yet. So let’s just do what we came here to do and bring about change as…well, you know.”

“Right,” Lena said.

“So, what’s the trial about anyway?” Sumire asked.

“I believe it’s for a government official who has been embezzling funds,” Makoto said.

“Gah! What a piece of shit,” Ryuji noted. “Hoarding our money like that?”

“I know how you feel,” Ann said, “but maybe we should remain calm. We don’t want to get kicked out before it starts.”

“I know…” Ryuji said.

“I think it’s about to begin!” Haru said.

Sae walked in the room. “Um, will she notice us?” Jose said.

“Yeah, we do need to make sure we are seen,” Sumire said.

“Don’t worry,” Makoto said. “I told her I was coming. I’m sure she’ll notice you all too.”

“Even me?” Morgana said.

“Probably,” Makoto said.

Sae glanced over at the audience. She did a double-take when she saw Makoto. “Oh, that’s right. She said she was watching. Hmmm. Who’s she sitting by?” She glanced over the rest of the troupe. “Hmmm.”

“All rise,” the bailiff called out. Sae didn’t have time to ponder any further. She had a job to do. But once she was done, she could focus her full attention on The Phantom Thieves.

The trial didn’t take too long. It was a fairly open and shut case, and Sae was on top of her game. The thieves watched the whole trial, and still had enough time to slip into Sae’s palace. Once they were back in, Ren said “Alright everyone, are you ready?” They all nodded. “Good. Let’s go.” They headed in.

On the elevator ride up, Ryuji noted. “Wow Queen. Your sis was UNRELENTING! I think we need to prepare ourselves even more if we’re going to fight her.”

“What makes you think we’ll fight her?” Makoto asked. “Remember, the director’s presence here will probably make their move as well. We might spend more time focusing on him.”

“Besides,” Futaba added, “it’s not like you fought me when I was both the Palace Ruler and the Crusader.”

“I guess that’s true,” Ryuji said.

“I think we still need to be careful,” Sumire said. “Yours and her circumstances are a bit different.”

“I agree,” Yusuke said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if we had to fight her, at least for a bit.”

Makoto frowned. “Hey,” Ren said. Makoto looked up. “She’ll end up for the better because of this. We’re here to make sure of that.”

Makoto smiled. “Right.”

They arrived at the Exclusive Member’s Suit, nary a blockade in sight. “Let’s go,” Ren instructed. Everyone stepped off, and headed out.

Morgana glanced around. “Hmmmmmmm.”

“Something on your mind, Mona-chan?” Haru asked.

“I think I sense the last Will Seed,” Morgana replied.

“Already?” Yusuke asked.

“The signal is weak though,” Morgana explained. “I think we ought to get our bearings first before we explore.”

“Well, there appears to be a kiosk straight ahead,” Jose said. “Let’s see what they have.” They walked over.

Ren went up to talk to the manager behind the desk. “Hello, good sir.”

“Hello,” the manager replied. “By the way, as a welcoming gift to the Exclusive Member’s Suit, I hereby offer you an extra 1,000 Fashion Points.”

“Oh. Sweet!” Ren said. “I don’t suppose we could meet with Miss Niijima as well, could we?” she asked.

“Well, her office is just beyond the door above me,” the manager said. “But she doesn’t meet with just anyone.”

“Well, we aren’t just anyone,” Ren said.

“Oh my,” the manager said. “You talk a big game, but talk is cheap. I suggest you see what’s beyond the door and then come back>.

“Very well,” Ren said. She instructed her team to follow her, and they made their way up to the door.

On the other side, they saw a set of scales. “What is that?!” Makoto yelped.

“Are those scales?” Yusuke wondered.

“Or is it a bridge?” Jose wondered.

“I think it’s both scales and a bridge!” Ann exclaimed.

“So, how do we access the bridge part of it?” Ryuji asked.

“I think I see something over here,” Sumire said, pointing to a vanity.

Everyone closed in on it. “Hmmm,” Ren said. “It seems like we need 100,000 Fashion Points to make it through.”

“That’s CRAZY!” Morgana shouted. “We spent all of that time and effort to get half as much!”

“Is there a way for you to hack it, Oracle?” Lena asked.

“Ummm, I don’t think so?” Futaba said.

"Oh yeah," Lena said. "It's a vanity, not a computer."

“Well, we just have to get more Fashion Points,” Yusuke relented.

“Right,” Haru said. “And we are in the Exclusive Member’s Suit. I think we might have an opportunity to get more points quicker.”

“Couldn’t we just do the things we already rigged?” Ryuji asked.

“I think they’ll catch on to that quickly,” Makoto said.

“Besides, we should always be on the move,” Jose said.

“Also, I imagine it’d be faster to get more points on this floor, as opposed to keeping going,” Ann said.

Ryuji sighed. “Fine.”

Ren smirked. “Let’s head back to the desk and see what we have here.” They left, and headed back to the kiosk.

“I take it you understand now?” the manager asked upon their return.

“Correct,” Ren said. “Now, what are the attractions on this floor?”

“Of course,” the manager said. “Over there is our Heels Training Room, and over there is the Battle Arena.”

“The Battle Arena?” Ren wondered.

The manager nodded. “That is the most difficult part of this Fashion Show. I would suggest doing Heels Training first.”

Ren nodded. “Very well.” She regrouped with the others. “Did you catch that?”

“Yeah…” Ryuji said. “And I don’t care what he says, I think a Battle Arena is WAY less difficult than Heels Training.”

“I concur!” Futaba said. “And I’m not even a fighter!”

“Well, as much as you might think that,” Makoto said, “I don’t think they would lie to us.”

“Besides, if you need any help, I’m an old hand,” Ann said.

“Me too,” Haru said.

“Is it too late to go back and stack the money in the games we already rigged?” Ryuji asked.

“I’d say so,” Lena said, reluctantly.

“Figures,” Ryuji said.

“Hold it!” Morgana said. “Before we do anything, there’s still the matter of the Will Seed.”

“Oh right,” Jose said.

“The signal disappeared when we went out to the bridge,” Morgana explained. “So it HAS to be in here. But it’s still faint.

“Well, what if it’s up?” Sumire suggested.

“Up?” Morgana wondered.

“That’s right,” Sumire said. “I mean, last time it was faint, the Will Seed was up.”

“Huh. I guess that’s possible,” Morgana said.

“So, now all we need is a way to get up,” Yusuke said.

“Shouldn’t be too hard,” Ren said. “Let’s look around.” The Thieves looked around for a bit, before climbing on some pillars, and then finding a spot to grapple up to. Once there, they took to the rafters, eventually finding a vent to crawl through.

On the other side, they saw the last Will Seed Door, as well as a powerful shadow guarding it. “So, this is it, huh,” Makoto remarked.

“We’ll finally see what cultivated this palace in the first place,” Futaba noted.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Haru asked.

“Positive,” Makoto said. “I don’t want any regrets.”

“I understand,” Haru said.

“Well, now that our resolve is steeled,” Ren said, “all we have to do is get past this guy. You ready?”

“HELL YEAH!” Ryuji cheered.

“Let’s do this!” Makoto said.

They approached the powerful-looking shadow. “Oh dear. This place is off limits.”

“We’re thieves!” Futaba said. “We don’t care about your rules!”

“Hm. Well then, I suppose it’s my job to MAKE you care!” the shadow said. The Phantom Thieves and the Shadow battled. While this was their first encounter in the palace for today, the shadow came out swinging. Still, the thieves managed to eke out a victory.

“Now that that’s taken care of…” Ren said. She cut the vines and opened the door.

Everyone pooled in, as Ren grabbed the last Will Seed. The voices started playing. “NO!” shouted Nobuyuki.

“Why not?!” Sae shouted back.

“That escalated quickly,” Ann noted.

“I don’t trust the man!” Nobuyuki said.

“You think I do?!” Sae said.

“You trust him enough to betray your ideals,” Nobuyuki said.

“I’m not betraying my ideals!” Sae said. “I believe there is good in the world, and that our justice system needs reform. I can do that from the inside!”

Nobuyuki sighed. “I know being a prosecutor is more lucrative than being a defense attorney. But like I said, I don’t trust him!”

“Do you trust me?” Sae asked, snidely.

“Yeowch!” Lena said.

“It’s not a matter of trusting you,” Nobuyuki said. “A parent’s job is to make sure their child doesn’t get hurt.”

“Well guess what?!” Sae snapped. “I’m not a child anymore!”

“Then why are you acting like one?” Nobuyuki shot back.

“Hooooooo boy,” Ryuji said.

“That’s rich, coming from you,” Sae said. “How many times have you said the words ‘Night Raider’ this week?”

“Hey!” Futaba protested. “Night Raider is for all ages!”

“That’s different,” Nobuyuki said.

“I’m taking the job!” Sae insisted.

Nouyuki sighed once again. “Alright, fine. If you won’t listen to reason… I won’t even say ‘Told you so’ when he inevitably undermines you.”

“You don’t trust me,” Sae said.

“I never said that,” Nobuyuki said.

“You just did!” Sae insisted. “You think he’ll get the drop on me. You don’t have faith that I’ll be the one to get the drop on him.”

“That’s not me disparaging you,” Nobuyuki said. “The man is a crafty, remorseless, cur! He’d shoot a kid in the face if it meant saving his own skin.”

“Hm,” Sae grunted. “If this is the mind of a brilliant detective, then I pray for the safety of our citizens.”

“You know I’m right,” Nobuyuki said. Silence. “Like I said, I’m not going to stop you. But just think carefully, you know? I don’t want you in over your head.”

Sae sighed. “I’m sorry.” That’s where the voices ended.

“That…was a lot,” Sumire said.

“Were you aware of this conversation beforehand?” Yusuke asked.

“No,” Makoto said. “I mean, I knew my dad wasn’t enthusiastic when my sister said she was going to work for the SIU. But I didn’t know it got to this point.”

“It sounds like your father really hated the SIU director,” Jose pointed out.

“Has that always been the case?” Lena asked.

“I don’t know,” Makoto said. “I know he didn’t like him, but I don’t know if that was always the case, or if that was a later development.”

“Well,” Ren said, “whatever the case, I think I can hazard a guess as to what’s coming next. Are you ready?”

Makoto sighed. “Ready as I’ll ever be,” Makoto said.

Ren nodded. She fused all the Will Seeds together, forming The Crystal of Envy. It began projecting a video. The video showed Sae looking at a memorial shrine for her father. The only light was the moon shining through the windows. Sae had a sad look on her face. “Well, it looks like you won’t even get a chance to say ‘told you so’ to not take.” Tears fell from her face. “Why?! Why did this have to happen?! I’m sorry! I know I can’t be you! But I will do my best! I will protect Makoto! I will protect the innocent! I will try harder than ever to bring about a better world for all!”

She sniffled. “But in order for me to do so, I will have to go to Hell and back. The people who killed you…they aren’t going to be caught by conventional methods. So I need to bide my time and make sure I can take every opportunity to seize power. I know it’s not like you, or mom, but I can’t let what happened to you happen again.” She smirked. “And when I’m in control, I won’t let it.”

The video ended. “Well…” Makoto said. “I can’t say I’m familiar with that moment either.”

“It was night,” Sumire said. “Perhaps you were sleeping.”

“Most likely,” Makoto said. “Sis isn’t one to show weakness like that in front of others.”

“Well, in any case,” Yusuke said, “it seems very apparent what caused your sister to follow this trajectory.”

“I mean…” Lena said. “I can’t say her ideals aren’t good, but…”

Makoto nodded. “You’re right. She even said herself, she was going through Hell. So let’s work on dragging her out of it!”

“Well said,” Ren said. “But first, we need more fashion points!”

“Why couldn’t this give us any?” Ryuji said.

“Be grateful,” Morgana said. “That Will Seed replenished our power, and we needed that after taking on that powerful shadow.”

“I guess you’re right,” Ryuji said. “Let’s roll!” The thieves left the Will Seed area, and headed back to the main area in the Exclusive Member’s Suite.

They headed towards the Heels Training Room. Futaba read the placard once more. “‘Heels Training Room Rules: Participants will be made to wear heels and traverse a darkened maze. It costs 1,000 Fashion Points to begin, but if you make it out, you get 10,000 Fashion Points.”

“Woah!” Ryuji said. “That’s a lot.”

“I agree,” Haru said. “I suppose the floor is high risk, high reward.”

“So, we just do this a few times?” Jose asked.

“I think once is more than enough,” Futaba said.

“Well, we still have to investigate the battle arena,” Sumire pointed out. “Why don’t we keep this as a back up?”

“Fair enough,” Yusuke said.

“Are you ready to strut your stuff?” Ren said.

“I guess…” Morgana said.

“Then let’s head in,” Ren instructed. They headed into the Heels Training room.

Upon entry, they saw a manager at the gate. “I take it you’re here to participate?”

“Of course!” Ren said.

“That’ll be 1,000 Fashion Points,” the manager said.

“Here you go!” Ren said.

“Very good,” the manager said. “Now, step through the gate. Once you enter the door, you’ll be in the maze. Once you reach the other side, you’ll receive your prize.”

“Thank you,” Ren siad. The Phantom Thieves nervously stepped through the gate. Once they got on the other side, they felt a strange sensation. Pairs of metallic 3-inch heels magically manifested themselves on their feet. “Oh my!”

“This feels weird,” Ann said.

“Is this not normal?” Ryuji said.

“I think it’s about the right height for a normal set of heels,” Haru said. “I think the shoes are just heavy.”

Sumire clicked her heels. “Not only that, but they’re kind of loud as well.”

“And we’ll be in the dark,” Morgana said.

“Welp, it’s too late now!” Ren said. “We already paid.”

“I guess the only way out is through, huh,” Lena said. The thieves entered the maze.

They were greeted by total darkness. “Why am I not surprised?” Ryuji said.

Futaba had some trouble maintaining her balance. “Woah!”

“I gotcha!” Yusuke said, steadying her.

“Thanks Inari,” Futaba said. She cleared her throat. “As if walking around in these wasn’t bad enough, I sense a bunch of shadows in the area.”

“I think the reason they’re this loud is to attract said shadows,” Jose said.

“While that may be true,” Makoto pointed out, “there’s also the idea of women both needing to wear them to be more feminine, while at the same time getting discriminated against for it. You can hear heels walking down the hall, and you already know you’re going to be talking with a woman. I remember reading somewhere that even when applicants for an orchestra were going in for a blind audition, people could still pick out the women because of their heels.”

“Not to mention they aren’t the easiest things to walk in,” Haru added. “While I am used to them, it is something you need to get used to.”

“And I take it THAT’S the function of this room,” Ren said.

“Trial by fire,” Lena surmised.

“Welp!” Ryuji said. “Let’s just find the end of this maze and get this over with.”

“Um, try not to rush,” Haru said. “It’s possible to run in heels, but you need to walk before you can run.” Ryuji sighed.

They started making their way through the maze. The heels definitely proved difficult, even for those who were more used to them. Attracting and then fighting the shadows as much as they did didn’t help either. There was a point where they thought they found an exit, but the door was locked. After some more venturing, and with as much sneakiness as they could afford, they managed to find the exit.

Once they exited, Ryuji remarked. “I never want to do that again.”

“Ugh, me either,” Futaba said. “Is the room spinning, or is that just me?”

“I think that’s just you,” Yusuke said. “Although perhaps getting a taste of this spinning room would make for a good art piece.”

“I kind of liked it,” Jose said.

Ann chuckled. “Do you want to try on some heels back in the real world?”

“Maybe,” Jose said.

“YOU!” an ominous voice shouted. The thieves turned to see a shadow. “You weren’t supposed to actually make it!”

“Well tough,” Ren said. “We made it through your maze, and looked good doing it!”

“Well, it’ll be the last time you look good,” the shadow said. “Because I’m going to beat you black and blue!” He readied his stance.

“So, you never intended on giving us the Points, huh?” Makoto said.

“NOPE!” the shadow replied.

“Well, in that case, we’ll just have to take them!” Haru declared. The thieves fought the powerful shadow at the end of the maze. Surprisingly, they had an easy time, since they had been practicing how to fight in heels in the maze. Once the shadow was defeated, the heels magically shattered, and they gained their Fashion Points.

“So, I’m thinking that even if we wanted to,” Lena said, “I doubt they’d let us do the maze again.”

“Fine by me!” Futaba said.

“Hm hm,” Haru chuckled. “You were getting the hang of it by the end. Maybe you can come over to my place and practice sometime.”

“I’m not ready to go back,” Futaba said.

“Well then, let’s move forward,” Ren said. The group moved on to the Battle Arena.

They stopped, and Futaba once again read the plaque outside the facility. “‘Battle Arena: A series of fights to determine who is the best. The challenger only sends in one person, while the champion may send in as many combatants as they want. The cost of entry for the challenger is 10,000 Fashion Points, but if they win, they get 100,000 Fashion Points. Audience Members may also place bets on who will win. The champion’s rate is 1:1, while the challenger’s rate is 23:0. Current Champion: Sae Niijima.’”

“What?” Ryuji said. “This makes the least sense of all the attractions we’ve seen so far.”

“Actually…” Makoto interjected. “This is the most direct one yet.”

“How do you figure?” Yusuke asked.

“Well, my sister is always muttering stuff about how as a woman she has to work twice as hard to earn half the respect,” Makoto clarified. “I assume her being the champion represents the countless hours of blood, sweat, and tears she put in to get the position she has. Maybe even the position she foresees herself being in.”

Haru pouted. “I believe I overheard my father talking about something similar once. He was discussing the idea of arranging my marriage because he was afraid that the business world would be cruel to me.”

“Noir…” Morgana said.

“Gah, that sucks,” Ryuji said.

“Yeah…” Ann said. “But did you hear? We’ll get enough Fashion Points to cross the bridge!”

“Hm,” Makoto chuckled. “You’re right. The best we can do for now is keep our eye on the ball.”

“But, um, who will enter as the challenger?” Jose said.

“I think that’s obvious,” Morgana said.

Ren chuckled. “You know me too well.”

“Well, Joker is the leader,” Lena said.

“Not only that,” Futaba said, “but her combat skills are unique amongst our ranks.”

“Well then,” Morgana said, “let’s head inside.” Everyone nodded and went in.

Ren walked up to the desk. “Hey there.”

