#honestly this is even more than i could have asked for kaneshiro really wants to drive home how much he cares its crazy

[okkottsus]

how does it feel to be proven right after so many months queen https://www.tumblr.com/okkottsus/705204170367582208/i-usually-dont-mind-ppl-having-different?source=share

PLSS i was like 99% sure nagi was doing everything for their dream since i watched the anime but to have it stated so bluntly in canon for the second time even in his inner thoughts feels really good

[fakesimp]

HIIII I WANT TO REQUEST SOMETHINGGG

alright so i was thinking..luxiem separate reaction to shu practicing his magic ofc and he accidentally turns u into a baby. for like 24 hours. 😭 this ofc is sfw cuz..babies yk

if u have questions dont worry abt asking u can dm!! thank u in advance!! 🩷

Accidental Sorcery

Warning !

Fluff ; Crack ; Mentions of Confusion ; Established Relationship

Fic are made in medium form !

A/n !

Second ask checked on the list ! I hope this reaches your expectations !! <3

➶◜◝➴

Vox Akuma

This demon is stumped,

And this demon, is holding his laughter as he sees your little cute figure, he is stifling his laughter as he glance down at you in a certain sorcerer's arms before looking at up at the person who's holding you that is smiling in agony.

"I'm so sorry, this. This shouldn't have happened, it'll last for just 24 hours, so please. Make sure they don't get hurt"

That's what the sorcerer said, with an apologetic look on his face as he handle you to your Beloved Voice Demon. "24 hours, got it."

Or so he said.

He have no idea what does babies like, for thousands of years he had been alone, he had forgotten how to take care of babies. It'll took him quite awhile to finally be able to handle you.

So overall, he is kinda not too good caretaker, but hey he tried his best at least.

Though when you turned back to normal in his arms the next morning, you will get a clingy af Demon because he missed the adult you and he can finally rest without hearing a baby's cry for hours.

Mysta Rias

No.

Just, good God, I don't know how you'll live.

Just kidding, I believe he is even more scared than you, because he could barely take care of himself, and how exactly is he gonna take care a damn baby?

And the fact that the baby is you? Making him even more worried than he already is.

"Shu, what the fuck did you do" "I, It's an accident okay, this is not how it's suppose to go."

Mysta internally screaming when Shu told him to take care of you for 24 hours, and now here he is, having a staring contest with you.

But in the end, both of you had fun with each other, he'll made you laugh so many times because of his stupid thing he did either by accident or on purpose.

At night, you're definitely deadass asleep on the bed, because you're so tired.

He actually fed you well too, despite him not being able like to cook for himself, and don't worry he didn't cook the food he feed you. He doesn't really trust himself for cooking for you when your body is more fragile.

The next morning when you turned back, he is so relieved you're okay. Hugs and cuddles with him in the morning, lazy morning with him because he needed that rest <3

Overall, he is a good caretaker.

Luca Kaneshiro

"Omg, a, a baby!- Who, Who's this? "

"It's your lover."

"Oh, haha.

What? "

Luca was left speechless when Shu explained your situation, and now that he is holding a, baby you in his arms.

Shu is still feeling guilty for what happened, but Luca told him not to worry too much about it, he'll take a good are of you.

And he did! Literally.

He took a day off to take care of you, making sure you're safe and sound. Since y'know, his job is, not quite kids friendly.

A literal golden retriever, he knows what to do to make you laugh, your laughter will literally be echoing throughout his apartment. He would make his, lackeys, doing stupid thing to see you laugh.

Food? Don't worry, he'll get the finest baby food for you to eat! And he himself is going to feed you, and it is quite a challenge, but he did it.

He is not gonna sleep until you sleep first, and it took goddamn hours for him to manage to get you to bed, and what's funny is that he fell asleep first.

And you soon after followed him, into the dream world. In his arms.

The next morning he woke up first, and saw you had turned back normal, "Oh, BABEEE WELCOME BACKKK!!" Is the first thing he said as he hugs you quite tight in his arms.

A lovely caretaker honestly.

Ike Eveland

"Please tell me this is not who I think it is."

".... Yes it is who you think it is.."

"Oh my god... What happened Shu..."

Ike was in closing his eyes the entire time, he is having his moment as he process what Shu just said.

Shu is so guilty upon what happened, after he told Ike how long the effect will last Ike is internally sighing.

He is a good caretaker, you're in good hands don't worry.

He knows how to take care of you, feeding you with proper food, playing with you for a certain amount of time. Also sleeping at the right time.

As messy as his sleep schedule is, he will not tolerate you sleeping late like him, so he will make you go to bed at reasonable time.

He is with you yes, but he's going to keep an eye on you, while he's looking at his phone too. Once you are asleep, he would gently pat your head as he laid beside you.

When you turned back in the morning, he will sigh in relief that you're okay, he'll pull you into his arms.

"Thank God you're okay."

Shu Yamino

The man who caused the accident.

He is having a staring contest with you, you're on the floor looking up at him, and him looking down at you on the floor.

"Oh no."

Is what he said before picking you up and tried to figure out how long does the effect will last. Once he found out it'll last for 24 hours, he doesn't really know what to do.

He could entertain you with his shikigamis, so overall, the one that's doing the care is his shikigamis. But he is going to be there for you,

One time you're pulling on the hem of his pants, he looked over at the small figure behind him. Humming softly, "Hm? What's wrong?"

If you wanted him to company you, he'll melt. The way you ask for his company is so cute. He would drop whatever he's doing and went to company you.

Knowing that as soon as you hit the bed, you're fast asleep. He was in awe when that happened, he'll pull up his blanket and look over at the clock, it is almost 11 pm and he felt quite bad for making you slept quite late.

He barely done anything as a caretaker honestly, but hey, he is going to be there whenever you need his company.

Once morning arrived, he is asleep next to you. You are the one that's awake first, you stared at his sleeping figure before snuggling close to him, he was quite surprised at the sudden movement, but when he realized it's you he'll hug you close to him. Chuckling away before whispering an apology.

"I'm sorry, It won't happen again, I swear"

©fakesimp . 2023

A/n !

There we go !! I hope you liked this <3 ! Thank you for requesting !!

( 2/10 )

[m1ckeyb3rry]

NO FR like he could be your dad please sit tf down….like do whatever you want ig but if you’re gonna do this I don’t think you have the right to shit on other people…

Oh definitely…truly dominating that tag you should honestly file a request to tumblr to claim it or something LMAOO

LMFAOOOO SO REAL literally me like we can’t BOTH be lazy like umm we can’t both be passenger princess move over

PRAYER CIRCLE RN Karasu u20 wc captain karasu u20 wc captain….kurona or Niko would be really funny because you just imagine everyone on the field is like “this 16 year old pipsqueak is the captain..?”

Otoya…what a loser he did not think it through HAHA He stole that money from Seiko’s stack of cash fr LMAOO

OO honestly that’s such a smart tactic…truly a Karasu type of activity analyzing and studying the way real people behave hehe I agree I quite enjoy oblivious/dumb but only when done right and when it’s not like their only redeeming quality LOL

LMAO wattpad truly is like the preschool of writing everyone eventually graduates and learns LOL (you should reveal one of your old fics after you hit a certain milestone LMAOO)

DUBBED VOICEOVER LMAOOO that’s so funny honestly I think it’s really funny when that happens like yeah you better not talk shit to my face :))))

Wait I didn’t even go back to reference the Bible bro how many sisters is he pulling?? This is the reverse of BFB this is BFS??? I’m wondering if they kinda just forgot about the egoist Bible and changed the facts uhhh I’ll check if the authors note in the back mentions it at all….that Bible needs some updating though please add more characters profiles shshshshs I ALSO THOUGHT THAT like a sisterly aww this little child is so cute here’s a forehead kiss but uh???? I was literally reading it outloud for dictation and stopped mid sentence to laugh when I read that moment flustered yuki was so cute and funny like bro really ran to his room flipped on his bed giggling kicking his feet and shit like…tabieitaken supremacy truly….

No because why didn’t they tell us who yuki plays as??? Ok whatever at this point I think we both know it’s basically canon that it’s Mario or peach there’s literally no other option

STOPPP THE KARASU ANON TRANSLATIONS TAG LMFAOOOOOO guys I got my own tag on Mira’s blog…we made it big guys….

Anyways I’m chipping away at the translations gonna finish up Yukis and then do barous and maybe Aryu if I’m motivated enough but maybe I’ll just skim that one and write an actual summary (me saying I’ll write summaries is like you saying you’ll write only 5k words LMAO)

-Karasu anon

FACTS like i’m not judging them for their choices i’m judging them for judging other people 😭 because in what world do they have the high ground

nah because atp we need to hunt down kaneshiro and ask for custody of karasu i think the two of us have done more for him than the actual author himself 😩

LMAOAOA i cannot be driving someone around everywhere fr i need to be the passenger princess 😓 that’s why it’s good to have multiple favs 😈

TO BE FAIR rin was 16 and captain of the bllk eleven fsr so ego does have a track record w it 😫 he’s just tall so he gets additional aura for that ig

seiko jumps people on the side so she has a shit ton of cash stowed away 🤫 it was simple for him to use his ninja skills and sneak into her room to take some KDJDSJSK he truly is not the brightest but it’s okay we still love him

HELP me and karasu are soulmates…tabimira dates are just us analyzing people for “writing purposes” and whatever random ass reason he has for doing it 😭

omg the most embarrassing thing is like i only just removed the first fics i ever posted (back in 2021) literally this month HAHAHA they were literally out and abt for the public to read until that point 😰 i shudder thinking abt it even now 😳 but yeah wattpad truly is where everyone starts out…i’d go through war w the mutuals i met/escaped from wattpad with we’ve gone through too much fr

guys do you watch mira sub or dub 🤔 LMAO it’s funnier because the area in india where i’m from has a lot of islamic influence so we speak hindi mixed with a lot of urdu which means i sound very polite and formal as well as poetic…the typical accent in the city i’m from is also considered to be very rich/elegant sounding i’ve heard?? so basically people talk shit abt me because they think i don’t understand and then i respond to them w literal bars 😭 straight up sounding like the hindi version of hollyhock y/n on an average tuesday

FLUSTERED YUKI IS SO CUTE HAHAHA i love how tabieitaken are all confirmed losers now it’s truly what they deserve (affectionately)…omg no because why IS he consistently going for the sisters?? is that his type in women?? “they have to be my best friend’s older sister”…do NOT let my man near the otoya or karasu households he will combust 😭 no but lowkey i was surprised that she was being fr too 😰 calling him “my beloved kenyu” is crazy work icl…but ok queen invest early ig…😟🤨

they didn’t need to add who yuki plays as because they know we’ve got it covered 🙏🏻 apparently i am also the number one yukimiya kenyu blog now btw HAHAHA i feel like i never even post abt him too?? the queen of tabieitaken right here fr no one can compare

YESSS LMAO I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO FIND THEM QUICKLY 😭 especially if i’m writing for yuki hehe gotta have my references on lock 🤩 honestly i probably should make tags for when my mutuals/established anons send me asks but like…i don’t feel like starting now…HAHAHA i think my tag system is a little bit above the bare minimum but some people have such neatly organized tagged blogs and personalized tags and whatnot but me personally i have never been that person and probably never will be 😓 if it annoys people they can just unfollow ig idk

PLSSS omg idk if you saw my recent post but currently i’m feeling really dumb for that whole “6-9k words ballpark 😄” NDKDJSJSK i shall continue to work on it though 🫡 take your time w translating i’m sure it’s tough!! i’ll be here 😈💖

[lake-archive]

Scene 32

AO3 Link

Fandom: Persona 5

Character (main): Anja / Luka (OC), Goro Akechi

Scene 31 - Masterlist - Scene 33

If someone had asked this guy, this person for his opinion on the Phantom Thieves two months ago, he would have replied with this:

“You would believe that those Phantom Thieves really exist?”