“Hello,” the manager said. “Are you here to challenge the area?”

Ren nodded. “That’s correct.”

“Hm,” the manager smirked. “A bold choice. You know this won’t be easy.”

“Nothing worth fighting for is,” Ren retorted.

“Very well,” the manager said. “I will require 10,000 Fashion Points.”

“Here you go,” Ren said.

The manager took the points. “Excellent. One more question: What do you want it to say on your tombstone?”

“Bold of you to assume I’m going to lose,” Ren shot back.

“Famous last words,” the manager said. They opened the gate. “Go on in.” Ren nodded, careful not to say a word. Instead, she gave a thumbs up to her crew.

The rest of the thieves went to the stands to watch the fight. Ren was standing in the middle of the arena. An announcer’s voice rang out over. “Good evening everyone! How are we doing tonight?!”

“Riko?” Makoto wondered.

The voice of this palace's version of Riko continued. “We have a special match for you tonight! This Phantom Thief thinks they can take on the trial of the champion to topple her!’ There was booing from the rest of the crowd.

“Hey, that’s not fair!” Morgana said.

“YOU GO JOKER!” Futaba shouted.

Riko chuckled. “But fret not! Miss Niijima is the champion for a reason! This kid has no idea what kind of Hell she’s been through! So, let’s start the festivities, shall we? I’m thinking three rounds, each tougher than the last!” Two Ganesha appeared. The crowd started booing again.

“KICK THEIR ASSES, JOKER!” Ann called out.

“YEAH! GIVE ‘EM ONE FOR ME!” Ryuji added. Ren nodded.

“And BEGIN!” Riko shouted. The battle commenced. It was a tough battle, especially since Ren was fighting alone, but she managed to make it through the first round.

“I don’t believe it!” Riko shouted. “The Phantom Thief actually made it past the first round! Well, that just shows that we’ve always underestimated them. Round two!” Three Rangda appeared.

“DON’T LET THEM WIN!” Yusuke shouted.

“YEAH, YOU’RE BETTER THAN ALL OF THEM!” Jose yelled. Ren cracked her neck.

“And BEGIN!” Riko shouted. The second round was off. Without much breathing room, things were getting hectic for Ren. However, she managed to overcome the odds and win the fight.

“The Phantom Thief actually SURVIVED round two?!” Riko said. “Hm. No matter. NOBODY but SAE has made it past round three. EVER!”

“Someone’s desperate,” Morgana noted. A single Thor appeared.

“How come only one enemy this time?” Jose wondered.

“It might only be one,” Futaba said, “but they are tougher than the first two combined!”

“YOU CAN DO IT JOKER!” Haru shouted.

“YOU’VE OVERCOME WORSE!” Lena assured. Ren took a deep breath.

“BEGIN!” Riko shouted. The match started. Just as Futaba noticed, the match was rough. Ren was getting some good hits in, but so was the Thor. Between that and Ren having to face the previous two rounds was a lot to bear. She was struggling to stay on her feet.

Sumire then shouted. “YOU CAN WIN!” Ren looked up. “I KNOW YOU CAN WIN! YOU SAVED ME! YOU CAN DO ANYTHING!”

“SHE’S RIGHT!” Makoto said. “YOU ARE STRONGER THAN MY SISTER! YOU CAN DO THIS!”

Ren smiled. She channeled all her energy into a swing of her dagger. Twirling through the air, she sliced the Thor. Just as she was at her limit, the Thor was at his. He bled out, and then fell to the ground in defeat!”

The audience was stunned silent. Meanwhile, The Phantom Thieves cheered immensely. “Hm,” Riko said, over the speakers. “As much as it pains me to say it, The Phantom Thief won the challenge!” The thieves in the stand cheered some more, while Ren let out a sigh of relief.

As everyone met with Ren after she left the area, the manager approached her and said “Well, it looks like I’ll be eating crow tonight. Here are your 100,000 Fashion Points.” He gave her the points.

“Thanks,” Ren said.

“Shall we lower the bridge now?” Futaba asked.

“Give me a minute,” Ren said. “That was exhausting. But your guys’ cheers got me through it.”

Sumire giggled. “Of course. We are a team after all.”

“Hm. Yeah,” Ren agreed. They took a quick break to let Ren catch her breath before heading to the bridge.

Once there, they looked at the bridge once more. “I believe that the treasure is on the other side,” Makoto said.

“So all we have to do is deposit our Fashion Points, and we’ll be set,” Yusuke said. The team nodded, and headed toward the vanity.

“Not so fast!” Sae’s twin voices rang out.

“What now?!” Morgana said.

“You’ve managed to gather a respectable amount of Fashion Points!” Sae said.

“However,” Shadow Sae interjected, “We cannot let you through.”

“WHAT?!” Ryuji said. “Why not?!”

“Because,” Sae said, “then you’d have a chance to win. And We can’t allow that!”

“Hence,” Shadow Sae said, “from here on, the toll to activate the bridge shall be 1,000,000 Fashion Points!”

“Hey!” Ann shouted. “That’s not fair!”

“You’ve been up and down this Fashion Show, have you not?” Shadow Sae said. “The whole point is that it’s unfair!”

“However,” Sae said, “once We capture you, We will bring about Our New World Order! The weak shall become the rulers, while the elite will be nothing but worms!”

“We have a similar goal!” Jose called out. “If you let us help you, we can-!”

“We’re sorry,” Shadow Sae said. “What makes you think We’d align ourselves with the people destroying the nation?!”

“A valiant effort Sunshine,” Yusuke said. “But alas, it’s futile.”

“Yes,” Sae said. “Resistance is futile!”

“Hm hm hm,” came a chuckle. The thieves looked behind them to see Eris. “Well this is quite a pickle.”

“Eris!” Makoto said.

“The one and only,” Eris replied. “It looks like you need help crossing the bridge.”

“Hey, what’s the big idea?!” Sae shouted. “I thought you were on Our side?!”

“Yeah, what gives?” Shadow Sae asked.

Eris chuckled. “Of course I’m on your side. But if you won’t fight fair, then I have to intervene. Unless you’re afraid that you’ll lose?”

There was a pause. Both Saes then called out. “We’re not afraid!”

“Very well,” Eris said. She started drawing her rapier.

“Hold it!” Haru said, pointing to Eris. “I’m afraid we don’t need your help.”

“I beg your pardon?” Eris said.

“We only need 1,000,000 Fashion Points, correct?” Haru said. “Well, it just so happens that we have them!”

“What do you mean?” Shadow Sae said.

“Hm,” Haru smirked, holding up a second card.

“Is that the Taro Tanaka card?!” Futaba yelped.

“That’s correct,” Haru said. “I know you told me to throw it out, but I decided to hang onto it. And then the kiosk manager on the floor told us about the program when they would lend us up to the total amount of Fashion Points we had, I decided to take advantage of that. After exiting the Heels Training room, I borrowed 10,000 to match the amount I had just received and then bet on Joker in the arena, netting me a total of 460,000.”

“Still not enough!” Sae barked.

“That may be true at that point, but while Joker was catching her breath, I returned the 10,000 I had borrowed, and then borrowed the total amount of the rest. Which puts me at a grand total of 910,000 Fashion Points. And combined with the Shinji Nakanomatsu card, we have over 1,000,000.” She transferred the amount to Ren’s card. “Joker, would you do the honors?!” Ren smiled, nodded, and deposited the Fashion Points, lowering the bridge.

“Alright!” Ann said.

“But, um, what about paying it back?” Ryuji said.

“Skull,” Jose answered. “We’re thieves.”

“Oh yeah,” Ryuji said.

“That was impressive Noir!” Lena said.

“Indeed,” Makoto said. “You have to get up pretty early to outsmart my sister.”

“Hm hm,” Haru chuckled. “Don’t underestimate the future of Okumura Foods!”

“Well damn,” Eris said. “I guess you don’t need me after all. Unless…?”

“Fuck off,” Joker said.

“Hm hm. As you command,” Eris said. She disappeared.

“So,” Sae interjected. “You’re going to stand against Us?”

“We don’t have to,” Ren answered.

“HA!” Shadow Sae replied. “Fat Chance!”

“I’m surprised you tried the same trick that Eris tried on you,” Sae said. “You should have known it would be just as fruitless.”

Ren smirked. “The dice are still in the air. I think our efforts will bear fruit. Maybe wait until the dice have stopped moving until rendering judgment.”

“Hm,” Sae pouted. “Well the only thing stopping you from here on is US! So don’t get too comfortable just yet!” The speaker shut off.

“That was something…” Sumire said. “But we’re here now.”

Ren nodded. “Now, let’s cross the bridge.” Everyone else nodded, and they crossed the bridge together.

On the other side, they passed through the door to see the treasure on a pedestal encased in glass. “So, this is the treasure, huh,” Morgana noted.

Sumire knocked on it. “It seems like ordinary glass to me.”

“And there’s nothing guarding it,” Yusuke noted. “How peculiar.”

“Well, she wasn’t expecting us to make it here,” Ann said.

“Still, we can never be too careful,” Noir said.

“Yeah,” Jose said. “It sounds like Sae isn’t going to go down without a fight.”

“There’s also the matter of the director,” Futaba said. “He’s probably going to make his move when we make ours.”

“Regardless,” Makoto said, “we have our route secured. All we need to do now is prepare ourselves. We can’t walk out of this empty-handed.”

“Hm,” Ren smirked. “Couldn’t have said it better myself. The thieves turned, and headed out, leaving the palace for the night.

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twilightmalachite · 11 months

Text

Machina - Test World 2

Author: Kino Seitaro (with Akira)

Characters: Mika, Sora, Makoto

Translator: Mika Enstars

"Cryptocurrency? Digital… money?"

Season: Winter

Location: Information Room

Sora: Sora’s here to play, Yuuki-sense~!

Makoto: Harukawa-kun? I thought you were gonna play outside today.

Sora: HaHa~, Sora did also play with a kite at first!

But today he ran into Mika-chan-san, so he changed his mind~♪

Makoto: “Mika-chan-san”…? Are you talking about Kagehira-kun?

Mika: Nnah, umm…

Makoto: Ahaha, so you were hiding behind the door, Kagehira-kun. Feel free to come on inside, okay?

Sora: Is Mika-chan-san shy? Don’t sorry, Yuuki-sense~ is a very kind person~! ♪

Mika: Nna, that’s not really it… I’m also antiquated with Mako-kun.

I’m not necessarily shy… Nah, it’s really not that at all.

I was jus’ nervous if it was really okay to enter such a big security room like this, really.

I imaged an intelligence room’d be fulla specialized stuff like delicate equipment an’ personal infos, so I was thinkin’ about what if I accidentally broke somethin’…

Makoto: Well, there are quite a bit of wires and stuff around here.

But it’s strong enough that they won’t break if you accidentally step on them. Don’t worry, come and sit down.

Mika: Thank ya kindly. Then, I’ll go an’ take a seat next to you.

So, did’ja also help make this Test World, Mako-kun? Are you involved ‘cuz yer good at games, or somethin’?

Makoto: Yeah, something like that.

I used to be a member of the gaming club, so I was asked by Switch to be a test player.

The Test World is a newly created and hectic place, so they’re trying to get as many gamers as possible to play and help develop the community, y’see.

Sora: Yes! Sora can confidently leave it up to a gamer like Yuuki-sense~!

He spent winter break with Sora immersed in the Test World~! ♪

Makoto: It’s more of a volunteer work thing. But thanks to it, I wasn’t bored at all this winter break!

Anyways. The sun will set before we know if it we just talk.

Let put on the VR goggles and enter the Test World.

Sora: That’s right! Let’s go log in, then!

Use the spare goggles here, Mika-chan-san! ♪

Mika: Ah, okay. Gotcha.

How’m I supposed to wear this, umm…

Mika: !?

Nnah, where am I?! Saison Avenue!?

Mika: Hah, hah… So this is VR now, huh?

Sora: Yes, it is, but… Is something wrong with the goggles?

Mika: No, nothing like that, just… It was so realistic I got surprised, ‘cuz it was a familiar place unlike last time I did SSVRS.

Sora: HiHi~, Sora’s glad it was effective right away! ♪

SSVRS is worked on day and night, so the 3D models are much more precise now~!

In detail, the number of polygons haven’t increased, but rather the goggles have been revised, that way it feels more comfortable and there’s no load on the server~!

Makoto: It’s gotten pretty technologically advanced, hasn’t it? SSVRS’ evolution surprised me too!

So I’m having a lot of fun thanks to that… But really, I want people who don’t usually play games to give it a try.

Kagehira-kun, I’ll be joining you soon at Saison Avenue in SSVRS, so can you put your goggles back on and wait for me?

Mika: Mhm. Sorry ‘bout the fuss, lemme go on back…

Mika: …There we go. How’s that?

Sora: HuHu~♪ It was perfect, Mika-chan-san!

Let’s start off by walking around the virtual world. There’s a lotta shops in this town inspired by Saison Avenue~! ♪

Mika: Whoa… The shops here look jus’ like the real world, but they sell different things.

Trendy clothes and accessories, and furniture too, huh... Oh, and there’s yuru-charas!

Amazing… And all of this was made for VR.

Sora-kun, what’s this VL$ written here mean? Is it different than the L$ we have…?

Sora: Ah, Mika-chan-san has a keen eye! That’s VL$, virtual L dollar… A cryptocurrency that can be exchanged for real money!

Mika: Cryptocurrency?

Sora: Yup! Digital money linked to the real world~!

Mika: Digital… money?

I guess I don’t really get it… What’s the difference between that and real money?

Makoto: Money in the real world is issued by a country and is built on the trust of the country, right? Cryptocurrencies are issued in games and virtual worlds.

…Sorry for interrupting the convo. You guys were talking about something interesting, so I ended up chiming in without a greeting.

Cryptocurrencies are complicated, but in simple terms, it’s like a system where you can exchange in-game money for real-world money.

Since its value isn’t stable and has the disadvantage of crashing like stock prices, SSVRS is keeping it Test World-only as a precaution.

…Right, Harukawa-kun?

Sora: Nice assist, Yuuki-sense~!

Basically, only sales from products sold in Test World stores can be turned into VL$ and used in the real world.

The test players are super active because of that~ They’re creating tons of digital art!

And, if you use a 3D printer, you can even print the things you make in real life! So Mika-chan-san can make lots of things to play with too~! ♪

Mika: Makin’ digital art and making it real… I see. I feel like I’ll be able to keep my promise to Oshi-san then ♪

Alright, I’m motivated to create somethin’ too! Lemme try to make somethin’ in the Test World!

If I can sell it, exchange it for real world money and add it to Valkyrie’s budget, I’m sure Oshi-san will be pleased too. ♪

I’m killin’ two birds with one stone with this. Thank you fer the lesson, Sora-kun, Mako-kun! ♪

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#machina #event #translation #makoto yuuki #mika kagehira #sora harukawa

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danganronpa-21 · 10 months

Note

For the dialogue prompts, B19 of the last one you reblogged with naegami? And if you'd be willing to do it, would you add tokomaru into that as well?

Rating: Teen & Up Audiences

General Warnings: Alcohol Consumption

Fandoms: Danganronpa Series

Relationships: Naegi Makoto/Togami Byakuya, Naegi Komaru/Fukawa Toko (background)

Additional Tags: Fluff, Cuddling & Snuggling, Drunkenness, Byakuya Being Tsundere

Chapter Word Count: 3,317 words

Chapter Summary: Once upon a time, a drunken Makoto Naegi at a party sounded like the worst thing in the world to Byakuya Togami. Now, he's more than grateful to be the person who gets to take him home at the end of the night and tuck him in bed, knowing that such a precious thing is safe from all the harm in this world... Not that he'd ever admit it out loud.

[Read it on AO3.]

For all the times that Byakuya thought himself to be a master of logic and decision-making, there were times like these, where the universe could do nothing but cheerfully and dramatically humble him. Times where he would truly be challenged, his wits put to the test, his resolve trembling as he tried to face the issue at hand…

If these were the times that were truly meant to test him, though, he sort of wished that it could be over more than his boyfriend, said boyfriend’s sister, and his annoying shrew all being blackout drunk together after a double date gone wrong.

“Bya-ku-yaaaaaa!” Makoto slurs in a sing-song voice, one arm wrapped around his little sister, the other nearly sloshing sake over the side of his cup. “Are you coming back to plaaaaaay some more?”

How the three of them are even still playing is beyond him. Toko and Komaru both passed a safe amount of drunk an hour ago, and Makoto was teetering awfully close to that edge himself. At the beginning of their evening, Byakuya had thought that the last thing he wanted to do was go on a double date with Toko and Komaru of all people, but now, it’s looking more like “cleaning up vomit” might be the least desirable option for the night. Ugh. He misses the days when he had Pennyworth to handle things that unsightly. The post-Tragedy world remains a dark, dark place.

“I’d rather not,” he scoffs from behind his book, unwilling to lift his gaze to lock eyes with Makoto. One glance up and he knows his idiot boyfriend will give him the most powerful set of puppy dog eyes to contend with, and though Byakuya is strong enough to occasionally pretend that he’s better than that, he’s really not. That man could make him fall apart, and he knows, because it’s happened before. It’s why they’re even dating, after all. “In fact, it’s time the three of you cut it out. At this point you won’t get any more inebriated, you’ll just succeed at poisoning your livers.”

“Don’t be such a party pooper, Togami-kun!” Komaru fires back, “It’s only one night, it’s not like we’re totally killing ourselves! You could stand to have a little fun with us.”

Byakuya can do nothing but shake his head. “I assure you, after what the three of you put me through today, I have experienced more than enough of your definition of ‘fun’, and suffice to say I’m not interested. But please, let me know when you are prepared to stop acting like a child.”

As if to punctuate his point, Komaru sticks her tongue out in retort. “They wouldn’t give sake to a little kid, thank you very much!”

He rolls his eyes. “As always, Naegi-chan, you are the pinnacle of immaturity.”

She is sure to whine about that, prodding Makoto and Toko to ask if they’re okay with letting him talk to her like that, but the two of them are far too drunk and out of it to even try to protest. Toko is laying on her back on the floor, murmuring something about the world spinning every time she so much as sits up. Her glasses are so askew that he can’t even figure out how they’re still resting on her face, and her eyes are practically rolling into the back of her head. If he hadn’t seen her drunk before, he might have worried that she was dying. Thankfully, a couple of nights at Future Foundation had more than prepared him for the reality of a drunk Toko Fukawa.