“I get that it looks strange and all but… Changing people’s hearts? As if it was that easy.” 

“I don’t know… Maybe it’s just a load of crap altogether. If it was just that easy to change a person by stealing their ‘heart’...”

Needless to say, Luka had been one of the many non–believers within society about the Phantom Thieves being actually real and shoved it to the excuse of conspiracy and blackmail. Though he had no idea at the time. And yet, when the news about Kaneshiro’s arrest hit and everyone online talked about the Phantom Thieves… The mood had shifted since.

“Say Akechi–Kun… Did the Phantom Thieves really steal the show by gettin’ Kaneshiro’s ass?” Luka had asked, making Goro nearly want to spill the coffee he was drinking. Per usual Luka had been dragging him to an outing and now those guys had to be brought up out of nowhere… Honestly Goro just wanted to bite into the cup at that moment but he stopped himself from doing that, just barely.

“It’s spreading like wildfire, isn’t it?” He sighed in response, though not hiding his frustration at all. That much was not fake. “Kaneshiro has been impossible to catch, yes. So having him suddenly confess was already causing a fuss…” 

“Looks like these thieves bet y’all to a punch~” Somehow the way Luka said it, in this upbeat tone, it felt like an insult. As if they were adding salt to the wound. “They sure work effectively.”

And yet, the comment made him raise an eyebrow all the same. This sudden shift was not exactly common nor normal for someone like Luka after all. They were usually holding very stubbornly on his very own beliefs, refusing to give them up. “That’s a different tone from last time.” Goro decided to bring up. They shouldn't be involved in this… No, he hadn’t spotted them. There was no way. 

“Eh? Really?” Luka only let out surprised before seeming to think for a moment, leaning back in their chair and crossing their arms. Only to then have that grin on their face. “Well, it’s like the 3rd time in a row. So I gotta accept that there’s something happening. Those guys are real at least.”

“What made you change your mind?”

“Had to see it to believe it.”

See it to believe it? “May I ask what you are referring to?”

Luka at first turned their gaze to the side, as if not wanting to say. They then let out a rather awkward chuckle before turning their gaze back to Goro. “Promise you ain’t gonna arrest me? I don’t know much anyways.”

He didn’t like the sound of that question, at least not at first. But he had to force himself to keep calm. In fact he felt a little more agitated than usual during this conversation, as if an urge to yell at them had almost overcome him. “Oh please, this is a mere discussion. You’re free to speak your mind.” He assured them with this smile he had practiced day in and out. 

Though he could hear their grumbling shortly after. “Even now…” He heard them mumble before speaking up in their usual volume again, wiping that displeased expression off their face. “I… Tested it myself by posting something on the Phansite’s forum.”

His eyes widened when hearing that, shock overcoming him. “You… did?”

“Basically. Gave them the name of the target and observed what happened.” Luka continued while leaning forward again, this time against the table. “Took a few days yet by the time I saw the target again they did a 180. Apologized and now try to make up for stuff.”

That… There was a hole in the story, surely, but he couldn’t blame them for that. And yet he had to keep quiet about that, what he knew, but nodded as if acknowledging that observation. “So they accepted your request, you assume?”

“There’s no other way. Before you say anything, no person changes so drastically in a few days if they had shown no improvement whatsoever in the past.”

“That’s a fair point.”

“So there’s gotta be some truth to them. Though I’m curious how they did it…”

Curious about the how… No, that was something he couldn’t let them find out. “I think you should leave that to the officials.”

“Won’t change my curiosity… Besides, if I stick around… Maybe the person who falsely accused father…” This again… But they shook their head soon enough. “Nevermind. I don’t wanna bore you with stuff like that! Sorry!”

“It’s… Fine. I’m sure that wasn’t easy to stomach.” Goro had to squeeze that out of himself though. Somehow he felt more and more uneasy. He knew Luka. That guy will start snooping around once curious. 

Maybe he will have to put them on his watch list after all… Just in case they will become a threat. For now it was a mere gut feeling but he should keep an eye out.

Scene 31 - Masterlist - Scene 33

[vgckwb]

P5R: Rebel Girl (A FeMC Story/P5R Rework) Chapter 191: Fallout

The next day before classes started up, Makoto walked up to Eiko. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Eiko said back.

“So, um, I talked with my sister last night,” Makoto said. “She said that it was alright for you to stay with us until graduation.”

Eiko was stunned. “Really?”

Makoto nodded. “Yes.”

Eiko hugged Makoto “EIIIIII! Thank you!”

Makoto hugged her back. “Eh heh.” They broke off the hug. “So, um, how long do you think before you’re ready?”

“Hmmm,” Eiko pondered. “I’m not sure. Maybe a week?”

“Well, we can work on this together,” Makoto said.

Eiko nodded. “Sounds good!”

“OK,” Makoto replied. She gave her a kiss. “Let’s head to class.”

“Right,” Eiko said. The two walked together to their classroom.

After school, Ren got a text from Makoto.

Makoto: I need to talk to you about something.

Ren: OK.

Ren: Where do you want to go?

Makoto: Honestly? That ice cream place we went to to plan Kaneshiro’s calling card.

Makoto: You remember where that is, right?

Ren: Of course.

Makoto: Great!

Makoto: I’ll see you then.

Ren: Seeya!

Ren put her phone away, and started heading out.

A little while later, she and Makoto were sitting next to each other at the ice cream place, having just placed their orders. “So, what did you want to talk about?” Ren asked.

“Well…” Makoto said. “It’s a little complicated. But I just wanted to give you an update on how things are going.” Ren nodded. “So, I think I’ve landed on a career path. I want to be a police officer like my father was. But I want to be more than that. I was to help fix the system. The current police force has a lot of issues, and I want to work on fixing them. For example, I don't want something like what happened to you doesn’t happen again. Or at least as often as it might.

I mean, it’s not so much different than the work we do as Phantom Thieves. We investigate, make sure someone’s guilty, and bring them to justice. Of course there are staunch differences, but I enjoy doing what we do, and I wish to continue to do it. I know it won’t be easy, but nothing worth doing is.” Ren chuckled. Makoto continued. “I also had a chance to talk with Eiko.”

“How did that go?” Ren asked.

“It was a little turbulent at first,” Makoto explained, “but it ended well. Um…she and I are now…dating.”

Ren was shocked. “Shut up!” Makoto nodded. “Wow. Way to bury the lead.”

Makoto chuckled “Shut up,” she said, playfully shoving Ren.

Ren chuckled back. “So, what happened?”

“Well,” Makoto said, “she and I were talking, and she asked me if I was jealous of her. I told her I was jealous of her boyfriend for having her, and it just kind of slipped out that I liked her. I didn’t even know I liked her like that until I said it.”

“Wow!” Ren said. “So, are you gay like me?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that,” Makoto said. “I’ve liked men before.”

“Bisexual then?”

“Hmmmm,” Makoto pondered. “Maybe? It seems a little different. Like, I don’t like Eiko because she’s a woman. I like her because she’s Eiko, and her being a woman kind of follows.”

“Sounds like Pansexual to me,” Ren remarked.

Makoto was confused. She got out her phone to look it up. Her eyes widened. “OH! Oh this makes a LOT of sense.” Ren giggled. Makoto put her phone away. “Well, as you know, this will make things even more difficult. But again, I feel like it’s worth doing. Besides, even if I stumble or fall, I’ll know that I tried as hard as I could to do it.”

“Hm hm. Well, you know I’ll be there for you,” Ren said. “Every step of the way.”

“Of course,” Makoto said. “Thanks.”

I am thou, thou art I

Thou hast turned a vow into a blood oath.

Thy bond shall become the wings of rebellion and break the yoke of thy heart.

Thou hast awakened to the ultimate secret of the Priestess, granting thee infinite power…

Priestess-Makoto Niijima: Rank 10

Inside Makoto, a powerful force was manifesting itself. Her Persona, Johanna, was changing. Evolving. An explosion rang out, and her Persona grew alongside her, becoming Anat.

This feeling…Is this me? It’s so powerful. I won’t ever let it go!

Their ice cream arrived. “Let’s eat before it melts,” Makoto said. Ren nodded, and they ate their ice cream.

Later in the evening, Ren got another message.

Hifumi: Do you mind stopping by the church this evening?

Ren: Not at all.

Ren: Do you need anything?

Hifumi: Your company will be enough.

Ren: Very well.

Ren: I’ll see you soon.

Hifumi: See you soon.

Ren put her phone away, and headed for Kanda.

Upon arrival, Ren walked up to Hifumi. “Hey,” she said.

“Hello,” Hifumi said.

Ren took a seat. “How’s it going?”

“It’s…complicated,” Hifumi said. “The Phantom Thieves changed my mother’s heart, but…” She sighed. “It turns out she was rigging my matches. She was controlling a lot more than I had anticipated.”

“Yikes,” Ren said, unsure of what else to say in the moment.

Hifumi continued. “I really should have seen this coming. I guess it makes more sense as to why everyone was looking at me with disdain.”

“So, what are you going to do?” Ren asked.

“I don’t know,” Hifumi answered.

“Well, what do you want to do?” Ren said.

“I want to continue playing shogi,” Hifumi said. “I want to continue to support my family.”

“Well, I think that’s your answer,” Ren said. Hifumi seemed confused. “That’s what you wanted to do when your mom was trying to pull you away from this. Now that the consequences of her actions are on the cusp of doing that, you still want to do that. You just have to trust your resolve.”

“Hm. You’re correct,” Hifumi said. “I’m still a little worried. A scandal like this rocking the shogi world is uncommon. But I just have to keep a cool head. What they say, what my mom said, I didn’t change what I wanted before. But now, I’m learning how to fight for it more.”

“That’s the spirit,” Ren said. “And I’ll still be in your corner.”

Hifumi nodded. “Thank you. And I know I have others as well. Your other friends. The priest. My father. And despite the situation caused by it, now that my mom had a change of heart, she’s being more reasonable than ever, and listening to me and my father once again. So I know she’s in my corner too. I guess I just have to take victories where I can.”

“You were the one who taught me to lose with dignity,” Ren said.

Hifumi giggled. “True. But I suppose we are more in the middle of everything, rather than at the end. Once the dust has settled, we will see what lies ahead.”

“That’s the spirit!” Ren cheered.

Star-Hifumi Togo: Rank 8

“So,” Ren offered,” do you wanna play some shogi? Gotta keep your mind sharp.”

“Hm hm. Always,” Hifumi said. They played shogi together before heading home for the night.