Makoto, on the other hand, is still under the impression that he is “just buzzed”, while actively looking like he is high as a kite. His cheeks and nose are dusted a heavy rouge, and his eyes are half-lidded. Even his hair is slightly askew, the usual fluffy, ruffled mess managing to be even more so. The most apt description in modern slang would be that he looks like a dork, but Byakuya is not fond of incorporating such words into his lexicon. It just amazes him how his boyfriend can still manage to be cute when he is also being impossibly annoying.

“You’re no fun at allllllll,” Komaru drawls, shaking her head, “At least Toko n’ Makoto can have fun. You just sit there all stuffy.”

Byakuya lets out a snort of derision, rolling his eyes. “It is called having dignity.”

“It’s called being a party pooper.”

Hmph. Though he knows how deeply Makoto loves his sister, he has definitely begun to sympathize with all of the times he has described her as annoying. He was never close with his most of his own sisters, bar Shinobu, but he never thought of them as this frustrating. Komaru was a different breed – although admittedly Byakuya would still protect her if he had to. But only out of love for Makoto, and definitely not because her goofy, friendly nature had endeared her to him… and definitely not because this was the first time he’d seen Toko look genuinely happy. Nothing of the sort.

“Well, sometimes one must… defecate on the parade. I am perfectly happy to be that person.” Byakuya turns to Makoto, staring at him expectantly. “And tonight, I must. It is late and all of you are too drunk to function. I am ending the game.”

A chorus of complaints sounds from their side of the room, like one collective cacophonous whine. Komaru throws herself back in her chair dramatically, Makoto pouts, and Toko flails helplessly like a fish. If they are trying to convince him that they are not that drunk and can stay up to play more of this ridiculous card game, they are failing miserably. They are also failing at proving that they have any semblance of maturity… although he supposes that is neither here nor there. He didn’t exactly expect much from them as it was.

Byakuya makes his way to Makoto in spite of their protests, holding out a hand for him to take. The smaller man looks at for a minute, as if to consider whether he wants to go with him, but in the end they both know that he will. In situations like these, Byakuya often has Makoto’s best interest in mind. Though he can play up his snobbery, when push comes to shove, Byakuya will be there to back him up. Through their years of working together, that’s something Makoto learned… and, admittedly, something that endeared Makoto to him. When they first met, he would never have thought of him as someone reliable. And now he’s staring at his hand, trying to let his loopy brain process that is perfectly okay to take it. With a soft smile, Makoto rests his hand on top of Byakuya’s, seemingly ready to go home. Now that’s something that Byakuya likes about Makoto – the ability to admit when he has probably had enough in a particular situation. Toko and Komaru could stand to learn from that, he thinks.

“Awww, c’mon, don’t go!” Komaru whines, her last-ditch attempt to keep the party going. “We’re in the middle of a game!”

Makoto laughs as Byakuya helps him to his feet. Byakuya can’t help but notice how he wobbles once he gets there. He leans in closer, so Makoto know it is okay to sway toward him if needed.

“You’re only complaining because you were going to win.” He reaches over to ruffle his sister’s hair. With this drunken movements, she dodges him with ease. “I’ll come over and we can all play again next time, okay?”

Komaru heaves a big dramatic sigh shaking her head,, but ultimately smiles. “Oh, alright. I suppose I can’t deny you and Byakuya your cuddle time,” she turns to look over at her own partner, still laying on the floor like a sack of potatoes. “I know I’m always disappointed when I miss out with Toki.”

Toko lets out some happy gurgle from the floor that Byakuya can’t decipher. Though he doesn’t appreciate Komaru’s teasing, he will take any opportunity to get out of there. Makoto is hammered and he is exhausted from socializing all evening, and that is enough of a reason for him. So if she wants to gush to them about both couples needing their snuggle time, well, so be it.

That being said, though, she should not count on him dignifying her annoyances with a response. He simply nudges Makoto along towards the door, more than ready to depart. Their limo driver should already be waiting for them. All they need to do is step in and enjoy the ride home.

“Thanks again for having us, Komaru,” Makoto says cheerfully, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Byakuya is actively leading him out of the room, “We’ll have to pick up that game again next time.”

She nods enthusiastically. “For sure! Text me when you guys get home safe, alright?”

“Will do. Take care!”

“You too!”

Ugh, the commoners and their pleasantries. And they have the audacity to call men of his caliber “stuffy”. Keeping his hand on the small of Makoto’s back, he ushers him out the door and down the hall, careful to tune his attention into any stumbling or hesitations. Whether or not Makoto is elegant on his feet is debatable even on a good day, so his boyfriend knows to stay close. Thankfully, he seems grateful for the help, leaning into him so easily it’s like Byakuya is an extension of himself. How strange it is to think that the two of them once were not this close. Once upon a time, Makoto was nothing more than an obstacle in a killing game… and Byakuya, nothing more than a ticking time bomb that would surely decimate everything in Makoto’s path. And even with that history, for the two of them to end up here… it surprised Byakuya every day. He would never understand exactly how they both got so lucky, but Makoto has assured him time and time again that there is no need to question it. No matter what happened in the past, they have each other now. That is what matters most.

Still, it’s all he can think about as he guides Makoto down the hall, through the stairwell, and into the car. This moment would have been torture for both of them a short while ago, but now, Makoto is the only person Byakuya would want to care for drunk. He can’t find within himself to mind how Makoto nuzzles his face into Byakuya’s shoulder on the ride home. Those olive green eyes of his are so dazed and dreamy that all he can think about is getting his partner home safe and happy. After all, how could he manage to be so beautiful even while intoxicated? It simply isn’t fair.

“Thanks for coming to Komaru’s with me,” Makoto purrs, taking one of Byakuya’s hands into his own and squeezing, “I know you’re not big on that kind of thing, but I think she appreciated that we were there.”

Byakuya grunts in acknowledgement. For him, it’s as good as “you’re welcome”. He’s never been one for the mushy talk – he’d never be able to bring himself to say any of the things that he’s thinking.

I know you only get so much time with your sister. I know you would like to make up for lost time. I might want to do the same with mine, if I could. It almost comforts me, in a way, to see you have a sister. I want you to have things that make you happy. Seeing you happy is all I want. Sometimes she feels like my sister, too.

“I promise we can just relax for the next little bit, okay? No more get-togethers or whatever. Just a little me and you time.”

Byakuya sighs. “With our work schedules, such a thing is terribly unlikely.”

Makoto chuckles, almost as if he is unable to share the other man’s jaded bitterness. “We’ll make time. Maybe we could do lunch.”

“No, dinner. Dinner works better for me.”

“It’s a bit hard to get out of school when you’re the headmaster, but… I’ll see what I can do.”

“You better,” Byakuya challenges, “I will be making reservations somewhere with standards.”

Once again, his partner laughs. “I’ll be sure to straighten my tie before I go.”

______________________________________________________________

“You know, you’re surprisingly verbose for someone who is supposed to be intoxicated.”

Makoto snickers, totally nonchalant, even if this comment is made in response to him somehow getting stuck in his t-shirt as Byakuya tries to peel it off him. Even if his words are still working, his body is not. It is pathetic how clumsy he has become. He wasn’t exactly in perfect standing form when they left Komaru and Toko’s place, but now he’s all stumbles and swaying. He was barely even coordinated enough to get the keys into the door of their apartment. His body seems to drift naturally to the left almost every time he is left for too long. Worst of all, instead of considering it an inconvenience, he is amused by it. He always has been a bit of a gleeful drunk.

“And you’re struggling with a t-shirt for someone who is sober.”

That sentence barely makes sense, but it prompts Byakuya to flick his boyfriend in the nose anyway, earning himself a whine from the other party.

“Just stop your wriggling and let me figure this out.”

“I’m gonna pay you back for that.”

He grunts in response, reaching over Makoto’s head to pull the t-shirt from the back. With a soft shuffling sound, it slips off, revealing his bare chest. It is not the first time that Byakuya has seen Makoto with his shirt off, yet it seems like every time he does, he gets scrawnier. He never had much muscle to begin with, but it baffles him sometimes that he can even seem so tiny. It is not for lack of exercise or good nutrition – he’s been very strict with his partner about those things since they agreed to pursue a relationship – but it is just something that is uniquely Makoto. It is as if he was made to be small and cute by nature. The thought almost makes him blush, but he shakes it away, reaching over for Makoto’s bedtime hoodie and handing it to him.

“Are you going to be able to put this on yourself, or do you need me to dress you like a child?”

Makoto sticks his tongue out at Byakuya half-playfully, snatching the hoodie from his hands and slipping it on. The hoodie is grey and a little ratty, a full two sizes too big for him, but the way it swallows him up is so unfairly charming. How is this fair? How did he get to be so soft for this painfully average man? What spell did this man put over him to make him pudding on the inside? He’ll never know, and maybe he doesn’t need to know, but it swells so much emotion in him, to know how far he has come. A small smile sneaks across his face before he knows it.

“There, are you more comfortable now?”

Makoto nods gently, then chuckles and clutches his head. “Phew, that’s a little dizzying…”

“Then I would advise not doing that.”

He rolls his eyes. “Thanks, Byakuya. Hadn’t quite figured that one out.”

Once again, he can offer only a grunt in response. He instead pushes Makoto back onto the bed, landing on his behind with a bit of a wobble. In any other circumstance, Makoto might make a joke about the scenario being sexual, but he’s too drunk to do so now. He knows that Byakuya would never take advantage of him, and joking about it would just feel wrong. Besides – nothing will ever beat the last time Byakuya got drunk to him. Apparently he had refused to sleep in the bed with a much more sober Makoto, because he had a boyfriend already and was not interested in any other, man or woman. He had been quite touched, while Byakuya, on the other hand, was terribly embarrassed. As much as he loves his boyfriend, he prefers to show it in actions rather than in words. This is why it is so easy for him to then grab Makoto’s legs and swing them onto the bed, urging him to relax into their bed. Clearly exhausted from the night’s activities, he does not resist, sinking into their mountain of soft pillows.

“There. Do you need anything else before I go?”

Makoto’s expression turns sad, his brows knitting together. “You’re not going to sleep in the bed with me?”

The look on his face sears pain into Byakuya’s heart. His rational mind tells him to resist the gloomy glint of those olive green eyes, but the better half of him knows that it would be best if he stays with Makoto. After all, if he were to get sick in the night, he could need him. “I intended to give you your space.”

“I don’t want my space,” Makoto says, reaching out his arms, “I want my cuddle buddy.”

Byakuya glances between the door and the bed one last time, and heaves a heavy sigh. He flicks off the light switch, closes the door, and makes his way to bed with his partner. Makoto giggles gleefully as Byakuya joins him in bed, allowing him to be claimed by the merciful grasp of feather pillows and their cushy silk duvet. As soon as Byakuya is under the covers, Makoto cuddles right up, wrapping both his arms around his partner’s.

“The things I do for you,” Byakuya sighs once more, plucking his glasses from his eyes and putting them on the bedside table, “You’ve made a human being out of me, and I hate it.”

Makoto laughs again and reaches up to brush some of Byakuya’s hair out of his face, smiling all the while. “Your hair is so soft…” His voice is smooth and rich like fudge before he continues, reigniting his amusement, “Just like your heart.”

“Ugh, you’re as bad as your sister.”

It’s at that moment that Makoto jolts up, reaching for his phone. “Komaru! I forgot to let her know we got home!”

Byakuya opens his mouth to protest the movements, but Makoto already has the phone in his hand, not seeming to notice or care that he’s starting to sway again. Byakuya tugs him back down to rest his head, and surprisingly he does, but he won’t take his eyes off the phone. For a moment he wonders if there is more of an urgency to the situation than he thought – perhaps after her traumatic separation from their parents, Komaru had some unresolved anxiety about Makoto’s safety. However, once he catches a smile start to form on his face, he knows that whatever Komaru’s reaction is, it can’t be too bad. He is about to open his mouth to ask when he tilts the phone over to him. On the screen is two texts from Komaru. The first is a photo of her and Toko, snuggled up in bed. Komaru is smiling and winking, while Toko is dead asleep, drooling against Komaru’s shoulder with her mouth wide open, but seeming very happy. The second message is the caption to the first, saying: “Got my cuddle buddy to bed safe and sound. How about you?”

Ugh. He knows where this is going.

“I assume you want to send a picture of us back to her?”

Makoto smiles sheepishly. “If you wouldn’t mind.”

“I would,” he sighs, taking the phone from Makoto’s hands and pushing a smile, “But I will do it for your sake.”

He laughs. “You really are a softie.”

Byakuya kisses Makoto’s cheek softly. “Only for you.”

#hopefully you like it anon! i know it's been awhile since this was requested (insert awkward sheepish laughing here)#this was honestly an interesting challenge for me tbh. I've never written byakuya romantically so it was neat to explore #Koto's 100 Followers Gifts #naegami #tokomaru #makoto naegi #byakuya togami #komaru naegi #toko fukawa #danganronpa #danganronpa trigger happy havoc #danganronpa 3 #danganronpa ultra despair girls #danganronpa fanfiction

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caffernnn · 2 years

Note

Do you still need me? And Haru for the ask game!

Haru wasn’t really sure when it had started or why, but evenings like this did… something to his defenses. It had become routine, watching the sky set stage for the moon, winding down with quiet tasks around his home, engaging in the practice of reflection. The lull of it all made him comfortable, made him honest.

Watching Makoto walk around the kitchen with ease, putting away clean dishes and talking about his day like this was his own home, like he was meant to be doing exactly this, it struck Haru (not for the first time) how much Makoto had grown since they arrived in Tokyo. Change made people uneasy, and growing amidst change felt clumsy, but Makoto had been meeting the challenges of growing older with a grace built out of semi-reckless hope. Living on his own, taking on major academic workloads, being a mentor and a motivator and a leader — he’d taken on putting his fears in his back pocket and carving out a place for himself in the future he wanted, like it was always his to create, like it was always his to want. Haru, bearing witness to all of this, getting to see Makoto become Makoto firsthand, was immensely awestruck and proud in a way that he couldn’t find enough words for.

Tonight, that pride mixed with his own fear he didn’t dare voice usually, but spilled out from a wrecked smile now all the same: “do you still need me around?”

“Well, I’ve got the dishes handled, but that’s not what you meant, is it?”

Apropos of nothing, a barely-breathed question with a weighted admission still sitting between them, Makoto turned with a hum and considered his response. This, too, was something new they feeling their way through together: not retreating from insecurities, learning how to navigate the uncomfortable but important things out loud. Another thing that scared Haru (scared them both a little), but he felt Makoto was adjusting to over time like one day it’d be second nature. Even though it was hard to sit still or meet Makoto’s eyes without slamming the emotional door he’d just opened, he stayed in the room and tried, which was enough for Makoto to continue without deflecting or retreating himself.

“Is it okay to say I’d still want you by my side, whether I needed you around or not?”

Haru stayed quiet as Makoto sat down in front of him, one hand laying palm up on the table. Haru looked down at it, lazily drew patterns on Makoto’s hand with his finger, trying to imagine being wanted, simply and unconditionally. “That wouldn’t be too bad, I guess.”

“Haru, I… it’s easier to calm down and remember who I am when you’re around. God, I can’t imagine how much harder leaving Iwatobi would’ve been without knowing you’d be around too, helping me get used to… all of this.”

“You could’ve done it. You’ve done a lot of ‘this’ on your own already.”

“Thank you, but that’s not what I’m getting at.”

Makoto takes and squeezes Haru’s hand, imploring him to look up. Wide blue meets gently crinkled green and Makoto continues.

“Sure, I could be exploring Tokyo alone, having dinner alone, but you’ve made sure that I don’t have to do everything on my own all the time. You make me happy, Haru, and that’s enough. By letting me still stand by you, by choosing to stand by me in turn… that’s more than enough for me, okay?”

Haru swallows, nods — he knows this is true, this unwavering call to keep choosing each other, and his doubts quiet down for the moment in the face of earnest appreciation. He’s red when trying stutter out a “me too, it’s the same for me,” Makoto immediately responding with a small laugh and understanding nod of his own.

The moon rises, they’re here together, and in this moment, it’s enough.

(Send me a prompt, if you want!)

#makoharu #harumako #makoharutokyo my beloved #do long-winded sentences count as cardio? asking for a friend #also grammar is dead and I found her in a ditch. thanks for asking #anyway. glad to have a moment with this prompt and the emotional support blorbos #thanks for sending <3 #ask games #anonymous

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everybodyknows-everybodydies · 11 months

Note

sending you Michiru and Makoto :)

:'D aaa thank you!!

Michiru: (whom @docholligay also asked for 👀)

Why I like them: she's beauty. she's grace. she's the most dangerous person in the room. she's dragging me for filth and I'm thanking her for deigning to notice I exist at all

Why I don’t: hmm... well I don't like that she's never canonically kissed her wife onscreen I'll tell you that :(

Favorite episode (scene if movie): that special with the creepy puppet is like PEAK Michiru for me

Favorite season/movie: I still can't make myself watch Stars even though I know there's good things there, so that only leaves S :(

Favorite line: she has so many good lines. probably the one that guts me most though for a bazillion reasons: I like your hands.

Favorite outfit: this blue dress ;-;

OTP: Harumichi. is there even another answer to this one

Brotp: REALLY this is Doc's fault since it's entirely based on how she writes their dynamic but Rei!

Headcanon: this is just bc I think it'd be really funny but I don't think she can sing, like, at all. master violinist but if she sings in the shower Haruka comes knocking on the door like are you dying?? are you okay?? I have my sword ready!!

Unpopular opinion: I didn't think it was unpopular due to the circles I run in but apparently some people think she's naturally and uncomplicatedly kindhearted and nice?? that woman is made of marble and displayed behind velvet ropes and you will never touch her. sorry.

A wish: I think she should get to stab someone. as a treat

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: if Haruka dies before she does the world is ending

5 words to best describe them: (counting on my fingers.) carefully composed silk-covered steel.

Mako:

Why I like them: buff bi femmes with big hair are exactly my type 😞 AND she's a sweetheart, and honest to a fault, and sometimes a little bit dense, and reckless with her own safety for the sake of people she cares about, and -

Why I don’t: this is not her fault but I find the "a new crush every day" trope a little tired :/

Favorite episode (scene if movie): my immediate reaction is 147... 🥺 as with all the heart mirror/crystal/doodad of the week stuff there's some stuff we are not talking about but. there are also,, some very good things. also really enjoy 105 as a Mako-centric episode!!

Favorite season/movie: this is such a tough one. the first season I guess?? I like seeing the dynamics between everyone form ahaha

Favorite line: "I'M THE ONE WITH THE MOST TALENT HERE"

Favorite outfit: ROSE DRESS ROSE DRESS ROSE DRESS

OTP: Makoami...... shocking approximately no one lol

Brotp: Usagi! I like their friendship a lot :')

Headcanon: she doesn't have room for a garden given she lives in an apartment but I just know she has a bunch of little herb plants in pots on her windowsills. the mint is quarantined to its own window though after she lost her first rosemary plant to it deciding it needed ALL the pots for itself, actually

Unpopular opinion: it SHOULDN'T be unpopular given that it's CANONICAL but she is both muscular and feminine!!! both things can be true!!! PUT MORE BUFF WOMEN IN PRETTY DRESSES I AM BRANDISHING A FORK AT EVERY OTHER FAN ARTIST IN THE WORLD

A wish: for her to get to wear more pretty dresses. if I say it enough times will someone listen to me do you think

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: my dear we are DONE letting your big heart be taken advantage of by insincere and villainous parties!!

5 words to best describe them: the foundation you stand on.

#Mouse talks!#also these two are both trans and nobody can tell me otherwise #thank you for asking!! :'D

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aeoki · 1 year

Text

Machina - Test World: Chapter 4

Location: Season Avenue (SSVRS) Characters: Mika, Sora & Makoto

< A few days later. Season Avenue inside “SSVRS”. >

Sora: HaHa~ HiHi~ HuHu~♪

There’s only a few more days left in Sora’s winter holidays! Sora will play until the very end~♪

Maybe Sora will have a walk around in the fantasy world where the “Phantom Airship” stage is. Umm, the closest teleport point is…

Oh. Mika-chan-san is online~

He’s been online a lot recently so maybe Sora should check up on him?

Being unable to leave the game world is a pretty common theme in MMOs, though.

If he ends up in some sort of trouble because he’s way too into the game, then Sora would feel bad since it was Sora who introduced him to the game~

If he’s wanting to make something, then he should probably be shopping around here…

Makoto: Ah, you’re here too, Harukawa-kun. Hello.

Sora: Yuuki-sensei~!

You’re playing video games every day too, huh~ Thanks for always testing it out for us!

Do you have any idea where Mika-chan-san might be, by the way? There are a lot of shops you can buy materials from in this area, so Sora thought he might be here~?

Makoto: Yeah. Harukawa-kun, about that…

Mika: Hello, I see you two are here today!

I got some “VL$” from makin’ stuff so I’ve opened a store. Some people said they wanted to buy some of the stuff I made with virtual currency.

It looks like there were quite a few people interested, so I used the auction (?) feature in the “Test World” and put a price on ‘em. But they fetched for a high price.

I’m glad I opened up shop in the best place in Season Avenue ‘cause of that ♪

Sora: HeHe~ Looks like Mika-chan-san has really made a name for himself as a creator in this “Test World” ♪

Makoto: No. It might be even bigger than that.

I looked things up a while ago, but it seems Kagehira-kun’s work has brought people’s attention to the “Test World” and the value of the “VL$” has increased.

Thanks to that, the “Test World” is becoming more and more popular and it’s even caught the media’s eye now that a lot of people are interested in it.

Mika: Oh, really?

I was just makin’ stuff like usual, though. But now that you mention it, all the stuff I’ve got up in the shop have bids placed on ‘em.

Well, I’m not makin’ art ‘cause I wanna make money. I’ll use the “VL$” to make up for the production cost.

I’ve got more than enough inspiration than I can handle, so I can’t talk to you guys for long. If you’ve got some time, feel free to take a look around~♪

Sora: HoHo~ You’re a true artist, huh, Mika-chan-san.

Every nook and cranny of your shop is filled with your artwork – it’s flourishing~♪

Sora wants to decorate Sora’s house in the “Test World” with one of Mika-chan-san’s artworks!

Yuuki-sensei~ Let’s take a look at the artwork and bid on one we like.

Makoto: Sure. This is the “Test World”, so it might be worth the challenge to try and win something.

The “Test World” gets really colourful and prosperous with creators like Kagehira-kun.

It sounds pretty interesting to have an item and know that it’s designed by Kagehira-kun. I guess I’ll bid on this one.

Mika: Thanks so much. I’ll use that money to make even better artwork ♪

[ Location: Shuu’s Atelier (Paris) ]

Shuu: …………

Strange. Kagehira isn’t picking up…

It should be evening in Japan right now and he shouldn’t be working, either.

I don’t mind if he’s focused and working on something. Oddly, he wasn’t able to answer straight away yesterday, either. He should have nothing on in the meantime, seeing as he wanted to focus on his work.

…How troubling. I had intended on asking Kagehira how his work is going.

Should I give him another call…? No, I feel awkward calling Kagehira over and over again.

I have a feeling he might act overconfident and say, “Oshi-san, you’re such a worrywart”. That would be quite irritating in itself.

…I know. I’ll return earlier than planned.

Fortunately, the beginning of the New Year ended up being right after “SS” finished, meaning we’re quite free at the moment. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to check how Kagehira is doing as a surprise.

It wouldn’t be too late to contact Kagehira once I’ve arrived in Japan. I’ll change my flight right away.

…Oh? What’s the matter, Mademoiselle?

I’m just paying attention to Kagehira and have forgotten about you, you say…?

Tis but a misunderstanding, Mademoiselle. I’m not paying attention to him in the way you think I am – It’s my duty as his mentor.

This is Kagehira we’re talking about here. If he’s leading a self-indulgent lifestyle out of my sight, then I must talk some sense into him.

Non, as I said, this is not out of worry. I simply want to keep an eye on him to see whether Kagehira is slacking off or not…!

Trust me. I’ll get ready to leave Paris – there are no hidden meanings behind those words. I simply decided to return earlier than planned due to my aspirations for art. That’s all.

Now, enough sulking. Will you get your change of clothes and prepare for our return, Mademoiselle? As his mentor, I have an obligation to see his work with my own eyes.

← Previous Chapter ᠂ ⚘ ˚⊹˚ ⚘ ᠂ Next Chapter →

#machina

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archiveikemen · 2 years

Text

Amamiya Henri Main Story — Chapter 10

I do not own any of the Ikemen Series content being uploaded on this blog, everything belongs to CYBIRD. Please support them by downloading and playing their games.

read this before interacting with my posts

Henri and I returned to the dressing room, where everyone was waiting for us.

Kyoichiro: You’re back.

I bowed in response to Kyoichiro and realized that some people were absent.

(Oh? Has Makoto already left?)

(And… Koki doesn’t seem to be here.)

As I looked around the room, I saw Haruto leaning against a chair.

Haruto: Hey, I’m hungry.

Henri: Hahaha! Haruto, didn’t you also say that before the show started?

While Henri was joking around, Koki came in and called out to everyone in the room.

Koki: Let’s go home~

Everyone started getting ready to leave.

In the meantime, I went to Shuji and asked in a whisper.

MC: Hey, Shuji. What about Makoto?

Shuji: He said that he only came to say hello, then he left with Koki.

Shuji: He also said that he’ll come again another time, because he’s rather busy today.

Shuji: I wonder what’s up with that guy.

MC: I see…

(Own The Night is by-invite-only… so why was Makoto here?)

(But there’s something I’m more concerned about.)

I glanced over at Henri, but he was happily chatting with Kyoichiro and Kanade as usual.

== Flashback Start ==

Henri: Any normal person would think that it’s stupid for me to take this seriously.

Henri: No matter how hard I work, I’m never good enough.

Henri: As long as I’m standing on the same stage, I’ll never be the star of the show.

== Flashback End ==

(Why did Henri say that?)

I squeezed my hands together when I recalled how cold his hands felt just now.

In the end, several days had passed without me ever figuring out why Makoto was there, or what Henri's words meant…

That day, I returned to the Sakuragi after my piano classes and was greeted by an unexpected visitor.

Makoto: You’re back from work, MC.

MC: …! Makoto!?

Makoto was in the living room talking to Gaku.

The rhythmic sound of a knife on a chopping board could be heard coming from the kitchen, perhaps Koki was preparing dinner.

Makoto: You’re a piano teacher, right? How was work? Did you have fun?

MC: … Yes.

(I’m sure Makoto isn’t a bad person.)

I was nodding in response to him, but my body naturally stiffened as questions came flying at me one after another.

Makoto: Haha. Relax, I’m not going to eat you.

MC: Sigh…

I didn't know how to react to that, so I gave an ambiguous response and looked at the table Gaku was watching us from…

MC: Ah.

Makoto: MC, you want to look at it too? Here you go~

The table was lined with photos of HOUNDS and SilverVine at live performances.

MC: Awesome…! You all look so cool.

I sat down on the carpet and picked up the photos one at a time to have a closer look.

Makoto: Look at Gaku over here, doesn’t he look shiny?

MC: You’re right… he does look like he’s sparkling!

Gaku: … Are you referring to my sweat?

As I excitedly looked at Makoto’s photos, I realized something.

(I remember that photography and filming was prohibited at the live show.)

Perhaps he knew what I was thinking, Makoto laughed in amusement.

Makoto: I had Koki’s permission to collect information about the live show for journalism purposes.

Makoto: All these photos were taken that day.

MC: Collect information?

Makoto: That’s correct. It's called Own The Night … right.

The moment Makoto told me that while holding out a photo, the door to the living room slid open again…

Henri: I’m home—

Henri: … Um.

Henri had just returned home and was surprised to see Makoto.

Makoto: I’m starting to get used to that look of disapproval Henri has whenever he sees me.

Henri: Don’t be cringey. What are you here for, Makoto?

I hurriedly called out to Henri, who was approaching with a sour expression.

MC: Welcome home, Henri!

Henri: Thanks… oh, are these photos from that day? This is the first time I’m seeing something like this.

Just like I did, Henri crouched down and looked through the photos.

Henri: It’s been a while since I saw the front-view of Kanade and Kyoichiro performing, they're still as amazing as ever.

Henri: Wow, Haruto and the others look so cool too.

Henri was looking through a few photos he picked up, then he offered me two of them with a smile.

Henri: Which photo do you think looks better, MC?

MC: Well, let’s see…

(It’s a little embarrassing to say this in front of him, but…)

I answered while pointing to a photo that wasn't one of those he showed me.

MC: Is that you in the photo, Henri?

Henri: M-Me? Don’t Kanade and Kyoichiro look more handsome?

MC: Sure they looked cool, but you looked cool playing the bass guitar too.

Henri laughed.

Henri: Is that so? Mm… it makes me happy to hear that from you, MC.

Henri: Thanks!

(I’m glad I had the courage to say it.)

After looking at the photos for a while more, Henri looked up at Makoto and asked.

Henri: Kyoichiro told me that you were at Own The Night the other day to collect data.

Henri: What kind of article are you planning to write?

Henri: Own The Night is a secret live show, is it not?

Makoto: Hahaha exposing secrets is what we reporters do. However…

Makoto: No matter how attractive the keyword “secret” may seem, what I have now isn't enough to write an interesting story.

Henri’s gaze sharpened while Makoto grinned.

Makoto: Even though the live show was held in secret, you weren't breaking any regulatory rules, right?

Makoto: I’m not going to write an article on it until it develops into something sensational.

Henri: … What makes a story “sensational”?

Makoto: Um. For example…

Makoto reached for one of the dozens of photos on the table and lightly tapped his finger on one of them.

MC: Oh.

(It's a photo of HOUNDS.)

Makoto: A story about F has potential to be sensational… don’t you think?

Gaku: …

Gaku, who had been silent up till then, shot a glance at Makoto.

Makoto: The government-approved band F was seen performing at the live show, going against Rindou. How exciting.

Makoto: Such an article is sure to draw everyone's attention.

MC: What the heck…

(What will happen to Gaku, Haruto, and the others if such an article is published?)

As I stared at that photo, Makoto moved his finger away.

Makoto: However, Koki allowed me to collect data at the live show on the condition that I will not reveal any of their identities.

Makoto: Therefore, I’ll keep that information to myself and not write anything about it.

Makoto: Besides, there’s something I’m more interested in…

Makoto moved his finger again and this time, he pointed at a photo of SilverVine.

Makoto: This.

Henri: …

Makoto continued to speak while holding our gazes.

Makoto: SilverVine.

Makoto: I’ve interviewed several music liberation bands, but I’ve never seen such a high quality group before.

Makoto: I look forward to finding out things more interesting than F.

The entire room fell silent.

In the middle of that silence, Gaku muttered in a low voice.

Gaku: … You think that SilverVine will cause something similar to “that incident”?

(...!)

When I looked at Gaku in shock, Makoto’s laughter resonated in my ears.

Makoto: Ahaha I can’t say for certain because I’m a mere bystander.

Makoto: Depending on your actions, the world might undergo another big change… I think?

Makoto's words made me gulp.

(I don’t believe that SilverVine’s songs will cause another “that incident”...)

Makoto: But I don’t think that’s enough for me to write an entire article either.

MC: Not enough…?

Makoto nodded in an exaggerated manner before responding.

Makoto: There is one member of SilverVine who isn’t taking this seriously.

Makoto: Even if the band is high quality, as long as the members remain the same, their songs will never be powerful enough to change the world.

MC: A member who isn’t serious…?

Makoto narrowed his eyes and turned his gaze towards Henri.

Makoto: Right, Henri?

Henri: …

There was a quiet tension between them as they stared at each other.

The increasingly tense atmosphere made it feel difficult to breathe.

Henri: What do you mean, Makoto?

Makoto: But of course, although I played music once upon a time, I don’t know much about it. Everything I’ve said is just speculation…

Makoto: Perhaps I could tell because we’re so similar.

Makoto pointed a finger at Henri.

Makoto: You.

Makoto’s icey tone made my heart rate skyrocket.

Makoto: You feel empty, don't you? Over here.

Makoto tapped his chest, the spot where the heart is.

MC: M-Makoto!

When I raised my voice on impulse, Henri quietly stood up.

(Ah…!)

Henri: I’m going to go change my clothes.

MC: Henri…

I tried to stop him, but all he did was mutter something without even looking back.

Henri: Makoto is right.

I stared blankly at his back as he left the living room.

The door slammed shut, and the next moment…

(... I need to chase after him!)

I immediately stood up and left the living room to run after Henri.

MC: Henri, wait!

#ikemen live #ikelive main story #ikemen series #cybird ikemen #cybird otome #otome #henri main story

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scarletwritesshit · 1 year

Text

Makoto Niijima x Goro Akechi ☪ They Hate to see a Girlboss Winning ☪ Chapter 2: Making the First Move (Towards Gathering Intel of Course)

That’s right.

Makoto forgot that was today.

After school, the Thieves were going to meet up at the designated location in order to secure an entrance to Sae’s palace. For Makoto, this meant that she was going to have to drag herself out to the courthouse after missing hours of sleep and put up enough of a display to fool Akechi into believing their act. At least the responsibly lied primarily in Futaba’s hands, meaning that Makoto was less likely to slip due to her current lack of focus. Still the urge was present to ask him question after question.

The day felt like it dragged on forever, but Makoto was so spaced out that at the same time, it managed to pass by in an instant. She wanted nothing more than to crash at her place and take a nap, but she would have to tough it out and carry through with the plan along with the rest of the Phantom Thieves. Besides, what would Sae think of such behavior? Makoto couldn’t allow herself to falter, regardless of if Sae would ever become aware of her actions.

By the time the Thieves arrived at Café Leblanc, Makoto had managed to wake herself up a bit. Sure, it took a few shots of espresso, but at least she was more aware of the world around her. Out of all of the members, she was the last one to drag herself through the door, excluding Akechi from this meeting. (Is he even really a part of the team?) Still exhausted from her practical all-nighter from the night before, Makoto let out an exhausted sigh as she blankly scanned the quiet café. Sojiro turned around from behind the counter and noticed her sluggishly making her way through the shop.

“You look a little tired to be meeting your friends right now,” Sojiro noted.

“Today is kind of a big deal for us, so I couldn’t be absent.”

Sojiro sighed defeatedly knowing that he would have absolutely no chance to convince Makoto otherwise. He dried his hands and hung the towel on a drawer knob, then walked over to the counter where Makoto was overlooking. Sojiro grabbed a clean cup and a warm pot of coffee and proceeded to pour some for Makoto.

“You damn kids get yourselves into too much shit these days,” he said, shaking his head.

Makoto grabbed the cup of coffee from the table. It smelled rich and flavorful, perfect for her to get back on her feet.

“…Thank you,” Makoto said, blowing off some of the steam.

“Don’t mention it. You look like you could use something to help you focus a little better.”

Did Makoto really appear that spaced out? Her mind had been preoccupied with making advances towards unraveling Akechi’s true intentions, but she thought that she had kept her exhaustion pretty well hidden. It’s rather convenient that Ren and Ryuji are in separate classes from her, otherwise, she would have to endure nonstop teasing about her actual efforts in order to uncover more about Akechi.

It was quite annoying, really, for your friends to all of a sudden think you’re into someone just because their name becomes a topic of conversation. Is it because she was normally a diligent and focused worker that made her such an easy target to be teased? Or were they purposely taking advantage of her insecurities to get her all riled up?

With her coffee in hand, Makoto made her way up the stairs to the hideout of the Phantom Thieves. She took the last remaining free seat at the table, directly beside Futaba. Makoto then sat her coffee down and stared at it blankly, ignoring the conversations unfolding beside her. Ryuji was too busy making some suggestive comment directed at Ann to target Makoto for the time being, as he was bound to get sucker punched if his attention focused elsewhere for a second.

Makoto picked up her cup of coffee and swirled it gently.

I have to talk to him one on one soon, she thought. If I can start prying information out of him before the rest of the Thieves, then I can at least manage to stay one step ahead and impress them with my feats.

Hmm…I could text him to confirm that he is visiting Leblanc later this evening. That should kick off a conversation between us.