[mc-kamuakaneshiro]

When the Stars Align the Oceans Will Part - Chapter 1

Writer’s Note: this is an OCXOC fic, and I have NO IDEA what the hell I’m doing. Please enjoy the fic!~

“You want me to what now?” Kamua cocked an eyebrow at the eldest demon brother in disbelief.

“Your heard me, Kaneshiro,” Lucifer gave him a smirk. “I want you to be my lover so that those demon girls can stop pestering me.” In the background Diavolo gasped and squealed like a little school girl, and Barabatos sigh knowing fully well how messy the next few days would unfold.

Kamua squinted in disbelief at the first born. Of all the people at RAD, Lucifer chose him  “I, uh…” he laughed nervously, "I think you’re asking the wrong person, Lucifer.” He lifted his hand to run it through his ponytail.

“I mean, there are so many other people—demon, angel, or human—that you could ask. I’m just a nobody in a sea of really amazing people.” Kamua gestures to Lucifer. "And you’re such a powerful demon! You can get anyone to play the part for you! I just… don’t see why it should be me.” He put his hands in his pants pockets and avoided eye contact with the demon.

Don’t get him wrong! He was flattered that Lucifer even thought of asking him, but in all honestly the first born wasn’t really his type. Lucifer’s suave serpent tongue and air of authority was sexy, but it was also controlling.

Whenever the island boy even stood in a room with the demon, he’d feel suffocated and helpless much like how his father made him feel back when he was home. Chills would run throughout his body and made him feel sick to his stomach.

“Kamua,” a hand reached for Kamua’s chin and tilted his face up snapping him out of his thoughts and forcing him to lock eyes with Lucifer. “I don’t think I could’ve picked a better person than you.”

The human’s left brow arched, signaling that his interest was piqued. “How so?”

Lucifer parted his lips to explain, but he was rudely interrupted by the Prince of the Devildom. “If you two are in a relationship, it’ll be proof that the Exchange Program is bridging the divide between the Realms! Lucifer, you’re a genius!”

An irritated crease briefly furrowed the said demon’s brow as a fond smirk rose the corners of his mouth. “Essentially,” he said playing along with his superior.

Kamua scowled. Of course they’d make it exclusively about the Exchange Program. After all, it’s the sole reason he and his newfound friends and dorm mates were brought to the Devildom. It was merely a plot for their own benefits.

He let out an exasperated sigh and sharply turned his head so that he was free from Lucifer’s grasp. “If all you want a trophy relationship, then I’m sorry but I’m not your guy. I don’t do that kind of romance.” He pivoted on one of his heels and headed for the Student Council room’s exit. Before he could open the door, Diavolo grabbed him by the wrist. “Wait! Kamua! Please look at me.” Kamua looked up at the Demon Prince and found a sincere gaze of worry and concern. A twinge of guilt hazed over his mind. “I understand that this kind of relationship may be uncomfortable for you, but think of the future of the Realms! If it weren’t for the Exchange Program you wouldn’t have met me, the brothers, or even the other humans. Through your relationship with Lucifer, you can keep the program running. So please, do it for them,” he leaned down closer to Kamua’s ear and spoke in a gentler voice paired with an equally gentle smile. “And most importantly, do it for me.” Kamua returned the smile, touched by the prince’s words. “Ok, fine. I’ll do it for you guys.”

As soon as he caved in, Diavolo’s typical preppy self returned, and his strong hand let go of Kamua’s wrist. “Splendid!” He turned to Lucifer, who looked more irritated by the second. “Now all we have to do is tell the whole school!” He kept rambling on with his thoughts, effectively tuning out Kamua’s attempts to interject with his one sided conversation. Of the three demons in the room, only Barbatos acknowledged his worried but only with a nod and a look of apology.

Kamua, fed up with being talked over, finally leaves the room taking the opportunity while Lucifer and Diavolo distracted themselves. he needed to walk away from the source of the mess. But before he made a good distance between himself and the Student Council Room, Lucifer quickly caught up to him.

“Kamua, wait” he practically commanded the human.

Slightly aggravated, he turned around. “What do you-“ before he could finish his sentence, Lucifer grabbed his shoulder and planted a chaste kiss on his forehead, momentarily stunning him as a blush creeped up his face.

Lucifer pulled away. “Have a wonderful day, my love.” Honey coated the tone of his words, but his smile was as icy and fake as the one he sent him the day they met.

“S-sure.” Lucifer squeezed his shoulder a little too tight, warning him to play his part accordingly as he and Diavolo planned. Quietly seething from the pain, Kamua chased his reply with an “I love you, honey.”

Lucifer smiled. “I love you, too, my love.” He let go of Kamua’s shoulder and walks back to the Student Council Room, leaving Kamua with a sore shoulder and fear in his eyes.

This is going to be interesting, I guess. Kamua had only been in the Devildom for only 2 months, but a lot of crazy shit had happened since then. And apparently, being the Avatar of Pride's fake lover is now added to his list.

Writer’s Note again: Thanks so much for reading! 

[au-tumn-al]

So after 110 hours, I finally beat Persona 5 Royal. Before going into complete FFVII mode, I wanna lay out all my thoughts.

Blah, blah, blah, spoilers for everything under the cut.

To start off, I loved Royal. The gameplay was so much fun and it felt like such a natural evolution from vanilla P5. Probably my favorite change was what wad done with Baton Pass. Trying to pass to your entire party was very fun and very satisfying, especially if Joker got the ×4 or even ×3 and got to abuse a possibly charged Hassou Tobi lategame. It was pretty broken, but I don't mind things being broken once you go to the effort of figuring things out. Speaking of broken things—

Showtime attacks are super cool. I didn't know what to think of them at first because of how stupidly strong they are, but after I got to some harder boss fights where doing about 1k damage per attack would only get rid of about a small fraction of the shadow's health, I wasn't complaining.

(Also, I never actually got to see Joker and Violet's showtime. Oops.)

The fact that the damage scaled like that was really good, especially once you get into the third semester where party members have severe and colossal damage moves and even healer Morgana can do 150 damage per basic attack without buffs on an enemy without debuffs. The enemies' damage output remained kind of sad though, but uh....you can't win 'em all ;;

To finish showtime talk, Joker and Crow's showtime was heccin' great. I never skipped it. It was Batman in my animu JRPG so it was 10/10. It also did way more damage than most of my party members' showtime attacks so ey. It finished off that Yoshitsune request boss too with around 2.4k damage so I'm obligated to like it. On that note, how is showtime damage calculated? Do certain showtimes do more damage, or does it just depend on the offensive stats of the party members using it?

Technical damage was beefed up too, and I probably should have tried to take advantage of it more than I did but I never figured out how to make technical damage reliably knock an enemy down. I know that there was a way to do it but I never figured it out. Yes, yes, I know it was because I skipped tutorials but everything else was so busted, I never felt the need to go back and read said tutorials. I did read that book about technical damage though in-game, but it just added more technical combinations.

Onto other changes though, it could have been because I was playing on hard, but status ailments became about 10 times more useful. ...Actually, no, it was definitely because I was playing on hard, but even so, I felt like more bosses were weak to them when compared to P5. They went back to being mostly immune to them, especially in the new semester, but during and before October or so, status ailments became invaluable. It could have been because I sucked that much, but my party members, and even sometimes Joker, would get left with double or even single digit HP by near everything, even if I debuffed and buffed. Queen got regulated to a forget bot, but man it carried me through some boss fights. ... i.e., Kaneshiro's fight. Well, that and Mona's confuse.

I liked the Will Seeds too. They were a fun way to kind of change up the palaces and for me to hunt down. Even though yeah, they are pretty broken (especially with the accessory you get from the 2nd palace being able to get rid of elemental weaknesses for whoever has it equipped, not to mention the ability to give charge or concentrate to another party member), I still can't say I used them over my SP adhesives most of the time. I used the one that got rid of elemental weaknesses on Crow, but that was just because I could only use him and Joker at the time and did not want enemies to get another move on him to get another chance to hit either of them.

The changes to Mementos were amazing. Like the rest of them, they were pretty busted, but still. Amazing. I feel like I'm in the minority with this, but I didn't mind Mementos. In fact, I kind of liked going through the grind of going through it. Although...tbf, I kind of liked Tartarus too. Its 264 floors were a bit much, but I liked being able to turn off my brain, put on a podcast or YouTube video in the background for me to listen to then go through Tartarus in one or two in-game nights.

Back to Mementos, collecting stamps and flowers for Jose was fun, and being able to change the cognition for Mementos was busted. Since you can get EXP from auto-killing, you get over-leveled very fast. It doesn't help that you have to backtrack floors for stamps since they randomly generate, so you get even more money, experience, and items. On the bright side though, no, I didn't need to wander around singing "I've Been Working on the Railroad" with Mona and Skull for an hour and a half trying to find the materials for the Eternal Lockpick (which was renamed in Royal to Permapick ... I guess???)

Because of the changes you can make to boost item, money, and EXP gains, Mementos became the prime grinding area. Even more than the card shuffle thing in P3. Since you got so much EXP from ramming shadows even without leveling up EXP gain. I put all my stamps into getting more items and money until I couldn't anymore and I had near max every single crafting item, and never had to worry about the cost of anything ever. Combined with the money gains from killing shadows, you can also pick up sellable treasure from the item cubes in Mementos and it can end up selling for well over a million yen. So getting to max didn't even require Joker abusing the confuse status ailment or abusing the shadows with "You can do better than that."

I didn't mind the Mementos music, even when I was playing the game without something else playing for me to listen to, but now that Mementos does have new music, yeah, I realize now how much better it is. I wouldn't listen to it alone like I would Rivers in the Desert or anything, but it was a nice change. I listened to one of the songs before the game had its western release and didn't like it all that much, but actually playing the game while hearing it made me actually like it.

I got to level 99 though before the game was over. It made it so Joker and Crow were able to tag-team the Reaper then kill it in 3 turns. I had thought that trophy would have been a lot harder to get lol. It was pretty weird seeing the Reaper in such clear lighting though due to the new Mementos area though, I have to say.

Onto the bosses though...

I loved the changes to the bosses (except the 5th one but that's just because I hate everything about the 5th palace, even if Royal did make it about a million times more bearable).

Kameshida having cognitive Shiho and Mishima as helpers for the boss fight was such a good change, and made him about that much more hateable.

Madarame's boss fight in vanilla P5 was the hardest boss in the game for me, even on normal mode, but it was made so much easier in P5R. Madarame didn't bring back his painting form, but instead brought back elemental versions of himself specifically so the player can abuse Baton Pass. Baton Pass combos are extremely satisfying to pull off, so I enjoyed it immensely. Honestly, having that as the second boss in the game was so much of a better decision than what was in P5. That, or I'm still salty about all the deaths I had from fighting him the first time.

Kaneshiro was definitely harder, and I was a little stuck when he called his cronies out to guard him. Mona and Queen using confuse and forget while Skull and Joker attacked Kaneshiro made it a lot more bearable though. I also kept using spotlights on Joker so the enemies would attack him. He had Shiki Ouji equipped and they only ever did physical moves when my status effects missed, so I was never at risk for losing the fight. ... And then of course Skull and Queen finished it off with a showtime attack after Mona got yeeted.

Sphinx mom was a lot easier. I didn't know that the right dialogue choices made it so Oracle would guard you until someone told me, so I was sitting there surprised at how much easier it was lol. I did get stuck at the end though because it didn't look like I was damaging it. I thought Oracle needed to bring back the crossbow so I just kept buffing and healing. It took about 10 minutes for me to get bored and start attacking it again and it turned out I could attack it, but it was just that sphinx mom's HP wasn't visually moving before eventually going down. Joker still used Shiki Ouji which had learned an immunity to wind so. Easy victory (ignoring the part where I'm a dumbass).

I switched to easy mode for Okumura. I just did not care at all. I hate his palace, I hate the music, and the enemies could range from being easier to kill than the enemies in the first palace to being a pain in the ass, so I wanted to have it be over. If I didn't have an unreasonable hatred for the 5th palace though, I probably would have liked the change. It was challenging without being complete BS, at least much more challenging than how it was originally in P5. Having the enemies run off though did get pretty annoying when I was trying to beat it legit but I was just so done at that point, it was more on me than the game lol.

Part of the reason why I was so eager to get through Okumura's palace though was to get to Sae's palace. Because I love Sae's palace, and just in general, the entire month of November. It has amazing story bits, still the height of P5's story if you ask me, a great palace, and Whims of Fate is one of my favorite tracks from P5's OST. Sae's boss was even changed to when she spins the wheel, whatever element it goes to, she uses that element and her resistances would change. I loved that, and it was extremely fun to take what you more or less should have learned about enemies' attacks and their correlating weaknesses and use them for a boss fight. So much better than the original where you don't need strategy at all other than "hit her hard lol."

Shido's boss fight was changed to be super climactic. They made it easier for the sake of Joker being able to confront the dude that got him a criminal record and directly ruining his life, and I can't complain. It felt amazing to 1v1 him. The game fixed the possibility of being screwed by it by having him attack in a certain order like the twins do in their special fight, so that was nice at least.

Yaldabaoth's boss fight was the same. Still easy enough, as long as you're careful. Or...not careful but extremely lucky. I wasn't able to finish it off while it was charging up its almighty attack, but my entire party ended up dodging it so it didn't even matter lmao. Now that I think about it, it very easily could have been because of that one Will Seed accessory that makes you dodge attacks but... I don't care. I was still super lucky I didn't get wiped and be forced to start the fight over starting from the Holy Grail.

The new boss... Uhm... It was taking way too long so I ended up cheesing it with Haru's third persona's new move that basically makes you invincible for a turn halfway through the fight. ^^; Noir was a Vault Guardian bot, Queen just healed and took advantage of one of the tentscles' nuclear weaknesses to Baton Pass to Crow when she could, and then Joker and Crow did all the work. Crow's third tier persona's almighty move kicked ass and you know what else kicked ass? Hassou Tobi abuse. The other 2 phases weren't even really fights, so at least that kept it from dragging too much, despite all the phases it had.

When Joker and the boss had that punch-out fight though, I lost my shit. I was laughing so hard I started to cry and my back was hurting. I don't even remember why I thought it was so funny, but I was laughing my ass off. I couldn't even press X to get Joker to punch because I was laughing so hard. Right before it happened, I joked to my sister that a tutorial would pop up and suddenly the gameplay will have the controls from that P4 fighting game and you have to learn that in order to have one last showdown. And then I got the prompt to punch. Then Joker punched. And I started laughing.

11/10 would punch Adam Kadmon man again

On the topic of the new stuff though...

Kasumi/Sumire/Violet was pretty fun to use but badly, badly overshadowed by both Joker and Crow, at least during boss fights. She offered to join the party before Shido's palace and she really should have joined then. Maybe she would just be absent for the Mementos dungeon & Yaldabaoth/Holy Grail boss fights, but she should have been there for Shido's palace. I liked her wanted gimmick of being the crit'er, but when you get her, Mona's third tier persona learns an AOE Lucky Punch, Joker already has high crit, and I would always baton pass to Crow because of his severe almighty AOE ×3. Plus, the way I built my Joker with practically exclusively two personas, Yoshitsune and Kuguya Picaro, he was already the phys and light attacker except with the addition of being able to have an auto-concentrate at the start of every fight (I have no idea why—it's something with Yoshitsune but idk what it is), the charge skill, Yoshitsune's nature of tripling the effect of charge, and the additional electric damage. She should have been a party member before the new semester. Obviously this isn't the case for everyone, but for me personally, I didn't often find use for her, especially since she can't do colossal or even severe magic damage. She is a very good physical party member, but again, Joker already covers that better than any other party member can, including Skull.

Crow was a great party member though. I used him in every request and boss fight after I got him. I was a little salty he couldn't switch back and forth from Loki and Robin Hood but I suppose if he did, he'd make Violet even more obsolete lol. I liked Loki while playing P3, so I'm glad I was able to use that persona again. He had Debilitate which was amazing. Queen learns Checkmate when getting to the third tier persona, which is an AOE version of it, but honestly, whenever I was fighting a boss that I thought needed it at that point in the game, I didn't need it to be multi-hitting. Plus, it costed about 90 SP and no way I was using that over her healing, defense buffs, and nuclear damage.

But anyway, back to Crow, I loved using him. He basically turned into my almighty damage dealer, even with his somewhat weaker magic, at least compared to his strength stat, but considering the final boss fight, it was extremely helpful. It did take up a lot of SP, but I had 5 Somas, a ton of SP restoratives, and had basically asked Kawakami to make me either curry or coffee every single night I was able to, so I pretty much had an infinite supply of it.

It helped that P5R made Akechi a much more likable character too. I liked him all right in P5, but didn't find him all that sympathetic, and thought that the characters treating him so sympathetically was extremely jarring considering all the horrible shit he did (which includes making orphans of both Haru and Futaba). That still kind of holds true, but since you can actually build a social link with him outside of the story, you can see more of his character and it improved him in leaps and bounds. Not to mention that his 8th confidant rank was....something else ^^; having a section of the new story too with just Joker and Akechi, (and kind of Sumire too, but mostly just those two) was awesome. I loved seeing them team up to punch Adam Kadmon man in the face. Plus, having more time with him in the Phantom Thieves without pretense had him going "I am surrounded by idiots" basically the whole time he was there. Like—I even felt disappointed that Akechi was actually dead and he didn't survive. That's a huge improvement over from me wishing one of the dialogue options was "fuck you lmao" during his death scene at the end of Shido's palace when he asked the Phantom Thieves to promise him to change Shido's heart.

For Sumire though, she had a good character arc. Like her gameplay though, she was badly overshadowed by both Akechi and Maruki. Even still, I liked her character arc and everything, and her social link. Even if I ended up liking Kasumi more in the end anyway rip

That's kind of all I have to say about her, oof. She was good, but other elements took attention away from her pretty badly.

Maruki though... Maruki was amazing. He was a fantastic antagonist because I got to punch him in the face, his palace was amazing, I loved the music, the different sections were cool, and I even liked the color maze bridge puzzle thing. I definitely wouldn't like it so much if I ever replayed it, especially if I try to get that final Will Seed, which wasn't hard, but did take kind of a while, but I don't think I will be so it's not a problem.

He had such good motivations, and the fact that he didn't ever actually hurt anyone other than when he punched Joker in the face made him really sympathetic and redeemable to me. At the end of the day, all he actually wanted to do was make people happy and not have to suffer, and was willing to destroy himself in order to achieve it. But just like with every belief, it went too far and he took away people's free will and ability to pick for themselves. The kind of moral question about the entire thing was very interesting, and I kind of wish it was more further addressed. There should have been Sojiro or some other character that was perfectly happy in Maruki's alternate reality so they could challenge the Phantom Thieves in a way Maruki wasn't able to. Still, what was done was really good and I liked it a lot.

...

Even all that said, I have no idea why the hell Joker could not use Satanael. There was such a perfect opportunity to use it once Maruki evolved his persona to Adam Kadmon, a giant persona. Hell, it was still small when compared to Satanael. It's after beating Yaldabaoth so Joker should have access to it. It would have been epic to be able to use a giant Satanael in a normal-ish boss fight. I'm sure there are some explanations as to why, but the game never mentions it or even acknowledges Satanael so it doesn't count and I'm still bitter. The writers forgot that Joker has a persona literally as big as a cognitive god and that kind of broke some immersion for me. Immersion completely went out the window once Joker and Maruki started punching each other but STILL. Satanael's not that great a persona, but having it show up in the story again would have been so awesome to use a persona about as big as Shibuya more than once.

Hardly comparable to my beef about Satanael, but I wish that while the party members were acting as Phantom Thieves, or at least while they're in the metaverse, the names on their text boxes would change to their Phantom Thief names. There's no reason why they didn't, especially since the characters exclusively use their Phantom Thief names to call each other anyway. It's not a huge deal or anything, but I would have liked it.

I loved Royal, and totally think it's better than P5 vanilla. Its new semester kind of takes away from the superb ending of the vanilla game, but the new stuff still makes up for it. Don't get me wrong, you can still get the original ending from the vanilla game in Royal, at least I'm pretty sure you can, but it involves you missing out on all the new content, including Violet as a party member and getting Crow back, plus Joker's showtimes so it's not worth it imo

I wasn't actually looking forward to the game when it was announced, or even planning on getting it, but I had the Phantom Thieves' edition pre-ordered for me as a Christmas present so I wasn't going to...not play it lol. I'm extremely glad I got it though, even if I otherwise wouldn't have, and now that I have finished it, I'm very happy with the game. The gameplay's improved by leaps and bounds, and the new content was all amazing.

... And I got to punch Maruki in the face.

I did end up getting the platinum trophy for Royal too, so despite the Phantom Thieves den thing, I don't see myself going back to it, at least any time soon. It was an amazing experience, but I can set my sights back to FFVII now lol.

...Although, I did hear you can fight the twins and Lavenza so uhhh maybe i won't be shelfing it so soon—

[bearpillowmonster]

Persona 5 Review (Palaces)

Now I think it’s be interesting to split up each villain and review their arcs. First is Kamoshida, I like the layout of his palace. Sneaking along the walls and such and they really give you the drive to get rid of him. This is one of the only ones I actually got all the will seeds, I found that you only get the accessory if you collect the three, I don’t think there’s any bonus for collecting ALL of them from ALL the palaces though.

After that, they introduce something called Mementos which is basically everybody’s palace, a compilative place of where small distortions go that aren’t big enough for their own palace. This is kind of used for side missions, it’s not that bad though, the dark sections can be annoying but I see why they were put in there. You visit it throughout the game and after each boss, a new section gets added, going farther down. This is also one of the places to grind and a quick way to grind is to mow down enemies with your van using the dash button, rather than going through the trouble of battling, you even get their mask. That’s only if they’re not too far down though because the farther down you go, the tougher the enemies. It’s funny because once you get tough enough, going to the higher entrances, making enemies RUN from you while you’re mowing them down, it’s a blast. I will recommend though that you don’t piss off too many and get alarmed because they’ll come in waves, one battle after another and if you’re deep in Mementos, it can be scary.