She took a sip of her coffee, disregarding the snappy comments and ragdoll arm movements from Futaba that came a bit too close for comfort. Futaba was causing a bit of a ruckus, pathetically swatting her headphones at an annoyingly smug Yusuke. Despite the frustrated message she was attempting to convey, small giggles of joy slipped out between every one of her words. Yusuke was unphased, simply swaying his body to dodge Futaba’s headphone assault.

Though Makoto was at a slight risk of being on the receiving end of a headphone slap, she paid absolutely no attention to the bickering going on beside her. Instead, she sat her coffee down and pulled her phone out. She didn’t have Akechi’s number directly, but since he was in the Phantom Thieves group chat (or one of them, at least), she would be able to grab his number from there.

After opening a separate conversation consisting of only Akechi and herself, her fingers shook as she struggled to find the right words. It’s just a simple text to confirm preestablished plans, how hard could it be? She wasn’t immediately prying into his business so it couldn’t be a risk to the Thieves mission…

This is Makoto, Sae’s sister, she typed. You are still coming to visit Café Leblanc this evening, correct?

She stared at the sent message for a few moments before turning the screen off and putting her phone down on the table. Makoto accidentally made more noise than intended with the sound of her phone hitting the wood, capturing the focus of Ren as well as the side eye from others.

“Well, I guess we’re all here finally,” Ren said. “Shall we go over our plans one more time?”

Everyone else nodded their heads in agreement. Futaba, with her headphones still in her hand, eagerly leaped up from her seat.

“We’re still gonna put the silly little tracking malware on his phone, right?” she asked, enthusiastically.

“When we meet outside of Sae’s palace this evening, yes.” Ren clarified. “Akechi is well aware of your eccentric nature, so a little snatch shouldn’t raise any red flags for him.”

“Eccentric indeed,” Yusuke remarked. “Futaba doesn’t even have to act fascinated as that is indeed her usual behavior.”

“You wanna say that to my face, Inari?” Futaba snapped.

“Futaba, Yusuke, enough,” Ann said, trying to direct their attention away from each others' throats, “Let Ren speak.”

“As I was saying, yes, we’re still on board to slip the malware onto his phone later today. We will head out shortly after he arrives at what he thinks is the official Phantom Thieves meeting...”

Makoto’s phone screen suddenly lit up. She inconspicuously slid it into her hands so that the others would not take notice and question her actions. She hastily unlocked it to see who messaged her. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw that the message was from Akechi, replying to her message from a few moments earlier. There was a lingering anxiety present in Makoto's mind that it was going to go horribly wrong, despite her intentions being to simply confirm his whereabouts and make sure that the Thieves had time to finish their discussion.

Indeed I am, the reply read. Couldn’t wait to see me, perhaps?

With the Phantom Thieves still discussing the overview of the plan around her, Makoto had to keep a straight face in order to not draw attention to herself. She wanted to knock him upside the head out of pure frustration for always pulling some weird flirtatious act even in regards to a serious mission.

Does Sae have to put up with this, too? How has she not knocked him through the window yet?

For the sake of business, probably.

I was merely confirming our plans for this evening. That’s all, she typed in response.

No, that sounds a bit too snippity.

Makoto backspaced and edited her text message slightly.

I simply wish to confirm our plans, so the Thieves can prepare accordingly.

There, that sounds more appropriate.

Makoto perked her head up occasionally to check where Ren’s attention was directed. He was mainly focused on discussing with Futaba, as everyone else had to remember only a few key points; act normal, don’t pressure Akechi, and don’t mention a damn word about the malware.

…Wasn’t Makoto pressuring Akechi, in a way?

Eh, it’ll be fine. He’s somewhat close to her sister, so it’s only reasonable for Makoto to stick her nose into his business. Ignoring Ren and Futaba’s chatter, she directed the majority of her attention to her phone. Almost as quickly as she sent the reply out, Akechi once again responded to her text.

Haha, of course. Always staying one step ahead of others. You’re really just like your sister.

Makoto’s eye twitched, but she tried to retain her composure in order to not draw attention to her or the contents of her messages. What was with everyone comparing her to her older sister? Was she truly that inferior that any effort she made was merely like Sae in some way? Even Akechi seemed to have picked up on her internal conflict rather quickly.

Not only did she have to prove herself to her sister, but she would also have to prove to be better than Sae to Akechi. She was going to make sure that he recognized her talents one way or another. The urge to send a “fuck you im just as good” in response to him was strong, but alas, she remained strong and resisted.

Am I now? she texted back instead.

“Makoto? Is everything alright?”

Her head jolted up to see that Ren was looking directly at her, somewhat concerned. She must've accidentally allowed for some of her frustrations to show through.

“Yeah just…bothering my sister again,” she said, without a better excuse to use.

“Ya wouldn’t happen to be botherin' your detective prince, huh?” Ryuji mocked.

Makoto quickly stood up.

“Ryuji, is this truly necessary? I watch one show on the way home and now all of a sudden it gives you an excuse to be all over me?”

Ren pulled Ryuji’s sleeve to divert his attention away from Makoto. Ryuji did seem to enjoy teasing Makoto about her “crush,” but Ren had his priorities and a Phantom Thieves meeting was ideally no place for personal nonsense.

That is being said as Futaba and Yusuke never pass up an opportunity to make a snide remark about the other, but that’s their problem, not the Thieves.

Makoto sat back down, clearly frustrated from Ryuji’s unnecessary remarks as well as the lack of sleep. She once again looked at her phone to see the latest message from Akechi.

Of course. You both have a stubbornness unlike any other women I have ever met, his text said.

Was that intended to be a compliment or an insult? It was amazing how this guy could piss her off when they weren’t even in the same room. She almost wanted to take it as complimenting her hardworking and diligent attitude that she (attempts) to maintain, but it also could’ve had the intention to degrade her and imply that she's quite difficult to work with.

While she was stuck in a conflict over the interpretation of Akechi’s message, the Thieves concluded their meeting before she realized it. Everyone was heading downstairs to prepare for their proxy meeting with Akechi regarding the infiltration of Sae’s palace. Makoto, however, stayed upstairs alone to agonize over her personal debate without the useless side comments from Ryuji.

Praise?

Complaint?

She couldn’t tell with that guy.

And what is that supposed to mean? she replied.

Ha, like a true queen, Akechi came back with, a bit too quickly for Makoto's liking.

This wording wasn’t unintentional, as he was well aware of her Queen identity. Instead of humoring him more on the subject, Makoto gave up on trying to fight through his teasing and acquire any form intel.

Oh yeah. She was supposed to dig up some extra details from him, but ultimately failed by allowing herself to be swayed by his annoying attitude. Defeated, she turned the screen of her phone off and went downstairs to rejoin the rest of the thieves.

For the majority of Akechi’s stay, Makoto remained quiet and allowed Ren to take over the conversation. Akechi seemed far more willing to talk to him than the rest of the group, but she couldn’t help but wonder if she had been imagining him giving her the side eye every once in a while. Was it because of her hostility towards him in the messages they exchanged earlier?

She quietly eyed up the conversation until the Thieves began to leave Leblanc. Akechi was the last to follow the group, so Makoto took this as an opportunity to grab him by the sleeve and stop him in his tracks.

“I want to speak with you for a moment,” Makoto said.

Akechi looked at her, confused, but intrigued.

“Oh? Do you need something from me?” he inquired.

Makoto let go of his sleeve and Akechi closed the door. Akechi pulled out a seat for himself alone, leaving Makoto to wonder where his manners were at. Ignoring this, she wasted no time heading straight for the point.

“You work with Sae a lot, correct? What has she said about me?”

Akechi looked a bit confused as to where this question came from.

“She hardly ever speaks to me outside of business. If she does, then it is usually in regards to having to go out of her way and take care of you. Though I don’t get why she’s so uptight about that though, as you seem to be quite the independent woman yourself.”

…Complaining about taking care of me? Does she see me as some kind of dead weight despite all of my hard work to even attempt to compare to her?

“So…essentially a burden?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say a burden, but…”

Makoto’s eyes widened. Is this really the woman that she had been trying to compare to all along? Someone who viewed her as a drag and nothing else?

Akechi put his hand on Makoto’s shoulder unexpectedly. Was this his attempt at being some form of comfort to her? Or was it all part of his “detective prince” act? Regardless, this sent a minor jolt through her body.

“Your sister has a lot to deal with, Makoto. I’ve seen it firsthand. I assure you, she genuinely worries about you every night.”

This is just another one of his acts… Makoto kept telling herself.

“Does she really?” she asked, gently shifting in response to Akechi’s touch.

I shouldn’t let my insecurities show so easily around this moron. He could use it against me one way or another.

Then again, if my goal here is to get close to him and sneak out a little bit of intel, then I suppose I can play along for a little while.

“She does. All I hear about when its not some legal nonsense is how much she wishes she could be there for you.”

Makoto’s eye once again twitched.

“I can’t believe you. Not when we’re on sketchy terms like this.”

...Damn it Makoto. So much for becoming close friends.

Akechi gently slid his hand off of her shoulder, then crossed his arms in thought.

“Ha, I didn’t expect you to be the least bit trusting anyways. If I am able to prove to you that Sae does in fact care, would you perhaps be more willing to have confidence in my word?”

Another devious scheme. Just play along. Futaba is putting the tracking software on his phone today. Soon, we'll know everything.

“Fine…you may be part of the Phantom Thieves for now, but I still have to keep my guard up around you. Can’t have you pulling anything funny on my friends.”

Akechi forced his usual bright, charming smile. To the normal person (or average fan), it would seem like a genuine sign of trust. Makoto, however, knew that his motives lied elsewhere. It was just a matter of seeing who would suck up to the other first.

“Believe me, I know better than to cross the Niijimas. Sae would have my throat under her heel, and as appealing as that sounds, I don’t think that would go over well with him…”

“With who?”

“Ah, never mind that. Anything else bothering you?”

“…No, that’s it for now. We should probably regroup with the rest of the Phantom Thieves.”

Futaba snatched Akechi’s phone as soon as he took it out to respond to a text, presumably from Sae or some sketchy contact. Her eyes open in astoundment at the “brand new model that everyone but her has.” She made sure to run her little gremlin fingers all over the screen and case while shoving it into her face in order to get a closer look. Akechi didn’t bother protesting her actions. He was well aware of Futaba's weird personality, and so he decided to let it go.

“You’ll have to excuse her,” Yusuke said, “she is just like this, and unfortunately, we cannot help her.”

“Haha, no, it’s fine. She’s charming, in her own ways,” Akechi said, unaware of their devious plan to slip malware into his phone.

You, of all people, think that’s charming? Oh right, you’re Akechi. You think everything female is charming.

Makoto anxiously watched as Futaba fidgeted with his phone. If this was uncharacteristic of her, then she would be far more worried about Futaba being caught. It truly pays off to recruit the quirkiest of all people. Perhaps, not only will they uncover Akechi’s true plans, but maybe Makoto can be put at peace with how her sister feels about both her and the pretty boy nuisance.

{And that’s where it all began, eh? Huh? Who am I?

Can’t believe ya forgot the one and only Ryuji Sakamoto.

Better get used to me bein' here, because if I have to watch this entire trainwreck unfold, then so do ya.}

#persona 5 #p5 #persona 5 royal #makoto niijima #goro akechi #fluff #hurt/comfort #fanfic #fanfiction #ryuji sakamoto #goromako #makogoro

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shslargue · 2 years

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Top five games (can have been played or watched)

OH MY GOD OKAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ASKING THIS—

5. Uri’s Strange Men Series, consisting of four games (The Crooked Man, The Sandman, The Boogie Man, and The Hanged Man)! I know it might be cheating to put a whole series on here, but they’re short enough indie games that all connect to each other, so I’m counting it. 😈 I don’t know if it would be accurate to say that I grew up with this series, as the first game came out when I was around ten and the final game are out when I was sixteen, but I definitely got to play them at some important moments in my life and I often come back to them whenever I’m feeling nostalgic. They were what first introduced me to the idea of psychological horror, which is now my favorite genre, and the themes of mental health and growing up mentally ill are handled very respectfully, in my opinion. My favorite game overall is probably the Boogie Man, as it’s the heaviest on the horror, but all of them are great!

4. Persona 5! I absolutely love the cast of characters, even though in some places I feel they deserve better writing than what they were given. The game as a whole is well-made and fun to both play and watch, and the aesthetic of the Phantom Thieves stuff is gold. The thing that first made me want to check this game out is seeing people talk about the character dynamics, and I absolutely was not disappointed! My favorites are probably Ryuji, Yusuke and Makoto, but all of them are great (Sumi and Maruki from Royal are also some of my favorites). Overall, such a well put-together game, and certainly much better than Persona 4!

3. Undertale. I have to put Undertale somewhere on here. It feels wrong if I don’t. I actually considered putting this at number four first, but it had a much bigger impact on my life than Persona 5 did, so I think I have to put it above it just for that reason alone. Undertale absolutely holds up to this day. And say what you will about that fandom (I… will also say what I will about them), but the game itself is executed beautifully, from the characters to the gameplay to the music to the story. It’s clearly such a labor of love from Toby Fox, and it works so well.

2. Ib is one of the first video games I ever really got super into, and now that I’ve been a fan for around ten years, I can say that the impact it’s had on my life is still going strong today! I literally revisit this game every single year without fail, and last year when I got you to play it with me I was super glad that you enjoyed it. 🥺 The remake which just came out is also good, it improves on quite a bit that was in the original, but that original version is always going to hold a strong and special place in my heart. I really do think that I would be a different person if I had never found out about this game.

1. To the Moon/Finding Paradise- I know I’m putting two games together here but shhhhhh it’s alright 😈 I’m only putting these two because I actually haven’t played the third game in this series, Imposter Factory, yet! It came out fairly recently and it’s kind of more divorced from the story of these two, so I’ll probably get around to it eventually. But THESE TWO… these are what really made me believe that video games could be art. The concept, of scientists that are able to insert themselves into the minds of people who are dying and change their memories to make them believe they accomplished their unfulfilled dreams, is so unique, and the way they tell their stories are incredibly impactful. The main characters, Doctors Rosaline and Watts, are so fun to follow, and I love their dynamic. And THE MUSIC… and also these games have some of my favorite quotes of all time… they’re just so good. God. So good.

#jacks

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definitelynotafurinasimp · 2 years

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Could I request Yae and Ei with an s/o who was immortal like them but died centuries ago. They meet reader again, now reincarnated as a human and reader is like "Have we meet somewhere before? You seem very familiar." Please and thank you :)

Them meeting you reincarnated as a human

characters: Ei/Yae Miko x gn!reader (seperate)

warnings: none

Part 2 here

a/n: There's not much I have to say, so I hope I managed to write what it as you imagined. If not then just say so and I'll try again as soon as possible.

Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Ei and you were inseparable, sure the future Archon and you also treasured your other friends, but the only person that meant more to her was her sister Makoto. So when the cataclysm happened and the God of Inazuma left for Khaenri’ah and Ei decided to follow suit, you stayed back in Inazuma, trying your best to defend it in her absence. The last words you would ever speak to her were a promise to see her again, but when she returned you were long gone and she would never get to see you again.

That was at least what she thought, but after deciding to leave the past behind and move Inazuma into the future, Ei often found herself travelling through her nation. Be it to visit Yae at the shrine, buy dango milk or simply to see how the people were doing. But she never expected to lock eyes with a person, looking and seemingly behave exactly like you. It took her some time to get to officially meet you, but when she did, she made sure to quickly form a friendship with you, so that she had an excuse to spent more time with you.

Even though you had befriended the Archon of Inazuma not so long ago, it strangely felt as if you had known her for as long as you remembered. Since the day the two of you first talked, you always felt at ease around her and no matter how bad your mood was, it would always get better when you just so much as thought about her.

At first you tried reasoning with yourself and kept telling yourself, that it was probably just because she was a literal god and you were honoured to be friends with her, it didn’t take you long to accept that the only reason for your heart to start beating so rapidly when interacting with her, was love. But even though you now knew what you were feeling, you still felt too shy to confess to her. That was until one day you decided to bite the bullet and told her.

“I know that what I’m about to say probably sounds weird, but I just feel as if I have to tell you”, you spontaneously said while Ei visited you. You told her how you felt, trying to say it as quickly to possible as to not chicken out in the middle of it. “It feels as if I knew you for much longer than just those few months and now that you know how I feel, I wanted to ask you to be mine”, you finished, feeling her eyes linger on you, but not having the courage to look up, instead choosing to stare at the floor. It was only when you could feel Ei’s hand softly taking yours, that you finally allowed yourself to make eye contact.

“Hearing you say that makes me happy. It would be an honour have you as my partner, just promise me to never leave my side. I don’t want to loose you again”, she answered you with a smile. You didn’t really understand what Ei meant with again, but that didn’t matter at the moment, all you cared about was her accepting. You were sure that with how much more time the two of you would spent together, you would eventually find the answer.

Yae Miko

Back then, when Yae was much younger than today, the two of you would do a lot of things for each other and if her owing you wasn’t enough to convince her, fried tofu or a book would never fail to bribe her. So when she asked you to get her a book she heard of, which was only available in Liyue, you instantly set sail, but after centuries of you not coming back, she someday accepted your demise.

So when she saw you looking for books at Yae’s Publishing house, she couldn’t believe her eyes. But even though the person looked and acted exactly like you used to and seemed to have the same taste in books, after keeping an eye on you for some time, Yae realised that they weren’t you, or at least not your immortal form.

You had been an immigrant from Liyue, coming to Inazuma with nothing more than your clothes, money and an old book. So it surprised you when you felt victim to the constant teasing of the owner of the Publishing house, not understanding why she had chosen you as her target. But even though you ought to dread encountering her, you couldn’t help but feel at ease whenever she spoke to you. And with time you grew accustomed to her teasing, almost awaiting it.

“I can’t help but wonder what book it is that I constantly see you reading”, you had been sitting at a bench in a relatively isolated spot in Inazuma, when you suddenly heard the fox-envoys voice. Your head instantly turned to face her and you shot her a quick smile.