Next is Madarame, I like the setting of a museum and the boss (better than Kamo) but I will also say that it was annoying to traverse, it built upon the urgency by adding legal action into the mix. This is probably in my top 3 palaces, I just don’t have a whole lot to say about it.

Kaneshiro (sounds like Kamoshida) I feel like his character is very one way, an easy prey, I’m fine with that but I’m just saying that the depth was better for the previous two. The boss isn’t exactly my favorite, it’s a little different between 5 and Royal so I looked it up and am accounting for both of them. I do however like the style of the bank and the vault is one giant lock, the enemies are probably some of the most annoying though with the introduction of the dogs.

Alibaba. Now this palace is actually pretty cool because it changes the context and way you do things, again with the real life interference as well. What I really like are the little hieroglyphics puzzles at the end of each section, those things are my jam but while I appreciate the variety and setup, this was one of the weaker palaces. The boss was weak as well, more of just a sponge unless I didn’t play it right (maybe I was underleveled? I mean I don’t think I even died tbh though) because it was really cool when you used the arrows but really dragging when she was in the air.

I will say that I took a break after this arc (about 35-40 hours in) not because I was tired of it, far from it actually, I was having tons of fun but traversing the palaces just seemed off to me at this point so I thought if I took a break and got a fresh perspective when I came back, it would be better. It was hard to detach myself from it because I really enjoyed what I had played thus far but it felt good to get back into the groove of it after a break. This was both a good place to take the break given the hours spent and what the next palace is, and kind of a weird place because after Alibaba you take the field trip but I would still recommend you take a decent break at some point because...

The next palace is Okumura. Now I’ve seen some flack about this one, saying it’s the least favorite of the bunch, so you don’t want to have the previous build up of hours hamper your experience since it’s considered the worse. Honestly I don’t think it’s that bad (the palace!) now the boss on the other hand is a different story, I understand that a CEO is only as good as their employees and the idea to use them is pretty reflective of the palace itself but it’s annoying because if you don’t have the right type of persona then you’re screwed because they just flee or blow themselves up, it’s just left to chance sometimes. I think it would be cool to have a race against him with the timer rather than a battle. It made me so stressed, not because of the timer but because of the stupid robots, it was easily the battle I spent the most tries on, I even had to go back and grind and fuse a new persona to finally beat him. (I was almost level 40 so you might have an easier time if you did more persona work than I did) but you don’t get any All Out Attacks either apparently. Also the story (though a bit nit picky) is easy to complain about but it’s not as bad as they say imo especially since the characters explain themselves afterwards.

Casino Master. This was probably the only spoiler I got for this game but I feel I would’ve figured it out anyway and it didn’t even turn out to be that big of a spoiler. Also the addition of the “Crow” should’ve been the “Raven” as an Edgar Allen Poe reference, it would’ve fit the character better in my opinion. I don’t like that they use the same card mechanic from the last palace, it makes more sense with this one but still. There’s an enemy in this palace that was bugged for my play through and it was only that specific enemy whenever I encountered them, it would say something like “it’s groaning” (which it sometimes does with enemies such as Regent) but for this one it just kept doing it and would get stuck, I just had to button mash a bit and then they would attack normally but just a small stain I’ll point out, easily patchable I’m sure. As for the story, I’m not quite sure what makes the palace in the first place, what is the distortion exactly? Other than that, another in the top 3.

The boss is actually kind of cool, in a way it’s the opposite of Okumura but an actual boss instead of enemies. It’s probably my favorite because of the design and style. I’m not done yet but honestly when I got about 1/3 of the way through this game, I thought it was a 5/5 but I re-evaluated and the one thing that I want is a bit of gameplay variety even if it’s just the bosses. I’ve talked about this before but it makes everything feel samey and while I know more or less all turn based RPGs are guilty of the same thing (so I can’t really hold that against this game) this one just seems so different. It doesn’t wear itself out, for turn based, it’s not so bad but it just leaves you desiring one extra step, an extra something everytime to say “This is the fourth-fifth-sixth boss!” rather than just chip damage with no weaknesses, some kind of reward for playing the way you do perhaps.

Armstrong from MGS Rising (yeah I didn’t have a codename for this one). I really like the setup, probably the best palace to be honest, in a way it’s sort of a compilation. I could see where people could complain about it even if I haven’t seen anything. This palace also has the best music, it’s very fitting and stylistic. There’s a little bit of a barrage of mini bosses throughout, I kind of like it but the last one before the big boss is tough because it’s 3 different sections, one after the other but it’s kind of a tease/warning to say “Are you really ready for the real boss? If you had trouble with this, then you’ll have trouble with him.” 

Let's talk about the final final boss (for what’s known as the ‘true’ ending route) because I apparently did the ‘true’ ending after looking into it, it doesn't matter who you picked for a romantic route, it matters what choices you made at certain points in the game, the ‘true’ ending is just the longest, there are different points in the game where it could end and be the other good/bad endings so yeah. Let me talk about it without spoiling anything, Notice I said ‘true’ with quotes. I'm going to summarize this reddit post I saw, justifying it, out of context. The boss is idolized, he's made by the people, he didn't make the people and because he's pretending, we were sent to destroy him. (In the grand scheme of things (story-wise)) because it bothers me that they make him out to be almighty. It is a persona and personas are figments of imagination, they're amalgamations of how the characters perceive their desire/distortion, not the real thing therefore it shouldn't be blasphemous right? That thin line is what's making me knock this game a little more because its material is so concerning. Also you’re stopping people from doing bad things, that’s ‘just’, correct? You’re defeating the seven sins, that’s ‘just’ (at least that’s what the will seeds are called). I guess they wanted to try and make it a true question “Are the Phantom Thieves ‘Just’?” They ask it over and over and in reality, I ask myself the same thing.

You can buy as seen on tv stuff, the big thing I’ll say helped me was the cleaning spray so snatch that up when it becomes available, I think it’s also available in Kichijoji but it lowers your enemy’s defense and I didn’t have that move for any of my characters. Make sure you have everything done that you want done by the time you reach the final date after sending the calling card and beat the boss such as confidants, a proper persona, side quests and a good amount of stat boosters and stuff. I can't say too many specifics on what to bring because you're going to play different than I did so just fill in the blanks, have cans of whatever you don't have as a move because it's going to be a stretch of fights and there really isn't room to turn back.

[spyder-m]

Shumako Week, Day Five: Off the Rails

@shumakoweek​ Day Five: Nerves

AO3

Summary: It's their first date at Dome Town. Makoto can't help but feel a little bit out of her depth. 

A/N: Was at a Black Queen concert on Friday night and have fallen a bit behind. Had an awesome time, though, so it was worth it. I'm not entirely happy with how this come out, but I guess I can always come back to it later. Should hopefully have my submission for Day 6 up in the next few hours also. 

.

Makoto wrung the Dome Town pamphlet between her hands, the pages already worn and crinkled. She concentrated on the sound of the paper crumbling and unfurling, hoping it would drown out the flashing, dissonant cries of speeding roller-coasters and their passengers.

Normally, she would have taken the time to diligently study such a text, wanting to carefully plan out the best use of their time for the day. After Eiko had claimed she would flunk a test on love, she wanted to ensure she was prepared for her first date.

Unfortunately, today, her mind was elsewhere.

This was ridiculous.

Makoto didn't get nervous.

While most her age were rattled simply taking exams, Makoto routinely studied and took pop quizzes always making sure she was fully prepared. Public speaking was dreaded by the majority, often a fear thought of as worse than death. Yet, as Shujin's Council President, she made announcements and MC'd events in front of her entire student body. The practice was routine to her.

Alongside her friends, she had fought down vicious manifestations of humanities darkest desires. Any fear she’d initially felt at the hands of Kaneshiro and her first foray into the Metaverse, melted away into anger as he threatened her sister, and she awoke Johanna.  

So, how could something as simple as spending time being alone with another person, a prospect most wouldn’t blink an eye at, possibly make her feel so nervous?

Even if this was unfamiliar territory to her, there was simply no reason for it.

She hadn't been bothered when they'd gone to the movies together, or during their trip to the arcade. They had even spent the past few weeks posing as boyfriend and girlfriend, so Makoto already had several "dates" under her belt. This should have been a cinch.

She supposed it was the night Ren confessed to her in Crossroads that everything changed.

"Hey!"

Makoto jumped at the approaching voice, as Ren jogged up from behind her, his hand raised.

Somehow, he looked particularly, effortlessly handsome today. His button-up shirt hung on his lean frame, hair in its usual tousled state. Though she knew he didn't actually require corrective lenses, Makoto was glad that Ren wore glasses. They really brought out his eyes.

"O-oh, Ren." She greeted. "It's good to see you."

"You too. Shall we go?"

"Y- yes. Let's."

Throngs of people ambled through the amusement park queuing for rides, stopping at stands to buy snacks.

It was difficult for Makoto to disguise her disappointment. For all her fixation on picking the perfect spot for their date, she had managed to overlook an obvious issue. Dome Town would of course be busy on a weekend.

Brushing up against strangers, trying to manoeuvre their way through the crowd. Folding in on themselves trying to occupy as little space as possible. It wasn’t exactly the most romantic environment.

The open air, at least, offered a slightly less claustrophobic atmosphere.

Still, if Ren had been at all phased, he did well to hide it. Even insisting on holding her hand as he navigated through the crowd; not wanting to get separated. While she appreciated the gesture, Makoto was conscious of the thin sheen of sweat coating her palms.

It was still Summer. Perhaps she could chalk it up to the heat.

Lines trailed across large sections of the park, leaving a significant wait for any of the main attractions. While Ren seemed to be content waiting in silence, Makoto worried that perhaps it might be boring.

She fidgeted, trying to think of interesting topic for conversation. But the usual ice-breakers didn’t hold much weight. They were already friends and spent a lot of time together, be it at school or as part of their group. There wasn't much she could ask about that she didn't already know.

So, they remained in silence, Makoto stealing a glance in his direction every so often. Her lips would part, a word half-forming occasionally, but nothing of note ever surfaced.

She hoped that maybe she could blame the uncomfortable churning in her stomach on the ride they were about to get on.  

.

For Makoto, the rush of blood brought on by the rollercoaster shocked wasn't as exhilarating as riding Johanna, or as enjoyable. There was too much out of her control and it did little to quell the sinking feeling in her chest.

Perhaps that was what made her so anxious.

Studying was easy if you had the discipline. The necessary tools were usually given to you in advance, you merely had to learn them. Fighting shadows didn't unnerve her. She was confident in her skills and could rely upon her teammates. Granted, some of their stronger foes had been a different story.

But this... This was different.

With the ride over, the couple took a moment collect themselves. Finding an empty bench in the shade, Makoto sat down, happy to have a stable surface to rest against.

Ren slumped beside her, his legs still quivering slightly.

"Hey, you holding up okay?"

"I'm fine. Thank you, Ren."

"It's just... You've been pretty quiet. Which I know might seem rich, coming from me."

She tried to smile at his quip, but it felt awkward. His attempt to lighten the mood only drawing attention to the tension in the air.

She could still sense his eyes boring into her, studying, as if relying on his Third Eye to unveil something hidden.

Yet, if he noticed anything, he didn’t pressure her.

"Hey, I think I'm going to get some pancakes. You want any?"

Makoto nodded. It wasn't normally the kind of treat she'd indulge in, being one to watch her nutritional intake. But Ren had offered, and the time he'd spend queuing for the vendor seemed like an opportune time for Makoto to gather her thoughts.

.

Ren strolled alongside her at a leisurely place, hands in his pockets. It was later in the day, and the atmosphere of the park was beginning to settle. Many of the families had grown tired and returned home.

The sun had passed over them, a blip on the horizon, a cool breeze rolling through.

The ambiance was honestly quite relaxing.

It seemed like an opportune moment for Makoto. The kind of romantic setting she'd only read about or seen portrayed in cheesy, blockbuster movies.

It could be her chance to drop a hint about forgetting to bring a jacket, to move closer towards Ren and bask in the warmth of his body.

The kind of thing that couples did.

Yet for as often as the thought arose, she would brush it off. With how closely they had moved against one another amidst the earlier crowd, to bridge the gap between them now should have been simple. Yet each time she would linger a moment too long.

Pace slowing, Makoto’s eyes carried over Ren, taking in his relaxed posture.

Grasping deep within herself, Makoto harnessed the words she felt could best express every stab of hesitance, frustration and unease she felt.

"How can you be so calm about this?"

Ren stopped at the sound of her voice reverberating from behind him. Confused, he glanced over his shoulder, conscious that she had stopped at some point.

"About what?"

"Well," Makoto gestured between the two of them, unsure of how to articulate herself. "This."

"Well... I- I like being with you."

The words trickled from his throat so easily, a part of Makoto suspecting that Ren knew how on edge she felt and was deliberately trying to rattle her. The shock struck her more abruptly than any dip on the rollercoaster's track, enough to distract her from the flutter of delight those words evoked in her.

"Now you're just teasing me." She muttered.

"No, really!" Ren protested, perhaps too loudly, reminded of the time he'd upset her with a light-hearted but perhaps poorly timed robot impression. He cringed as some passersby glanced in their direction before lowering his voice.

"Think about how little time we get to spend together without having to worry about infiltration strategies, or Mementos Requests... That's not even taking into account your Student Council duties, or prepping for entrance exams."

His voice was earnest as he continued, soft and intimate.

"You deserve a little time to relax, Makoto. If being here makes you uncomfortable, we can go somewhere else. I don't mind. I'll do whatever makes you happy, Makoto.

It was a sentiment that she shared, wanting nothing more than to make Ren happy. She wanted everything to work out and for this day to be memorable. Yet, somehow where the idea brought her tension, Ren found contentment.  

If she were to worry too much, the moment would pass before she had the chance to savour it. They couldn't become memories if she didn't get to experience them the first time around.

"Well, when you put it like that."

"Trust me, this is easy. Just have fun."

His arm slipped around her, the proximity and warmth of his body a comfort. Smiling, Makoto moved closer into this embrace, suddenly finding the space less daunting.

"Hey, how about we go on the Ferris Wheel? I feel like I've had enough rollercoasters for today."

"You read my mind."

With the sun setting, it would make for perfect ending to their date. A memory they could both cherish.

It was true, there were a lot of things out of her control.

But sometimes the stars would align perfectly.

[books-and-dragons]

Hey, you want some angst? Yeah, you do, here's some angst: All of the cruel rumours and snide comments around school do take a toll on Ren, even thought he acts as though they don't. Usually he waits until he gets home and is by himself before he cries, but sometimes he can't take anymore and locks himself in the boys' bathroom at school to cry. One time, Ryuji hears him and spends the rest of their lunchtime comforting Ren. Ryuji starts inviting Ren out a lot more after that.

rui out here asking if i want angst lIKE I’D EVER SAY NO

the breaking point comes around the same time as kaneshiro’s palace, the rumours are escalating in accordance to the drugs and yakuza hanging around in shibuya, he’s being blackmailed by some yazuka boss, his amount of confidants at increasing at a rate he can’t control- it’s too much

all it takes is one day, when he’s not had that much sleep, he’s skipped a few meals, and now everyone’s regarding him with such caution when he so much as goes to get lunch-

the panic hits him as fast as his feet on the school floor, hiding in the first bathroom he can get to, not even aware if there was anyone else in there or not hardly caring

as luck would have it, the bathroom was empty

a broken sob rips itself out from his chest as he falls to his knees, the sharp pain of hitting the tile almost comforting to him as he then leaned back against the wall, and curled into a ball

that’s how ryuji finds him 10 minutes later, panting after checking every classroom and bathroom on his way to this one. no sooner has his shoulder sagged in the relief that he’s found akira, that panic and concern hit him again- because akira’s crying

it jarrs him, seeing the usually controlled and composed akira in such a sorrowed state, he can’t pull akira into a tight hug any faster than he did. who cares about the dirty tiles or the bruises he’s gonna have later, when his bestfriend is so broken

ryuji helps akira calm his breathing, and encourages him to talk about it. slowly, akira chokes out about the rumours, the looks he’s given- he cuts himself off with another barrage of sobs. ryuji tightens his grip

honestly, he wanted nothing more than to go put an end to the rumours himself- but ryuji knew that wouldnt work, for a multitude of reasons. the school hated him just as much as it did akira- maybe akira even less so, considering at least akira got really good grades. 

point was, nobody was going to listen to him. to either of them.

ryuji ran one hand through akira’s hair slowly, hushing reassurances as he did. the cries were lightening, that was a relief

ryuji couldn’t be able to put an end to the rumours, the bullying, but he could be there for akira at every given moment, by his side when it all got to be too much

[troubledbiker]

Return of Mementos

@kxllingjoke

One year later and he was back in Tokyo to finish the rest of his high school years. He made way more friends here than back home at Inaba, so it made sense that he should at least come back for his education’s sake. But during another one of his many English lectures came the constant buzzing of his cell phone, messages were being sent one after another, quickly and whilst being sneaky he took the phone out of his pockets and saw that Ryuji posted about Mementos’ return towards the real world. But really why ditch school in the first place? Especially now that they’re a grade higher where lessons have gotten far more serious? Either way that was beside the point, the point is that Mementos has returned. “Anything you know about this?” He whispered towards his feeling companion. “I don’t know..I’m not a radar for this stuff.” He said with a slightly saddened tone, being just as confused as the rest of them. Well at this point there was nothing left to do but to explore the phenomenon.

[TEXT: Group – Akira] Strange. 9:27AM

[TEXT: Group – Akira] Morgana says he knows nothin’ about it. 9:27AM

[TEXT: Group – Akira] Guys let’s meet up at the usual spot, Ryuji, come back to Leblanc once we’re out of Mementos. 9:28AM

With that Akira closes the phone and continued on with his school life until classes were finally over, the group all met at Leblanc and activated the app within his room in the attic and entered Mementos once the world had shifted. It was surreal to be in their costumes once more for a little over a year ago, to Akira however, it was a normal thing considering his lie of crime fighting took towards the real world, granted now they reclaimed their powers of persona. Slightly pulling at the sleeve of his coat his eyes spotted his handy wrist contraption that’s responsible for shooting out his grappling hook. “Guess this really means we’re back. But honestly, how could this even happen, I thought we got rid of this place.”

“Well the place is created of the world’s distorted desires, I guess it would be arrogant of us to believe we made the entirety of Japan a better place.” Mona stated as Joker’s hands reach into his pockets. “Well, we’re just exploring, for now, we don’t know what the shadows would be like this time around so if we see one we do our usual thing and gang up on it. But once we do, we make sure the exit accessible and insight, just in case it’s too much for us to handle.” He turned towards his bleached hair companion. Even though he ditched an entire day of school he did great work in finding the place. “You did good Skull..though you know you’re in Queen’s hands now right?”

Something was not right no matter what it was this place was not like it used to be. He rushed back to Leblanc as he sat at the table and one by one everyone came back. “What does this mean?” He asked out loud, he headed back upstairs as he felt his mind race. “We have no track of anyone having desires, the only thing I can see is another test.” He said as he rubbed his chin. As he looked at the phones and noticed the news, he wasn’t going to bring it up but it was there just in case. Then it was into Mementos they entered as he felt the rush, “You thieves just don’t know when to give up.” The voices all familiar voices. “Did I just hear, Kamoshida, Madarame, Kaneshiro, Futaba’s mom, Okumura, Niijima, Shido and the holy grail.” He turned to Futaba who was picking up readings. “Joker, I’m picking up multiple powerful enemies and this isn’t the mementos we are used to.” Skull turned to Futaba and noticed what she said. “What the hell?”

Before they even made it in there was something he needs to share. “Uh, Joker before we go.” The group gather around him. “I sort of wanted to see updates on our past well, battles and I guess those who we changed hearts of began acting weird.” He looked down as he pointed up ahead, “I have a feeling something brought back the desires they once had and they’re up ahead I think.” He looked at everyone, he looked at futaba noticing she hasn’t changed. “I think since Futaba has changed, she’s an exception.” He looked up ahead as Mementos shifted. Though hearing cries for help "Whoa, what the?" He ran up ahead as he was pulled back. “Skull, don’t be an idiot, however this feels like a test.” he looked at Ann. This was nuts how was this possible, he wanted answers. Voices of others he didn't recognized. “Damn it, how did this happen?” Before he knew it he seen a bear heading towards him. "MY SHADOW'S RETURNED!" He didn't know what had happened, then it just hits him landing skull on his ass. "What the hell is going on?"

[askteamheadphones]

Well! I guess someone has some explaining to do— on both sides i guess!

It was a little odd to be sitting in Kurusu-kun’s room, with several eyes staring directly at him. What was more jarring was Morgana, who looked like a completely normal cat, was now staring at him and asking him questions with his tiny little voice. He’s heard it before, but having it directed at him was so weird. Yosuke fidgets in his seat and turns his head to look at Minato. As usual, his roommate looks unaffected by the turn of events.

It would seem that their peculiar lives would continue to get even more peculiar. Yosuke wonders if they’re ever going to get a taste of normalcy again. He wonders if he would prefer normalcy over all the supernatural shit that’s been happening to them, but the hum of his inner voice, the voice of his persona, reminds him that despite everything he’d never want to go back to a normal life.

“How did you get into the Metaverse?” Morgana asks, paws delicately posed in front of himself. His tail moves behind him slowly, almost hypnotizing. His eyes, now that Yosuke managed to get a good look, are an uncanny shade of blue. It reminds him of Teddie.

“We were looking for you,” Minato pipes up, for once talking instead of letting Yosuke do the talking for him. “And then we found ourselves there… In that Metaverse-thingee you’re talking about. That’s what you call the other world?”

Makoto nods her head, and pulls the seat across from them so she can sit down. She rests her elbows on the table and leans forward, looking much like she’s used to interrogations. “That’s correct. So from what I understand, this really was a coincidence then?”

“That’s right,” Minato talks again, taking the lead. It’s really surprising to see the shift in his demeanor. He’s sitting up straight now and his voice is still soft but clear, and he has an air to him that leaves no room for disagreeing. “But I’m thinking you’re having a hard time believing that.”