“It’s an old book from Liyue. I got it when I was a child. It’s not even like I find the story particularly interesting, I just vaguely remember it being a book a friend of mine liked and so I somehow find myself taking it with me anywhere I go”, you explained while carefully closing the book. The only reaction you got from Yae was a smile, just instead of the mischievous one she would wear before teasing you, this one was a genuine one.

“I know this may sound a bit weird, but are you sure you’ve never been to Liyue? I could swear that I met you once before coming to Inazuma”, you asked and mentally prepared yourself for her inevitable teasing, but what you got instead was her smile growing even larger.

“Who knows? I’ve been living for quite some time, so maybe I was.”

#genshin x you #genshin impact #genshin x reader #genshin x y/n #genshin impact x reader #ei x reader #raiden shogun x reader #baal x reader #ei x y/n #ei x you #yae miko x reader #yae miko

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justauthoring · 3 years

Text

Precious To Us [2]

In other words, you’re Seijoh’s manager.

This chapter, Oikawa’s fangirls.

A/N: Here it is! The second part! I had one person request an idea (thanks @minigranger) and I definitely plan on writing it soon but I love the trope of manager vs. fangirls that I can’t help myself. As usual, please send in ideas :)

Listen, Oikawa’s fangirls are mean.

They just are.

It doesn’t really matter to them that you’re a first year, if they’re supposed to be your seniors, they would probably still be bitches even if you were their seniors and in second/third year.

They seem to think Oikawa’s theirs, even though, of course, he isn’t and if asked, he definitely would deny.

And they see you as a threat.

A big, big threat.

Who gets to see Oikawa everyday? You. Who gets to see him practice every day? You. Who gets a front row to seat to every one of his games? You. And who does he flirt with? You.

It doesn’t matter if you reciprocate the flirting or not -- which of course, you don’t -- they’re jealous and they blame it all on you.

Honestly, the first month of managing is fine.

Now that you know who Oikawa is and you’re around him more, you do notice the fangirls, but they don’t really bother you and you’re too focused trying to learn the ropes to really care about their constant presence.

You know you’ve heard some of the other members, namely the third years, complain about them.

About how annoying and distracting they were when it came to practice, or just the mere fact that Oikawa seemed to revel in the attention and love.

You’ve heard them, but you don’t really say anything otherwise because they’ve never done anything to you so you don’t really care either or.

Besides, even if you do think it’s tad bit pathetic, you can’t deny they’re devoted and you guess, in some ways... good for them?

But when you don’t stop being manager, and the rest of the team, namely Oikawa, don’t get sick of you like they all expect them to, and a month passes and you seem to just be thriving, getting a long with everyone, and finally getting the hang of everything?

That’s when they attack.

You’re already late.

And even if you know none of the boys or even the coaches will be upset with you, you do like to be punctual and you absolutely hate being late. So, you’re rushing, practically sprinting through the halls as you try to gather your bearings and organize everything you need to.

You’re already thinking of what drills Oikawa will have the team do, and what you can do to help. Maybe you could bring up some of the notes you’ve made? You’re not a hundred percent on the terms, but Iwaizumi has been helping you, and you’re sure you’ve picked up on a few of the techniques and things you think the boys could improve on.

You didn’t want them to think you’re imposing, but this was the job of the manager wasn’t it? They always reminded you you were more then just a water girl, and that they greatly appreciated anything advice you had for them from an outsider point of view, so maybe--

Landing with a loud thud, a groan leaves your lips as you feel your chin smack against the concrete floor beneath you. It takes you a second to gather your bearings, baffled at how you were suddenly on the ground, and trying to ignore the pain at having bitten your own tongue. But the second you hear laughter, you realized exactly what had happened and your head turns around to stare at the three girls stood above you in bafflement.

They’re laughing at you, quite loudly and obvious mocking you, but your eyes narrow in bafflement when you realize you’re positive you’ve seen them before. You just can’t place your thumb on it. They’re not in your class, one of them doesn’t even seem to be in your year, and you don’t think you’d remember some random face you’d passed in the hall, so--

That’s right. You’ve seen them hanging around Oikawa before, and the one older girl had even snuck into practice one day.

Slowly pushing yourself to your feet, you move to gather your stuff, only for it to be kicked out of your grasp.

“What the--!”

“Listen.”

You blink when the older one, clearly the leader or whatever, is suddenly directly before you, barely a breaths away, glaring down at you.

“You need to quit being manager for Oikawa-san’s volleyball team.”

And your eyes widen, baffled, lips parting as you shake your head; “I don’t--”

“I think you perfectly understand,” the girl behind her sneers, eyes cold.

“We don’t like how close you were with Oikawa-san.”

“And we’re sure Oikawa-san’s sick of seeing your ugly face every day.”

You’re stunned silent. Honestly, you’re not really sure what to say.

“We’ll give you till the end of the week,” the head girl smiles, but it’s a sickly sweet, filling you with dread. “Okay?”

She doesn’t wait for you to respond before her and the other two are walking off, clearly proud of themselves if they way they walk and hold themselves is anything to go by.

It’s takes you five minutes to gather yourself before you start making your way to the gym again for practice.

Part of you wants to just skip and go home but you know the boys would be concerned, more then they probably already are given how late you are, and really, it would just cause more issues in the end anyways.

Besides, you’re never one to skip anyways.

You don’t cry. You’re not really sure why because you definitely want to, but the tears never come and then you’re suddenly in the gym and everyone's rushing towards you in concern, questions leaving their lips rapidly as to why you were so late.

You brush them off, and it almost works, before Iwaizumi takes notice of the dried blood on the corner of your lip that you’d regrettably missed when cleaning yourself up earlier and the scrape underneath your chin.

“What happened to your chin, Y/N? You’re bleeding.”

He steps towards you, but you brush him off.

“I just tripped is all. Bit my tongue.”

You smile and hope it’s enough to convince them, but even if Iwaizumi looks like he wants to argue, Oikawa’s already pulling him back onto the court.

“You’re so clumsy, Y/N-chan! You really do need to be more careful!”

Some of the boys laugh and you do too, forcing yourself to pretend like everything’s fine even though you can physically feel yourself shaking.

But even as he’s being dragged away, Iwaizumi is still eyeing you and you don’t let him grow anymore suspicious then you can tell he is. You send him a soft smile, and then turn, making your way over to the coach to see where you can help for the day.

And it continues on like that for week.

By the next day, every seems to have forgotten you being late and only Makki makes a teasing comment about the cat themed bandaid on your chin to which you begrudgingly shove him away with a shrill “it’s the only ones we have!” and you seem more like yourself then you had the day before that by the second day, even Iwaizumi has relaxed.

By the end of the week, even he seems to have forgotten about it.

But you haven’t.

And it being the end of the week has you scared.

Kindaichi seems to notice your weird behaviour in class, especially now that the two of you tend to stick together now that you’re acquainted. But you brush him off every time he asks, saying you just felt ill.

He seems to believe it fine.

Luckily for you, nothing happens.

You’re on edge all day expecting something to happen, but nothing ever does.

Aiko, the third year and clear ring leader of that little group, never approaches you. In fact, you don’t see her once all day, which that in itself isn’t odd since you’re in different years, but you had expected to see her lackies -- either Makoto, a first year like you, or even Nami, a second year.

But you don’t.

By the final bell, you’re relieved.

It was just a mindless threat. It didn’t mean anything clearly, and they had just been poking fun, and honestly you were fine with that -- so long as you didn’t have to deal with them again.

You’d just have to be more wary of the fangirls. Maybe they weren’t as kind as you thought you were, and clearly they thought you posed some kind of threat (even though you definitely didn’t) so you’d just keep it in mind and--

“I’m pretty sure we told you by the end of the week.”

It’s a harsh thud, you don’t fall to the ground like you did last time, but you do thud against the lockers which dig painfully into your back. And regrettably you let a small cry in response, which pales in comparison to the cry of pain that leaves your lips when one of them grab a chunk of your hair and tug, hard.

Pushing at the hands that grab at you, you spin, not surprise to see the same three as before, sneering down at you.

Aiko spits down at you. “Clearly you didn’t listen.”

“I’m not gonna just quit,” you whisper, feigning the confidence to speak up for yourself. Your eyes narrow up at her, even though your heart is racing madly against you chest, and shake your head adamantly. “I love managing the volleyball team, and it’s not even because of Oikawa-senpai! I love being will all the boys, and I won’t let you--!”

“You really are just a slut.”

You’re stunned silent, lips left parted.

“Listen, I gave you a week, you didn’t listen.” Aiko scoffs, shaking her head as she brushes her hair back, glaring down at you. “I’ll show you what happens when I don’t get my way.”

She strikes you hard, across the cheek, and naively, you think that’s it. You can handle some punches and kicks, because you really don’t want to give up the one thing that’s made you happy for the first time in a long time. Even as the hits continue, and your body starts to ache, you think,

I can handle this.

But still, you end up skipping practice that day. You blame it on the fact the fact that you just didn’t want to have to explain why you looked so battered and messed up, knowing this time no amount of lying was going to get you out of this one. Because, really, it wouldn’t just be Iwaizumi suspicious this time -- all the boys will be, and then they’ll probably talk to the coach and...

and, it’s just to much a fuss for you. So, you skip, sending a text to Oikawa explaining that you weren’t feeling well and you’d be back Monday and to please apologize on the coaches behalf for you.

But you don’t go back the next day.

When you open your locker the next Monday, your homework that you’d finished during lunch to previous day to get a head start is ruined. Completely and wholeheartedly ruined.

And when you glance around, the first thing you see is Makoto from across the hallway, smirking at you.

But you don’t have any proof.

So, you suck back the tears that threaten to fall, and sulk to your first class where you know the teacher will be less then pleased.

And of course she isn’t, but she simply sighs and tells you that if you don’t have it in by tomorrow, she’ll have to give you a failing grade.

Embarrassed and upset, you walk to your seat, ignoring Kindaichi’s watchful gaze as you sink into your seat.

But it only gets worse from there.

The second class starts, a note is tossed onto your desk.

You eye, confused, glancing around for who threw it, only for everyone to be faced forward, before glancing briefly at Kindaichi’s whose watching your curiously.

Slowly, you open it.

Is it true you actually slept with all of the volleyball team?

Laughter echoes, but when you look up, there’s three girls staring at you, all mockingly.

Kindaichi leans forward, trying to grab the note but you pull it from his grasp, avoiding his gaze.

He cannot see that.

And when the class ends, you narrowly avoid Kindaichi who calls for you, rushing out of the class, only for someone to bump into you the second you make it out, shoving harshly into your shoulder.

“Slut.” The voice sneers.

Your lips part, and you glance up, feeling your vision blur, but when you glance around, you suddenly notice the looks everyone’s giving you, and the way they laugh and sneer at you.

But what really makes you break is when you turn, feeling like everyone’s against you, and find Kindaichi staring at you with parted lips, obviously confused, and you just can’t hold it back then, turning without another word, and running off.

The day continues like that, and after lunch, which you spent alone hidden in a bathroom stall, you see Iwaizumi and Oikawa ahead of you, smiling when they notice you.

They look as if they want to talk, but you know then you absolutely cannot like that happen, for multiple reasons, so you turn around quickly, running off in the opposite direction despite the way they call after you.

You don’t go back to practice like you said you would.

And neither do you Tuesday.

When Wednesday rolls around, and every laughs at you when you walk pass them in the halls, or sneers at you, or looks at you like you’re the most disgusting thing, you go to the office when you realize you can’t handle this any longer.

No matter how much you love being on the team and managing the boys.

Little do you know, in class, Kindaichi notices the odd coloured paper in your hands and curiously, maybe even worriedly (because there’s a sinking feeling in his gut) peers over your shoulder as subtle as he can, lips parting when he reads the header.

Permission to quite a club form.

“I think Y/N’s going to quite the team.”

It’s the first words he says when he enters the club room that day, and it makes everybody pause.

Silence echoes, and slowly, unsurely, Yahaba shakes his head; “what-what are you talking about, Kindaichi? I thought Y/N said she just wasn’t feeling well, which is why--”

“I saw the form this morning,” Kindaichi shakes his head, “I know what I read.”

Oikawa shakes his head. “Y/N would’ve talked to us first if something was upsetting her. She wouldn’t just--”

“Haven’t you guys heard the rumours going around?”

It’s Kunimi who speaks this time, his voice the similar drawl it always is, but if you look at him close enough, it’s easy to tell that he’s concerned. Upset even. And he looks disgusted as he speaks, eyeing Kindaichi first, almost knowingly, before turning to the other boys.

Iwaizumi’s brows furrow; “what are you talk--”

“I think someone’s been bullying her,” Kindaichi frowns. “It started at the beginning of the week. Y/N came in with her homework ruined, which I thought was weird, because she always is so careful with her work and makes sure it’s done early. And then someone tossed this note onto her desk but she wouldn’t let me read it, and she wouldn’t talk to me or even look at me all class. Then, when class was over, people were... well--”

“There’s a rumour going around that’s she’s slept with all of us.”

It’s Kunimi who finishes it, Kindaichi’s face beet red, which quite a few of the boys mimic seconds later when Kunimi finishes.

But Oikawa? Oikawa just looks pissed.

“What?”

Kindaichi blanches, looking absolutely terrified; “I thought you knew! I didn’t--”

Oikawa storms past him, Iwaizumi quick to follow, and then Mattsun and Makki are right behind them. The first and second years glance at each other, before slowly following them, and sure enough the third years are heading straight for the gym, to which none of them are surprised to find you there, a form in your shaky hands as you stare at Coach Mizoguchi.

You turn to them with wide eyes, clearly having hoped to finish before any of the boys started practice. But Mizoguchi looks relieved. “Thank God you boys are here,” he breathes, standing up to which you try to stop him, but he isn’t listening, “Y/N wants to quit, but I really think she should talk to you first,” he’s looking directly at Oikawa, “she won’t tell me why. And please Y/N,” he turns to you, “I think you should reconsider.”

“We’ll talk to her,” Oikawa cuts in, voice oddly low before you can say anything.

Mizoguchi smiles, nodding at you before making his way over the gym obviously in search of Irihata. Instantly the tension thickens when you’re left alone with all eyes directly and solely on you.

It takes a second to find the words. “I’m sorry I didn’t talk to any of you about it, but I...” And your voice falters, even you can’t help the way your voice quivers. “I think it’s best if I just quit.”

“You’re not quitting.” It’s Iwaizumi who speaks this time, and his voice is so firm, so sure, even if you’re not sure how to argue against it.

“But I-I--”

“You don’t need to quite,” Oikawa shakes his head, stepping towards you and pulling the form from your grasp with ease. You watch with parted lips as he simply rips it right in front of you, tossing it aside without much care, before glancing back at the rest, namely the other third years, turning back to you. “Now, tell us, who told you you had to quit?”

And your eyes bulge. How did he--

“Kindaichi and Kunimi told us about everything,” Iwaizumi starts, moving towards you, as your eyes fall to the first years, watching the way they both, even Kunimi, stare after you in concern. “We know someone’s been bothering you, so, just tell us.”

“We’ll help you,” Watari adds with a smile, hesitantly speaking up.

And you pause, unsure. But then you stare at them all watching you carefully, and see how all of them care so much, more then you ever thought they did and you’re reminded of why you’d refused to quit in the first place. Reminded of how much you love managing the volleyball team and no matter how much you were scared and hurt, you didn’t want to lose it all.

Lose them.

“It’s... It’s a few, three actually, of Oikawa-senpai’s fangirls,” you mumble, voice low, head turned downwards. “They... They don’t like how much time I spend with him, so they... they told me to quit and when I refused, they...” You don’t need to finish.

There’s a pause, before a slap echoes.

“Somehow I knew this was your fault, Shittykawa.”

“Ow!” Oikawa cries, “Iwa-chan, it’s not like I...” But he seems to pause, lips parting as he glances down at you, his heart breaking slightly at the tears in your eyes.

Stepping forward, he pulls you into a hug, and you let him; “I’m sorry, Y/N-chan, I didn’t know they were hurting you.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“It kinda is,” Mattsun comments, stepping forward as he smiles down at you, ruffling your hair. “It’s easier to blame him anyways.”

“I agree,” Makki laughs.

And even you find yourself laughing lightly.

“Really, Y/N-chan? Even you too?”

“Sorry.”

Then, everyone turns serious; “I’ll talk to them,” Oikawa frowns. “What they did isn’t okay. I won’t let them get away with it. They’ll never bother you again, Y/N.”

And you’re surprised by how serious he is.

But things do get better.

Aiko never bothers you again, nor does any other one of Oikawa’s fangirls.

Oikawa even makes her apologize, and even you have to admit the absolute mortification on her face makes everything a lot better.

The boys try to stop the rumour, but it’s easier said then done, though, the fame of it all does dwindle and you’re not snided in the hallways so much anymore.

It’s kind of hard to when you usually have one of the third years walking you to and from class anyways.

Besides, they’re your friends, and even if everyone else hates you, they don’t.

And that’s all that matters to you.

832 notes · View notes

vgckwb · 1 year

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P5R: Rebel Girl (A FeMC Story/P5R Rework) Chapter 133: 7 Targets (And Some Surprises)

The next day, Makoto messaged the group before school started.

Makoto: I got the data.

Ren: Perfect!

Sumire: Way to go!

Makoto: I’ll come over to hand it off this afternoon.

Futaba: Heh heh, can’t wait.

Ren: Remember, we’re all meeting up to get some Mementos missions done as well.

Ren: Make sure to keep your schedules cleared.

Ann: I should be fine. My agency knows I have a field trip coming up, so they’re giving me some breathing room.

Sumire: Likewise, I leave for my trip tomorrow, so Coach isn’t hosting any classes today.

Ryuji: I think the rest of us are good to go as well.

Yusuke: Agreed.

Jose: Can’t wait!

Lena: See you then!

They put their phones away and got ready for class.

During the day, Kobayakawa was on the phone. “Please sir…when will this investigation let up?”

“You know when,” the voice on the other end spoke. “Just tell me who the Phantom Thieves are, and this will all go away.”

“But sir!” Kobayakawa protested. “I will! I just need more time!”

“I’ve given you more than enough time,” the voice responded. “Give me names! Or else! You have until the end of the week.” They hung up.

Kobayakawa tembled for a minute before hanging up himself and flopping back into his chair. “What am I going to do?” he wondered. He opened one of his drawers. “Perhaps this is the only way.”