The rest of the teenagers look uncomfortable to be there. Ann, Ryuji, and Yusuke have taken up the space on Akira’s bed. Akira is situated beside Makoto, though his expression is hard to read.

“Yes,” Makoto continues, with an almost flawless poker face. “We’ve been told that there is another person to be wary of, one who bears a black mask, such as yourself Arisato-san. So you have to understand that we can’t really trust you so instantly.”

“That’s fair,” Minato replies with a shrug. It really is, they can’t prove their innocence.

“But we want to help you,” Yosuke says, a little too loudly, a little too enthusiastically, and he winces a little bit at his own volume before toning it down. “I don’t understand what’s going on, but you’re dealing with Shadows, right? We can help you. We’ve dealt with them before.”

Akira, Morgana, and Makoto share looks.

“You’ve dealt with them before?” Akira asks, and somehow he feels more threatening than he looks. Yosuke wonders if he’s said something wrong. “Where?”

Yosuke scratches the back of his neck, and shifts his gaze to Minato again. How much should he share? Should he tell them everything? And even if he did tell them everything, it didn’t prove that he or Minato are trustworthy. He takes a deep breath and sighs, before shaking his head. “Have you heard of the Inaba Murders?”

Akira’s expression changes slightly. “Yes.”

“I was involved with that— My friends and I were,” Yosuke continues. “The reason it took so long for the cops to solve the case was because another world was being used to murder, a world where Shadows were roaming free,” he explains. He continues to explain the rest of the story, leaving out the embarrassing secrets of his friends, and the emotional turmoil they all had to go through. He explains it like he was explaining a history lesson, and it was over faster than he expected it to be.

“So you two have been fighting for that long then,” Ann speaks up. She looks awed, almost like she’s amazed.

“He’s been fighting longer than I have,” Yosuke says with a small smile, nudging his elbow into Minato’s side. His smile softens a little, then he places a hand on Minato’s shoulder. “Do you want to tell them about…?” he hesitates. He knows Minato doesn’t really like talking about what happened to him and his group, he knows that Minato gets cagey and uncomfortable. It’s not his story to tell, not unless Minato gives him to go signal to.

Minato folds his arms across his chest, a gesture Yosuke knows is emotionally defensive. “I’ll talk,” Minato says to him in a whisper.

“He was involved with the Inaba Murders,” Minato starts. “But I was involved with the Apathy Syndrome cases.” Minato’s story is a lot more shorter than Yosuke’s, but that’s only because Minato didn’t want to share more than what was necessary. He completely leaves out the fact that, for a while, everyone thought that he was never going to wake up again.

Makoto’s poker face was gone now, replaced with curiosity and realizations. Like she was putting the pieces together. “I’ve read up on those cases,” Makoto answered them back. “Both the Apathy Syndrome cases and the Inaba Murders,” she clarifies. “I, uhm, read about them on the police database,” she prayed her sister would never find out, “and the documented files were so vague, almost as if whoever wrote them was confused. Like they didn’t really know what was going on.”

Yosuke nodded, and relaxed a little bit. “Well, how can you explain another world to people who wont believe it?”

“That’s why you can talk to us about it,” Minato tells them. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his wallet, flipping through it as he looks for something. Hidden under several other cards, he pulls out an I.D., and slides it across the table towards Makoto and Akira. “What the regular police can’t handle, things like the supernatural, our organization steps in.”

“Oh yeah!” Yosuke exclaims, slapping his hand against his forehead. “Duh!” He pulls out his I.D. too, slides it across the table and grins. “We’re Shadow Operatives and it’s our job to deal with stuff like this!”

“Reserved members,” Minato mutters. Yosuke steps on his foot under the table. “What? We are.”

Yosuke grumbles but relents. Right, honestly is the best policy and all that. “Yeah, yeah. Fine. We are reserved members, but only until we graduate.” He scratches his head and slumps in his seat. “All we’re allowed to do is look out for people who have the potential, and hey. I guess you guys fit the description?”

Minato clears his throat, reaches over to take back his I.D. “Yeah, we found you but ultimately it’s still up to you if you want to join us or not. It’s still up to you to trust us too, we’re not going to force you. But I’m sorry, now that we know, we’re still going to keep tabs on you just to make sure that you’re not plotting against the world or something.”

Yosuke takes his I.D. back as well. “Since we’ve told you our stories, can we listen to yours?”

The Phantom Thieves look at each other. They seem to be in agreement, though mostly shocked. All this time, they were around people who could fight like they could, all this time there were more people out there like them, with the gift of persona. It almost felt like they were all connected somehow, and it was hard to doubt no matter how strongly logic begged them to.

So they tell their story, how it started with Kamoshida, then Madarame, then currently Kaneshiro. They talk about their speculations, and explain that the Phantom Thieves have nothing to do with the current Psychotic Breakdowns that have been happening lately.

“Like Apathy Syndrome…” Minato mutters.

“Yes! I was thinking the same thing,” Makoto agrees. Whatever doubt she had for them was waning, now she saw them as an opportunity to learn more about these cases, to try and figure out whatever she could to see the whole picture. “Arisato-san, could we perhaps exchange emails? There’s much I want to talk about but,” with a glance to her watch she grins sheepishly. “It’s getting pretty late.”

The two exchange emails quickly, but Minato gives her a small smile. “I can try and get the documents for you, though only the hard copies. It’s safer that way,” he explains. “But I can’t promise you that.”

Akira seems more than happy to know that Minato wasn’t a bad guy or anything.

“If you betray us,” Morgana warns, though it doesn’t seem as threatening coming from a cute cat. “There will be hell to pay!”

Yosuke laughs lightly and nods, courageously reaches out to scratch the back of Morgana’s ears. “We’ll help you however we can.”

As everyone parts ways for the night, the two Shadow Operatives linger in front of Le Blanc’s entrance. Minato looks up to the moon as he always does and sighs. Yosuke follows his gaze and frowns. “I don’t think we should tell the others about this just yet.”

“They… I think they trust us, only because they already like us,” Minato admits. It’s pretty naive on their part, he’s just glad that he and Yosuke were actually not bad people.  “They didn’t tell us not to tell anyone but, I don’t want to betray their trust.”

Yosuke laughs though there’s not much humor to it. “Ahhh, if something goes wrong Kirijo-san’s going to kill us for not saying anything earlier.”

Minato shrugs. “We were young once too,” Minato grins. “Kids and their secrets, right?” he knows that if he were to tell Mitsuru, the young Phantom Thieves wouldn’t be able to completely trust him as a friend. He didn’t want that, and Mitsuru tended to take things to the extreme.

“Hey, stop making us sound so old,” Yosuke laughs genuinely this time, and punches Minato’s arm.

“I guess,” Minato grins. “But we have to be good senpais. No secrets between us.”

Yosuke raises his fist. Minato looks at it, then bumps his own against it. “No secrets.”

Extra:

“How are you getting home, Kitagawa?”

Yusuke looks for the source of the voice, finding their new allies approaching him. “Ah, it would seem that the last train has left,” he admits with a small frown. He was extremely glad that the two older persona users were friends. He’d already grown fond of them.

“Yeah? Where ya’ heading?” Yosuke asks, his hands shoved into his pockets to keep them warm.

“Ah, the Kosei dorms…” Yusuke mutters. “I was planning to walk there—”

“That’s too far to walk!” Yosuke yelps, he looks aghast at the idea. “We can call you a cab if you—”

“I don’t have the funds…” Yusuke sighs with a small frown.

“Oh, no problem. It’s on me,” Yosuke says, already leading the three of them towards the road. But before he can raise his arm to call a cab, Minato puts his hand on Yosuke’s elbow to stop him. “Whatsa matter, Minato?”

Minato turns to Yusuke. Yusuke has to stop himself from leaning down to hear his soft voice. “Does your dorm have a curfew?”

“Ah…” that completely slipped Yusuke’s mind. The last time he missed curfew he had to wait until someone came out, and that took several hours. “Yes, there is, and it would seem that it is passed that time.”

“Bummer,” Yosuke looks sympathetic. He’d never had a curfew, his parents were slave drivers sure but they gave him plenty freedom to roam around at night both in the city and in Inaba. “You could sleep over at our place,” he suggests without skipping a beat.

“I wouldn’t want to impose,” Yusuke tries to interject. He feels mildly embarrassed.

“Akira said to be ready for tomorrow, right?” Minato says, and looks fairly serious. “So you should be well rested.”

Yosuke’s already got Yusuke by his elbow, dragging him along the street towards their apartment. “Yeah, that’s right! And we may have been fighting for a while now, but that other world is still new to us so you’re going to have to be prepared in case either of us screw up.”

“I wont screw up,” Minato points out. He’s on Yusuke’s other side, almost as if he were making sure the young artist could not escape their hospitality. “It’s mostly Yosuke, he’s very clumsy.”

“You know, you’re a lot more talkative when it’s to talk shit about me,” Yosuke pouts.

As the roommates bicker, Yusuke finds himself finding comfort. He was severely thankful that they were friends.

[m1ckeyb3rry]

loool Kaneshiro's like okay imma give Anri and that's it. But also surround the boys with wonderful females and leave the rest in the hands of fanfic writers to explore it. I just have a strong feeling that yes, maybe, maybe maybe Karasu could be in a relationship with Marisa after Blue Lock or something like that. It's a yes and no. The probability game in this anime/manga is just too real it's unlocking other multiverses lol

Also, I still could not get over your My Best Friend's Brother fic to this day. I found myself listening to that song that I sent you more. SO YES, you are in my head, Mira 😂

Honestly, i would go on a date with Otoya just to "check him out". I can soooo imagine Karasu wanting to move out and leave him by himself because of his bullshit 😂

NGL I think it's a standard now to sneak in a cameo of another character because they're duos or trios XD

AND YES SERIOUSLY, I clearly said it as day that I won't fall for anyone in Blue Lock. My brother kept asking me daily when I started the anime, "so what do you think of so and so (as in Isagi, Bachira and Chigiri)" couldn't give him a straight answer until I concluded, there are many likeable and fine men in Blue Lock. He told warned me about Kaiser and Yukimiya, but he did not see my ass falling hard for Karasu. Now I think my caller ID name on his phone is Karasu Lover (as it should HAHAHAHAH)

HAHA no fr and tbh he barely explores anri?? plus like she’s literally ego’s boss why is she being treated like that 😐 as well as the way the jfu men talk abt her in the manga…look i get that there’s “in universe” reasons for it BUT the author is the one who makes the universe yk?? she’s only 22 (so only three years older than aiku and kaiser) it would’ve been just as easy for the jfu people to view her as an inexperienced kid and not take her seriously for that instead of constantly commenting/focusing on her chest 😰 UGH sorry i could rant abt it for so long the way anri is treated in the manga annoys me so much that i’m actually glad there aren’t rlly any other female characters no matter how pretty the art style is because i do NOT trust how well they would be written 😔💔

tbh i think karasu is the only one set up to have a female love interest post bllk if the author decides to go that route but honestly i wouldn’t be surprised if he decides to take a 0 romance approach 🤔 that’s kind of the vibe i’ve been getting from the manga so far!! like everything is just left up to reader interpretation instead of explicitly made canon

LMAOOOO best friend’s brother karasu version is so dear to me i can’t believe it ended up so long but i had sm fun writing it!! glad to be in your head hehehe it’s my goal in life to mess with my readers 😏

no fr i think i would go on one date with otoya just for shits and giggles LMAOO honestly as long as you don’t take him too seriously he would be sm fun to just hang out with and be casual abt!! and he’s gone on so many dates he definitely knows how to plan a really good one 🤩 SOMEONE SAVE KARASU FR that poor boy 😔 otoya should’ve been roommates with aiku or smth…let karasu stay with yukimiya that’s the only way my man is staying sane

LMAOO no because you never expect karasu!! he comes out of nowhere and you’re just stuck with him no matter what 😵‍💫 truly an assassin in that sense FJDKDJSK i even started blue lock because of a rin edit i saw on tik tok (i was v against sports animanga beforehand because i thought they would be boring) and i just don’t really care abt him anymore 😩 part of it is also my mindset it’s like impossible for me to like popular characters fsr…i NEED them to be random side characters (nagi is pushing it) or i’m just incapable of writing them!!