After school, the Phantom Thieves met up in Futaba’s room. “So, do ya have the goods?” Futaba asked.

Makoto took out the drive. “Here,” she said, giving it to Futaba.

“Thanks,” Futaba replied. “I should have all of this processed by the time you get back.”

“Man, it sucks we can’t do anything about this right away,” Ryuji bemoaned.

“I feel your pain,” Yusuke said. “But we shouldn’t be so hasty. I, for one, am looking forward to my trip.”

“Where are you going anyway, Yusuke?” Lena asked.

“Los Angeles,” Yusuke answered.

“Heh,” Ann laughed. “I bet if it were up to you, you’d got to like Nikko or Nara.”

“Well, I would wish to visit those places as well,” Yusuke explained. “However, a good artist goes to many places to broaden their horizons.”

“I guess that’s true,” Lena said.

“I kind of wish we were going to Los Angeles,” Ryuji said. “I mean, I’d fit right in, don’t ya think? Strollin’ around, actin’ like a real LA gangsta. It’s perfect!”

“I’m not too sure about that…” Morgana retorted.

“You’d probably run at the first sign of real LA ‘gangstas’,” Makoto added.

“RIP Ryuji,” Futaba said.

“H-Hey…” Ryuji said. “C’mon. You have more faith in me than that, right?”

Ann giggled. “Well, I’m sure we’ll go at some point.” She grabbed onto Ryuji's arm. “And I bet if we do run into any gangsters, you’ll protect me, won’t you?” She gave him some doe eyes.

Ryuji blushed. “Ah hah, of course!”

Ann giggled again. “Yay.”

Jose observed this and remarked. “That’s impressive.”

“Indeed,” Yusuke said. “The way Ann has Ryuji wrapped around her finger is almost an art form in it of itself.” Both Ryuji and Ann were slightly embarrassed.

“You two need some tact,” Futaba said.

“Hm hm.I think it’s cute,” Sumire said.

“I agree,” Ren responded.

“Same,” Lena added. Ann let go of Ryuji and the two laughed nervously.

Makoto sighed. “Well, as cute as it is, I think that might be more suited to a private affair.”

“Somebody’s jealous,” Futaba remarked.

“And you say I need tact,” Yusuke retorted.

Makoto got embarrassed. “I’m… I’m not jealous…”

“Oh ho, what’s this?” Ryuji said, jumping on to shift the embarrassment off of him. “It sounds like you are.”

“I’m really not,” Makoto protested.

“Oh?” Morgana said. “Is our Queen eyeing up a potential King?”

“No! Of course not!” Makoto answered. Ren chuckled. “What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing,” Ren said.

Makoto got a little frustrated. “I’m fine.”

“You know, we can talk about this later, if you want,” Ann suggested.

“Yeah!” said Lena. “I bet Akechi might know someone you may be interested in.”

“I said I’m fine!” Makoto shouted.

“O…K then…” Ann said.

Makoto sighed. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Ren said. “We’re just teasing ya. But getting back on track, we’re also here to do some Mementos missions. I have some of my own, and Mishima found some as well.”

“Oh right, you were going to talk to him,” Ann said.

“How did it go?” Makoto asked.

“It went really well,” Ren said. “Mishima should be less prone to getting ahead of himself. Although it is a learning experience.”

“Well, it’s good that he’s starting to learn,” Sumire said.

“Right,” Ren agreed. “Anyway, there’s a good amount of requests, so let’s go over them as fast as possible and then head into Mementos.” The team nodded. “First up, we have a man named Yasuo Jochi. He’s a sleazy businessman who’s pressuring the old couple who own the theater here in Yongen to sell it so he can tear it down.”

“Wait, the theater we went to when your family came?” Sumire asked.

“The very same,” Ren said. “I thought I noticed something was going on, but I didn’t know what.”

“Good thing Mishima has his ears toward the pavement,” Morgana said.

“True,” Ren replied. “Next up, we have a man who’s been going around, racking up debts, and then before he can pay them he gets plastic surgery and changes his name.”

“How awful,” Yusuke remarked.

“I agree,” Makoto said. “Truly disgusting.”

“According to Mishima, he’s going by the name Fumio Akitsu.”

“We should catch this guy ASAP,’ Futaba said. “He might change his name again if he knows the Phantom Thieves are on his tail.”

“Quite right,” Morgana agreed.

Ren nodded. “Next up, we have Yoshikuni Nejima. He’s another businessman, but his crimes aren’t business-related. He’s cheating at an arcade game and acting like he owns the place.”

“Man what kind of jerk do ya have to be to cheat at an arcade game?” Ryuji said. “Especially if you’re a businessman. I imagine you’d have bigger things to worry about.”

Futaba nodded. “I won’t say I haven’t cheated, but he’s acting like he won it fair and square.”

“Very well,” Ren said. “Next up, we have Shoichi Oyamada. He’s a corrupt medical professional who’s the head of his own facility. He’s been shifting all of his mistakes onto Dr. Takemi, including the possible death of a patient, and now is threatening to shut her facility down.”

“Another person abusing their position,” Yusuke said. “Count me in.”

“Yeah! We gotta save Dr. Takemi! And fast!” Morgana said.

“That we must,” Ren said. “Moving on, we have Akimitsu Tsuda. Iwai’s former mafia buddy who’s recently gone off the deep end. He’s threatened Iwai to help him with a scheme of his, and it probably won’t stop there either.”

“Man, this sucks,” Ryuji remarked. “That place is cool. I’m not gonna let some madman destroy its heart and soul.”

“Are you going to be OK?” Sumire asked.

Ren nodded. “It’ll be all of us, and we’ll be going through Mementos. But thanks for asking.”

“Right,” Sumire said.

“Let’s move on,” Ren said. “We have Toshio and Hiromi Takase. They’re extorting money out of Miss Kawakami because their son was killed in an accident, and they’re pushing the blame onto her.”

“WHAT?!” Makoto said. “That’s outrageous!”

“Yeah!” Ann said. “Why is she getting blamed for something that wasn’t her fault!”

“I could agree more,” Ren said. “And lastly, there’s Katashi Hirai. He’s the father of a student who goes to Kosei who is upset that his daughter is dating a member of a rival family. He’s even gone so far as to keep her locked in her room.”

“How awful!” Lena said. “We HAVE to change his heart! Nothing should come in between someone and the person they love!”

“I agree,” Jose said. “We HAVE to do this!”

“Well, it seems like we’re all in agreement here,” Ren said. “Let’s roll.”

Once they got to Mementos, Futaba was stunned. “Woah! This place is HUGE!”

“And a little eerie,” Lena added.

“Right. Neither of you have been down here before,” Makoto said.

“This is essentially the heart of everyone,” Morgana said. “It’s only natural for it to be big. And a little imposing.”

“Hey Oracle,” Ren asked, “can you tell how many floors there are?”

“Hmmmm,” Futaba responded. She did a quick scan. “82.”

“That’s a lot!” Ann exclaimed.

“Maybe,” Yusuke replied. “But it’s not like we’re doing them all at once.”

“We couldn’t, even if we wanted to,” Jose pointed out.

“Still, it’s nice to have an actual number,” Ryuji said. “That way, we know what we’re aiming for.”

“Like you could keep track anyway,” Morgana remarked.

“Hey! I can!” Ryuji protested. “Besides, I don’t need to, now that we have someone reliable guiding us.”

“What did you say?!” Morgana said, ticked off.

“OK, let’s calm down,” Ann said.

“Panther’s right,” Makoto said. “We’re not going to get anywhere with you two fighting like that.”

“Queen’s right,” Ren said. “We have a lot of ground to cover today. The sooner we get to it, the better.”

“Ugh,” Ryuji sighed. “When you’re right, you’re right. Now let’s kick some ass and steal some hearts!”

“Now THAT’S something we can agree upon,” Morgana cheered.

“How long will it take though?” Lena asked. “I mean, this place is big. Going by foot will take forever.”

“Well, we have a little surprise,” Sumire said.

“You do?” Lena wondered.

“Nya ha,” Morgana chuckled. “Transform!” He transformed into his car form. “This way we can travel around in speed and style!”

“Oh my!” Lena reacted, surprised. “How wonderful!”

“Well, “I’m not 100% sure about the style…” Futaba said.

“WHAT?!” Morgana yelped.

“Ooo! Maybe if we decorate you!” Futaba said, excitedly.

“Pass!” Morgana said. “My style is minimalist. Adding stuff will just distract from my sleekness.”

“This again?” Ryuji said.

“I mean, he has a point,” Yusuke said. “His own personal style, be it cat, car, or Phantom Thief, does not have a lot of detail. And yet, it works for him. The simplicity of it brings a certain elegance, and it allows him to roam around without getting noticed. He’s stylish and functional.”

“I totally agree!” Ann exclaimed. “His simplicity makes him alluring, but also mysterious.”

“Thank you Fox. Panther,” Morgana replied. “See Skull? They get it.”

“Um, I guess?” Ryuji responded. “I mean, fashion has never been my thing. I just kind of wear what I like.”

“But it works for you, sweetie,” Ann said. “It reflects your honest personality.”

Ryuji was a little embarrassed. “Th…Thanks…”

Ann giggled. “Anytime.”

Ren nodded. “Well, with all of that said, let’s get this show on the road!” The Phantom Thieves cheered. They got into Morgana, and started their venture downward.

Meanwhile, Principal Kobayakawa was standing in what looked to be a high class party. He was holding an Old-Fashioned glass, and was wearing a bejeweled purple domino mask with purple and green feathers coming out of it. Despite the festivity, he appeared to be miserable. He sighed deeply.

Suddenly, his eyes widened and he shook briefly. He looked at his reflection in the drink. He quickly downed it, and placed the now empty glass on the tray of a waiter passing by. With the liquid courage and a new found sense of determination in him, he rushed through the party to one of the back rooms.

Once inside, he looked around and found what he was looking for. “Excuse me?” one of the workers asked. “Can I help you?”

Kobayakawa pointed to what he had found. “I’d like to borrow one of these.”

“And why would you be doing that?” the worker asked.

“I’m going to take out the Phantom Thieves!” Kobayakawa answered.

Back down in Mementos, the Phantom Thieves were delving down into the depths on the hunt for their targets. Soon enough, they found a portal and headed in. “That guy’s Oyamada!” Morgana called out. “He’s the bastard threatening Dr. Takemi.”

“Heh, well let’s give him a taste of his own medicine!” Ryuji shouted.

“Really?” Makoto said.

“I kind of liked it,” Futaba said.

“Either way, let’s teach this guy a lesson,” Ren said. They walked up to his shadow. Ren called out “Eh. What’s up, doc?” Some of the other thieves snickered, while others were a little tired.

“Hmph. Very funny,” Oyamada said. “But I will tell you, the only thing that’ll be going up is my fame.”

“Not if we can help it!” Sumire said.

“Yeah! What kind of doctor thinks about fame before their patients?” Ann asked.

“Are you not chasing fame yourselves, you little cretins?” Oyamada replied. “It’s why anyone does anything.”

“How cruel can you be?” Yusuke asked.

Ren got serious. “Dr. Takemi isn’t in it for the fame!”

“BAH!” Oyamada yelled. “That BITCH doesn’t know the first thing about how to be successful!”

“Well she knows the first thing about being a doctor!” Ren countered. “And it seems like she knows more than you!”

“GAAAAAH!” Oyamada screeched. He morphed into Thoth. “It appears that you’re infecting my presence. I need to remove you from my system at ONCE!”

“We’ll see who the real white blood cells are,” Ren challenged. The thieves battled Oyamada. Oyamada fought hard, but the Phantom Thieves won.

Oyamada was breathing heavily. “I…I’m a complete failure as a doctor. I originally became a doctor to help people. But sooner or later, I ended up getting lost in the fame and adoration. I thought I could cement my legacy by doing something big.

Then Takemi came along. She was much smarter than I could hope to be. She was working on a cure. I got jealous of her raw talent, not to mention her rapport with the patients. So…I stole her research, tried to use a half-assed version of her medicine, and then forced her out.

…Miwa is still alive. And I pushed away the person trying to help her the most. The only person who can save her is Takemi. If you see her, tell her there’s still a chance.” Oyamada faded away, and Ren took the treasure.

“Don’t worry,” Ren said. “I will.” They turned around and headed further into Mementos.

They found another portal and hopped in immediately. They saw the shadows of a man and a woman. “I take it those are the Takases,” Makoto surmised.

Ren nodded. “They’re the ones exploiting Miss Kawakami.”

“What horrible people!” Ann yelled. “Using the death of a child for their own selfish gains. Punishing someone who’s not even responsible.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Morgana chimed in. “And that’s why it comes to an end today.”

The thieves approached the couple. “He he he he he,” Hiromi giggled creepily. “Money. Money money money. You can never have too much money.”

“Hmph. If that teacher really cared about our son, she’d have died with him,” Toshio said. “And given everything she had to us.”

“How awful can you be?!” Lena yelled out.

“How rude!” Hiromi yelled back. “Don’t act like you could know what we’re going through. We lost our child to that…HARLOT!”

“Yeah, you’re just a bunch of teens,” Toshio continued. “You could never understand our pain.”

“We know grief!” Futaba shouted.

“And it sounds like you aren’t grieving him!” Sumire added.

“She’s right!” Makoto added. “It sounds like you’re using your son's memory to get what you want.”

“Meanwhile, Kawakami is trying to honor his memory,” Ren snarked. “I suggest you start following her lead.”

“HER lead?” Hiromi replied. “HA! Don’t make me laugh!”

“Maybe YOU need to follow her lead,” Toshio said. “She has the decency to bow to us so we don’t tear her limb from limb!” They turned into Oberon and Titania.

“Let’s get ‘em!” Ren called out. They proceeded to fight the Takases in a hard-fought battle. Despite the furiosity, the Phantom Thieves won.

“We…we had nothing,” Hiromi explained.

“We were friends with Taiki’s birth parents,” Toshio continued. “They had everything. When they died and gave Taiki, we thought we’d teach him what it meant to live in the real world.”

“We were pushing our own jealousy on him,” Hiromi said. “We delighted to see him suffer.”

“And when that teacher was helping him, we got angry,” Toshio said. “No one ever helped us.”

Hiromi had a tear in her eye. “But we didn’t want him to…”

“You guys are horrible,” Ryuji told them. “Treating a child like that! Even if you had your own issues, you shouldn’t have to take them out on a child!”

“We know…” Toshio said. “I doubt we will ever truly fix things. But we will make an effort to start.”

“Just be glad we’re giving you the opportunity to do so,” Ren said. “If you recall, you didn’t afford us the same option.”

“Heh,” Toshio laughed. “Too true. Don’t worry. We’ll set things straight with that teacher.”

“We promise,” Hiromi said. The couple faded away, and Ren stole the treasure.

She sighed. “Two down. Five to go.”

“If they’re anything like the last two, I’m more ready than ever to change their hearts,” Ryuji said.

“Yeah, I feel you,” Ann said. The group continued on through Mementos, going deeper and deeper to find their next target.

Once they found them, they jumped through the portal to confront them. “Watch out!” Ren instructed. “That’s Tsuda’s shadow. He’s very dangerous.”

“Is he…?” Sumire wondered. She grew angry and stomped over. The others followed. “HEY!” Sumire yelled. “Apologize!”

Tsuda was confused. “For what?”

Before Sumire could answer, Ren signaled her to hold up. “For trying to drag Iwai into your mess,” she answered.

“Hm. Lookie here,” Tsuda said. “More kids trying to boss me around.. I have the experience! I have the rank! And yet THEY are the one calling the shots! Treating me like I don’t belong. Well, I’ll show them! I’LL SHOW EVERYONE I BELONG!” He transformed into Belphegor.

“Let’s go!” Ren called out. They engaged with Tsuda. Despite Tsuda being a tough fighter, the Phantom Thieves won out in the end.

“It’s not fair…” Tsuda said. “Ever since Iwai left, I’ve felt so lost. If he was still in, those Hong Kong bastards wouldn’t have taken us for a ride.” He sighed. “I don’t know what to do.”

Ren approached him. “Iwai still cares about you. I’m sure if you were to talk to him, he’ll have an idea.”

“Heh,” Tsuda laughed. “Looks like the kids are right again. I guess I will. Thanks.” He faded away and Ren snagged the treasure.

“Alright, now let’s head out,” Ren instructed. They went back into Mementos proper.

“By the way,” Jose said, once they got back into Morgana, “what got into you earlier, Violet?”

Sumire was a little shocked. “Oh, um, well…”

“It’s OK,” Ren said. “Tsuda pointed a gun at me once.”

“WHAT?!” everyone said collectively.

“Are you alright?” Lena asked. “I mean, you have to be alright, otherwise you wouldn’t be here, but…”

Ren sighed. “It’s fine. Iwai was there to make sure nothing bad happened. But it was still harrowing.”

“She called me after it happened,” Sumire said. “I just got so mad when I saw him. If he had done anything to you…”

“I know,” Ren said. “I was worried too. But thanks for being there for me.”

Sumire smiled. “Always.” They continued to venture down.

At the next doorway, they spotted their next target. “This has to be Jochi!” Morgana exclaimed. “They guy that wants to tear down the theater!”

“Well we can’t let that happen!” Sumire called out.

“I couldn’t agree more!” Ren said. “Let’s roll!” They rushed up to him.

“Ba ha ha!” Jochi laughed. “The Phantom Thieves? What are you doing here?”

“We’re here to stop you from tearing down the theater!” Sumire protested.

“Heh. I didn’t know anyone still cared about that stupid old thing,” Jochi said.

“The owners do!” Morgana countered.

“And I didn’t know anyone cared about them,” Jochi said. “Out with the old, in with the new. It’s just the cost of doing business.”

“Well, it’s our business to stop you,” Ren challenged.

“Psh,” Jochi brushed off. “You think you scare me? I’ll crush any and all competition!” He transformed into Ippon-Datara.

“Not if we crush you first!” Ren called out! They sprung into action, fighting Jochi. Jochi was very devious, but in the end he was no match for the Phantom Thieves.

“How? How did I lose?” Jochi wondered. “I did everything by the book.”

“Maybe your book is wrong,” Jose offered.

“You may have a point,” Jochi said.

“I’m aware business needs to get done,” Yusuke offered. “But you can’t bully others into doing what you want!”

“Hm. True,” Jochi said. “But even if I don’t do it now, something will happen in the future!”

“Well then, let the owners handle on their terms,” Sumire said. “There’s nothing more cruel than letting someone else dictate what happens to something you care about!”

Jochi sighed “Alright. You win. I’ll call the whole thing off. They can keep the theater.”

Ren nodded. “Thank you.” Jochi faded away, and Ren grabbed the treasure. “Let’s keep it rolling.” She opened the door, and the thieves proceeded downward.

They found another portal and entered it. They saw their next target standing there. “If I had to guess, that’s Akitsu’s shadow,” Makoto surmised.

“The guy that’s racking up debts and then changing his identity?” Ryuji asked.

“Yeah,” Makoto said.

“Hm,” Lena scoffed. “Well, he’s escaped for the last time! Let’s get him!” They approached him. “Your tyranny ends here!” Lena shouted.

“Heh. That’s rich, coming from the Phantom Thieves,” Akitsu said.

“I beg your pardon,” Makoto said.

“We’re one in the same,” Akitsu said. “We both hide behind masks to stick it to those in power. And yet, you’re treating me like the bad guy?”

“Well duh!” Futaba said. “You’re just being an asshole and causing others harm for no reason!”

“I told you,” Akitsu said. “I’m sticking it to those in power!”

“Even if that was your intent, you’re doing it in the wrong way!” Makoto said.

“Bah! I guess you just don’t understand,” Akitsu said. “Heh. I might need to change faces sooner than I thought. After all, Fumio Akitsu can’t be arrested for murder if he doesn’t exist!” He transformed into Legion.

“Be careful everyone!” Ren instructed. “Let’s go!” They proceeded to fight Akitsu. Despite his underhandedness, the Phantom Thieves won once again.

“I thought…” Akitsu began. “I thought I was sticking it to the greedy corporations and money-hungry businessmen. I thought I was like you.”

“While we understand your desire to call out corruption where you see it,” Ren replied, “you can’t let innocent people get caught in the crossfire.”

“Yeah,” Ryuji said. “When you buy stuff and don’t pay for it, the employees are stuck paying for it. And that ain’t me being nice to those greedy bastards. It’s just, those kinds of people are willing to blame anyone but themselves.”

“Much like how you change names and faces so you won’t get blamed,” Jose added.

Futaba. “You need to apologize and make things right!”

“Fine,” Akitsu said. “I will. Sorry.” He faded away, and Ren stole the treasure.

“Alright,” Ren said. “We’re doing pretty well so far. How’s everyone feeling?”

“A little tired but I could go on,” Yusuke said.

“Yeah,” Futaba agreed. “It’s a good thing we keep running into those rest areas.”

“That it is,” Ren said. “We just have a few more things to take care of, and then we’re home free. Now let’s move.” They continued on.

They found the next portal and hopped through. They saw their next target. They were wearing a purple kimono with a white headband, and had short, spiky, black hair. “That’s Mr. Hirai,” Jose said. “He’s keeping his daughter locked up in her room, away from her boyfriend.”

“How terrible,” Lena said. “We need to go and make things right!”

“Yeah!” Jose said. They walked forward.

Katashi looked at them. “What do you want?”

“We want you to free Cho!” Jose demanded.

“I will,” Katashi said. “Once she breaks up with that COCKROACH!”

“You can’t control how other people feel!” Lena screamed.

“Why are you so upset about this anyway?!” Jose asked

“Why should you care?!” Katashi replied. “He’s just another roadblock on her path to greatness! Much like you lot!” He transformed into Vasuki.

“Let’s get ‘em!” Ren commanded. They began their fight. Katashi was powerful, but again, the Phantom Thieves won out.

“The Inoue family… They ruined our chance at greatness…” Katashi explained. “How am I supposed to tolerate my daughter dating one?”

“Forgive me,” Yusuke interjected, “but wasn't that a while ago?”

Jose nodded. “What has Tama Inoue ever done to you? Apart from simply exist?”

Katashi sighed. “Nothing, I guess… Apart from dealing a blow to my pride as a Hirai.”

“Well, time heals all wounds,” Lena said. “But it sounds like you don’t want this wound to heal.”

“Bu Cho does,” Jose reminded him.

“...Fine,” Katashi relented. “I’ll bury the hatchet. Let’s see if the Inoues are ready to do the same.”

“And if they aren't, we'll be there to assist as well,” Jose said.

“Heh,” Katashi said. “I like you, kid.” He faded away, and Ren stole his treasure.

“One more, and then we’re good!” Ryuji cheered.

Ren nodded. “Well then, let’s hit the road.” They continued on through Mementos.

They found their last portal and jumped inside. “So this is Nejima,” Morgana surmised. “The businessman cheating at a video game.”

“Well, I guess it’s time we put a stop to it!” Ryuji said. They approached him. “Hey!” Nejima looked at them. “Quit cheating, ya asshole!”

“Hmph,” Nejima smirked. “I ain’t cheating! I just can’t be touched!” He transformed into Ose. “Come on! Try and stop me!”

“You heard the man!” Ren called out. They began their assault. However, something was different. Whenever they tried to attack, Nejima would avoid it.

“What’s going on?!” Ann panicked.

“I TOLD ya!” Nejima said. “I can’t be touched! No matter how hard you try, I’ll always win!”

“Let’s back off for now,” Ren said. The others nodded, and they retreated.

As they were continuing down, Ryuji spouted “MAN this sucks!”

“I know,” Ann said. “But what could we do?”

“Yeah,” Ryuji relented.

“Why couldn’t we hit him though?” Jose asked.

“He did say he was ‘untouchable’,” Yusuke said.

The Phantom Thieves thought about it. “Maybe,” Ren suggested, “it’s because he cheats. He’s untouchable here because he’s untouchable in the game.”

“That can happen?” Sumire asked.

“It’s the Metaverse,” Morgana said. “I’m not surprised.

“Is there really no way to stop him?” Makoto wondered.

“Well…” Futaba answered. “I’ve seen talk about this guy online. He’s pretty notorious. But I think people have beaten him before.”

“So, we just gotta learn how to beat him, and apply it here?” Lena wondered.

“Sounds like it,” Futaba answered.

“Great, more work,” Ryuji said.

“I’ll take care of finding someone who can beat him,” Futaba said.

“Sweet! Thanks Oracle!” Ryuji said.

“Provided you get me some yakisoba,” Futaba finished.

Ryuji hung his head. “Fine. Can you wait until tomorrow? These sessions wear us down a lot so I think I’m probably going to go home after this and just go to bed.”

“Sure thing,” Futaba said.

“Thanks,” Ryji replied. They continued on.

They soon found another door blocking their path. Ren walked up to it and put her hand on it. “Yup. Nothing.”

“Nothing?” Lena wondered.

“Nothing,” Ren answered.

“But, how were you able to open the other door?” Lena asked.

“These doors only open if we have enough notoriety,” Ren explained.

“I get it,” Futaba said. “So because we took down Medjed, we were able to open the previous door?”

“Basically,” Ren said.

“I see,” Lena said, impressed. “So now what?”

“Now we leave,” Ren said.

“Eh?” Lena wondered.

“Well, we can’t go down any further right now,” Ann said. “So we have to go back and wait until we get more notoriety.”

“I see,” Lena said.

“Well then, let’s head up,” Morgana instructed. They started heading back up Mementos.

“Well, we sure got a lot done today,” Makoto said.

“Yeah,” Lena replied. “It feels good helping people like this.”

“Well said Cupid!” Morgana said.

“Still, I’m a little tired,” Yusuke said.

“Well then, let’s hit it!” Ren said. She put the pedal to the metal, and they started going up faster.

They continued climbing up Mementos. However, on the floor below the exit, their path was blocked. The Phantom Thieves stepped out of Morgana, who then transformed back into his usual self. They looked at the thing blocking their path. It was a gray old-fashioned deep-sea diver’s suit with a big air hose coming out the helmet. “What is this?” Morgana asked.

The diver began to open the front hatch on their helmet, revealing themselves. The thieves were shocked. “P-Principal Kobayakawa?” Makoto shrieked.

“Hm,” Kobayakawa huffed. He was still wearing the domino mask. “So, YOU’RE the Phantom Thieves! You’ve meddled for the last time! Dead or alive, you’re coming with me!”

“Uh, what’s going on?” Ryuji asked.

“How should I know?” Morgana answered.

“You’re from here!” Ryuji snapped.

“So am I,” Jose interjected. “And I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“Hang on!” Futaba said. She began analyzing him. “Woah!”

“What is it, Oracle?” Yusuke asked.

“It’s…weird…” Futaba answered. “This is a shadow, but there’s a little more oomph to him!”

“‘More oomph’ how?” Ann asked.

“I…can’t quite say,” Futaba said. “It’s like he's getting powered up from a different source.”

“So, should we fight him?” Lena wondered.

“I don’t think we have much of a choice,” Sumire answered.

“Well then,” Ren stretched, “let’s get to it!”

Kobayakawa was seething. He transformed into Seth, but the air hose remained attached to him. “Bring it on!” They began sparring.

After a few exchanges, Lena remarked “This guy’s tough!”

“Yeah,” Ann said. “But it’ll be worth it! I can’t wait to take him down for letting Kamoshida run rampant for as long as he did!”

“Bah!” Kobayakawa scoffed. “Kamoshida did nothing wrong!”

“ARE YOU SHITTIN’ ME?!” Ryuji shrieked.

“Might makes right!” Kobayakawa countered. “He’s an Olympic Gold Medalist! He should have gotten everything he wanted, no questions asked! Then you scum came along and took away our most valuable teacher!”

“What a disgusting person,” Yusuke remarked.

“So, this is how you really feel,” Makoto said.

They continued their battle. After a few more rounds, Kobayakawa asked “Why are you trying to meddle in things anyway? Why can’t you accept things the way they are?”

“Hm,” Morgana scoffed. “We’re here to change the world!”

“Bah! Rubbish!” Kobayakawa replied. “Only a select few can change the world.”

“Are…you here on their behalf?” Jose wondered.

“Hmph. For a gang as stupid as the Phantom Thieves, you’re kind of smart,” Kobayakawa scoffed. “But yes. We do all sorts of things to change the word.”

“Things like stealing research, and killing innocent people?!” Futaba asked angrily.

“It’s for the greater good!” Kobayakawa answered. “You brats wouldn't understand.”

“You’re right,” Sumire said. “We don’t understand. Your logic is so incomprehensible that anyone with a heart couldn’t understand it.”

“Hm. Maybe if you talked to him, he’d explain it in a way you’d understand,” Kobayakawa retorted. Hell, if you hadn’t been so meddlesome, I’m sure he would have granted you a place among his ranks. But because you've interfered and pissed him off, I doubt he’d give you a warm welcome.”

“Well,” Ren began, “if his reasoning is anything like yours, we wouldn’t want a place among his ranks; whoever he is.”

“You could have all the power you could ask for,” Kobayakawa said.

“I’d rather die,” Ren snapped back.

“Well then, I shall grant your wish!” Kobayakawa shouted. They continued fighting. It was really tough, but slowly but surely, the Phantom Thieves managed to get the upper hand. They wore him down, and Ren delivered the finishing blow.

Principal Kobayakawa turned back into himself wearing the diver’s suit. He was breathing heavily. “How…? How could I lose to such cretins?” he wondered.

“Hey!” Ryuji shouted. “The guy you were talking about. Who is he?!”

Kobayakawa looked at them. “He is the man that will make Japan the greatest country in the world.”

“WHAT?! FOR REAL?!” Skull yelped.

“Calm down Skull,” Yusuke said. “I know you hate him but we can’t get any information from him if we’re hostile.”

“Yeah, but!...” Ryuji sighed. “Fine.”

“So,” Ren said, “is that why you’re on his side?”

“Of course,” Kobayakawa answered. “He has the ambition of a thousand men, and the power to back it up.” He sighed. “However, after failing to capture you, I’m probably not long for this word once I get back. He’ll have me executed.”

The thieves were stunned. “Executed?!” Lena shrieked.

Kobayakawa nodded. “If you even cross him once, your head will be on a platter. He does not tolerate dissent. But who should?! If you have power, you should get what you want!”

“It doesn’t work like that!” Makoto countered. “You don’t reach the top and get everything you want!”

“Kamoshida had to learn that too!” Ann joined in.

Kobayakawa was faltering. “Hey!” Futaba called out. “We aren’t like them! If you switch sides, we’ll let you live.”

Kobayakawa smiled. “I think I might take you up on that. If I don’t go back, I won’t get killed,.”

“Kinda weak, but I guess that’s something,” Ryuji said.

Kobayakwa continued. “First thing’s first, I must atone for my sins. Let me start with this: He’s aiming to become the most powerful person in Japan. He won’t go down easily. You have to come at him with everything you got.”

Kobayakawa started to fade away. “WAIT!” Ren called out. It was too late. Kobayakawa faded. However, his diving suit did not. It fell over, leaving a golden Shujin seal. Ren grabbed it. After it was gone, the diving suit was pulled away from them.

“Follow that suit!” Futaba shouted. They followed it up to the top of Mementos, but when they got there it had disappeared. Futaba tried searching for it, but had no luck. “No way!”

Ann looked at the seal in Ren’s hands. “Is that…his treasure?”

Ren took some time to look at it. “Seems like it.”

“But why?” Makoto asked. “Why is his treasure like this? We’re in Mementos, not a palace, and certainly not his.”

“Hmm, that is tricky,” Morgana said.

“Maybe it has something to do with the weird reading he had,” Sumire suggested.

“It’s possible,” Futaba said.

“So now what?” Ryuji asked.

“I think we should continue this discussion at Leblanc,” Ren said.

“Good idea,” Makoto said. Ren put the seal away, and they left Mementos.

Once they arrived at Leblanc, Sojiro said “Woah! Are you kids alright?”

“Sort of,” Yusuke said.

“It’s complicated,” Makoto said.

“We need to discuss some things,” Sumire said.

“Say no more,” Sojiro replied. “I’ll fix you up some dinner.”

“Thanks Sojiro!” Futaba exclaimed. The thieves sat down.

“So, what are we doing about Principal Kobayakawa?” Ryuji asked.

“I’m not sure there’s anything we can do,” Makoto said.

“It sounds like he’s going to atone for his sins,” Lena said.

“But what does that mean?” Ryuji asked.

“Well, we have his treasure,” Morgana said. “I imagine it will be something similar to what’s been happening.”

“I guess,” Ryuji said. “I’ve just got this weird feeling, you know?”

“It is an odd bit of circumstance,” Yusuke said. “But one that we can use to our advantage.”

“So, when he said the person he was working for is aiming to be the most powerful person in Japan…?” Ann wondered.

“Do you think it has something to do with the election?” Sumire wondered.

“Maybe,” Makoto said. “But it’s still not enough to go off of.”

“Why not?” Jose asked.

“The ruling coalition is fracturing left and right,” Makoto explained. “Several new parties are forming, so it’ll be hard to determine who among them is the person Kobayakawa was talking about.”

Jose was still confused. “Basically, that doesn’t narrow it down in any meaningful way,” Ren explained.

“Gotcha,” Jose said.

“Besides, who says it has to be whoever becomes Prime Minister?” Yusuke asked. “So long as this person had the Prime Minister’s ear, they could do whatever they wanted through them.”

“That’s true too, huh,” Makoto said.

“There’s still the weird reading I got...” Futaba said.

“And the fact that the diving suit was still there after Kobayakawa’s heart changed,” Morgana added.

“I have no idea what that’s about,” Ren concluded.

“Ugh,” Ryuji sighed. “This is another one of those Hydra-thingies.”

“Well, I’m glad to see you’re paying attention,” Makoto remarked.

Ann looked over at Ren. “Oh hey, you still have Kobayakawa’s treasure, right?” Ren nodded. I want to see what it’s like now that it’s on this side.”

“Oh yeah,” Lena said. “They change forms.”

Ren nodded and took out the treasure. It was not a seal, but a series of photographs. “What the?” Ryuji wondered.

They took a closer look. The photos were of two men, neither of whom were Kobayakawa, in the process of kissing, taking their clothes off, and getting ready to go further. Makoto’s face was red. “Wh-Why does Principal Kobayakwa consider this his treasure?”

“I honestly have no clue,” Futaba said.

“It has to mean something,” Morgana said. “But what?”

“You think you can look into these?” Ren asked Futaba.

“Uh, maybe,” Futaba answered. “But I’m already looking through Makoto’s sis’s computer.”

“Right,” Makoto said. “I think that should take priority.”

“So, what do we do with these?” Ryuji asked.

“I’ll take them,” Makoto said. “I have an idea.”

“Are you sure?” Ren asked. Makoto nodded. “Then by all means.”

Makoto took them. “Bear in mind, we might not get the answer right away.”

“That’s fine,” Yusuke said. “Like you said, your sister’s information takes precedent.”

“Right,” Makoto said.

“Oh!” Lena said. “Do you need help searching for someone who can beat that cheater as well, Futaba?”

“Oh yeah,” Jose said. “I almost forgot about him.

“I don’t blame ya,” Ryuji said.

“Nah, I’m good on that front,” Futaba answered. “I can get that done in less than 30 minutes, or your yakisoba back.”

“Nah, you can keep it anyway,” Ryujji said. “Although again, I’ll haveta get it to ya tomorrow.”

“Yakisoba accepted,” Futaba said.

“Um,” Sumire interjected, “if you get the information tomorrow, you can go down there without me. I’m leaving during the middle of the school day.”

“Right,” Ann said.

“Well, we’re leaving the day after,” Ryuji said. “So it’s either that, or wait.”

“I think we can handle it,” Morgana said.

Ren nodded. “Thank you Sumire,.”

“You’re welcome,” Sumire replied.

‘Here you go,” Sojiro said, giving them their dinner. Everyone thanked him, and they dug in.

After they finished, they headed home for the night, with the last one to leave being Sumire. As she was just about out the door, she turned around and gave Ren a hug. “Just in case I don’t see you tomorrow morning.” Ren hugged her back. They shared a kiss. They let go, and Sumire was ready to go. “Bye!” she waved.

“Bye! Ren waved back. Sumire disappeared into the night. Ren smiled. She then went upstairs to get ready for bed.

3 notes · View notes