[lovehotelreservation]

The Get Laid Cafe [2/3]

Summary: With no more fake Olympic gold medals or fancy yakuza briefcases to sell, the disbandment of the Phantom Thieves has been tough on your wallet–and your heart. Thankfully, a gig at one of Tokyo’s most popular maid cafe has helped to fill the void in both.

That is, until four of your former fellow Phantom Thieves return home to attempt to convince you to consider a different occupation, if not just different clients.

Namely them.

Rating: PG-13* (Rating will go up to NC-17)

Series Pairing: Akechi/Akira/Reader/Ryuji/Yusuke

Chapter Pairing: Akira/Reader/Akechi

[Part 1]

BACK AT IT AGAIN AT THIEVING CREMES!!!

; v ; Thank you all so much for your support and patience with this fic! I am really proud of what I was able to accomplish with this piece, and it elates me to no end to be able to share with you all!

As always, I truly hope you enjoy this lewd little tale~!

----------------

A few days after your ruined reunion with Yusuke and Ryuji, you were readying yourself for your inevitable confrontation with Akechi and Akira.

Whether you were commuting to and from work, grabbing dinner with the girls--while trying to avoid bringing up your current predicament in fears of causing a rift between them and the guys--or even while you were working your shift, you were nearly constantly planning and preparing.

Would Akechi come in the early evening, charming your fellow maids with his disarmingly sweet smile and innocently asking if pancakes were served?

How likely was it that Akira would show up at night for your cafe's perfect imitations of Sutabaa's coffee drink menu?

While Ryuji and Yusuke didn't bring up your maid job anymore whenever they texted or called to ask what you were up to, you were positive that they had spoken to the former leader of the Phantom Thieves by now about what went down during your reunion. Likewise, you had no doubts that Akechi would've done some investigating on his own. Perhaps calling up Sae and steering the light-hearted discussion about his time in London to any interesting stories that Makoto may have been involved in--especially about her friends.

So focused on this ordeal, always hyper-vigilant of your surroundings, you swear you could practically see through walls.

So focused on the risk of either of the two showing up during your shift that you honestly forgot to consider they may show up afterwards.

As per your scheduled duties, you were responsible for closing up shop this evening. Twisting the keys in their respective locks, you were thinking about when Akechi and Akira were supposed to arrive back in Tokyo. From what Futaba had told you, the latter was due back in a couple days, whereas the former had texted your and your friends’ group chat yesterday morning to say that he couldn't wait to see you all soon.

You were left to wonder what time exactly he would be back, as that detail wasn't mentioned--honestly, however, you felt that was intentional, given the circumstances involving you.

And then the devil spoke,

"Mm, how fortunate this wonderful coincidence. It seems luck was on my side for me to have caught up to you."

The keys in your hand almost fell to the floor as you whirled around in utter shock. You were met with a charming and gentle grin, expensive casual wear of the latest trend, and the shine of a metallic suitcase.

"A-Akechi...!"

In that moment, you knew you were screwed.

You could see his eyes twinkle with satisfaction at your astonished reaction, all the while he chuckled with relaxed amusement. "It's good to see you too, though..."

His eyes trailed to the side, followed by his head turning the other way as he mused, "…it appears that we're not alone. And here I thought I had the upper hand."

While his voice remained lighthearted, you could tell there was an displeased tinge to the words he spoke.

There was only one person who could twist Akechi's charming demeanor and incite his more aggressive and competitive nature--the same one who had you gasping out in utter surprise and horror as you turned around.

"A-Akira!"

Forget screwed. You were fucked.

Having seemingly emerged from the shadows, he held a calm yet knowing smile, dressed in a well-worn but fashionable outfit assembled from sifting through Parisian thrift shops, and the glint that appeared not from a pair of fashion glasses, but rather the onyx irises that they framed.

One lithe arm raised in greeting, accompanied by a hum of your name, "It's been a while. Good seeing you." The same arm dropped slightly, instead drawn out to the side, as mirrored by its counterpart, a silent yet obvious request for a hug.

You didn't think twice.

The last time he held you was when you were sending him off at Narita International Airport, his embrace comforting as it was reluctant to let you go while you sniffled how much you would miss him. His palm rubbing up and down your back in a soothing manner was a sensation that still left you shivering.

This was the physical embrace that persisted in your fantasies of being held by him--or perhaps Akechi, Yusuke, or Ryuji after all four finished having their way with you. Though the outfits and context changed with each imagined scenario, the aftercare was almost always the same, save for when you pictured them in a more rough and ruthless mood.

You resisted from shuddering as you were engulfed by his arms, immediately feeling the body heat that you wished wasn’t obstructed by layers of clothing. The security in his embrace made you want to never be freed, wondering how nice it would be--or even better--if he held you like this as your lover instead of a friend.

"Aww, am I to be left out of your friendly affection?"

Akechi's voice was your liberator.

Snapping out of your reverie, you barely caught how Akira's already tight hold on you subtly constricted further. Still, worried about hurting the feelings of the other--even if his tone was teasing and his smile remained--you broke away from the embrace while you opened your arms to accept Akechi instead.

"O-Of course not, Akechi. Come here!"

From one cage to another.

Akechi was beaming while he eagerly scooped you against his chest for a welcoming embrace, but with your vision obscured, you did not notice how he and Akira exchanged narrowed glances. Yet another instance of their rivalry taking form even amidst the tight-knit friendship amongst the former Phantom Thieves.

In this instance, however, Akechi only saw Akira as mere backdrop, especially now that you were literally within his grasp.

"It feels so good to embrace you like this again," he sighed happily, drawing you further towards him while his chin rested on your shoulder. "Honestly, my arms were tingling after we parted in the airport. It was then that I knew I'd be homesick because of you."

Despite how you didn't want to pull away from Akechi much like you did for Akira, you drew back slightly at his words, your jaw becoming slack. "'Homesick,’ Akechi? ...Really?"

You both heard and felt the mild timbre of yet another pleasant hum, which only contrasted to the tightened grip around you while his eyes became half-lidded. Seemingly pleased at your struck expression, he then purred innocently, "Though things seemed to have changed with you since then, hm?" His head tilted to the side, the charming smile on his features remaining even as his more conniving calculating side revealed itself. "I wonder, will Akira and I be charged for hugging you since we're within vicinity of the cafe?"

Shit.

Akira chuckled from behind, seemingly closer than before. "And without any discounts at that too, right?"

The feeling of despair weighing you down could've made you plummet straight to the Earth's core at this point. As expected, Ryuji and Yusuke must have told Akira everything about your encounter. Not to mention, by the sharp and knowing look on Akechi's face, you already knew that he had done some investigating on your job.

You braced yourself for what was to come.

Putting on a teasing front to hide the anxiousness that was quickly running rampant through your entire being, you let out a small laugh while you slipped out of his embrace. There was no point in dawdling or feigning ignorance around these two, especially when they had you surrounded. "Sounds like you've been snooping around. As on point as ever, huh, Akechi?"

His expression became prideful while he cupped his chin, one eye shutting in a wink. "Even while preparing to return to Japan and assisting my professors--among the best lawyers in the United Kingdom, mind you--I certainly couldn't turn a blind eye to a cherished friend potentially being in danger."

"'Danger'?" You repeated innocently as you refrained from wincing. So that was the angle he would be going for, even if you were elated to hear him express concern over you.

"Lest you forget the issue with Kaneshiro and Makoto's friend. As amusing as they are, host clubs and maid cafes often involve trouble, especially with their employees. I do not want you to be harmed or get caught up in such a scenario, hence why I do believe this calls for a formal interrogation into possible prostitution at your workplace," Akechi went on, his tone sophisticated and concerned, even if his wording was purposefully phrased to get a rise out of you. "Your assistance would be of great value."

Having reconstructed his reputation as Detective Prince after Shido's downfall, he still had his influence over and connections with Tokyo's police force. And knowing him, he wouldn't refrain from making good on his bluff.

Despite inwardly seething, you did your best to retain your calm facade before him, even amidst the tense silence between you, him, and Akira, the latter of whom was as silent as ever. He was probably surveying the situation at hand to determine the opportune moment to swoop in to make his move.

However, you were adamant to not give him or Akechi the satisfaction of taking the upper hand, of taking away the distraction you needed to keep your desires in check.

This was mind over matter, and though this was both Akechi and Akira that you were standing up against, you reminded yourself of your success with Ryuji and Yusuke. Thus, with your reaction unfazed and unbothered, you shrugged with a sheepish expression. "Sorry Akechi, but all maid-related inquiries are to be handled at the cafe, whether through our site or through one of our employees. Though..." Your heart was pounding while you brought your hand up to run a hand through your hair, being mindful to make it look as flippant as possible, matched by the smile that tugged on your lips. "...for any after-hours activity, you just need to be willing to pay my fee."

The narrowing of his eyes was enough to make your knees nearly buckle. "So, you're refusing to help me with this serious offense?"

"Innocent until proven guilty," you briskly replied with a sharp tone. "After all, even you said this is mere speculation, a possibility of shadiness going down--not enough to convince a judge to issue a warrant, I’m sure." His teeth clenched in response and you couldn’t prevent your smile from widening in satisfaction as you felt a burst of confidence. "If you want to talk about London, fine. But if you try to ask about my job, it's gonna cost you."

"Is that so?" His tone held a sharp bite to it while his eyebrow cocked at your defiance.

Not backing down, you nodded as you continued, arms folding across your chest, "Are you sure you want to engage in suspicious activity on a hunch? Especially with all the effort you've put into scrubbing up your reputation, with the help of me and everyone else? I'm sure even you wouldn't want that, Detective Prince."

That did it.

Akira's silence was finally broken by an amused snicker, much to Akechi's blatant dismay if by the frowning curl of his lips and the shaking grip on his briefcase handle.

You went there.

You had to.

Now going on a high stride, you knew what to do next. Your lips parted to speak once more, your body slow to turn around. "And what about you, Akira?" You faced him fully, watching as his laughter quieted, his tranquil demeanor returning. "How are you going to try and get me to quit?"

He only offered you a half-hearted shrug. "I think from what I've seen just now, and from what I heard from Yusuke and Ryuji, you're pretty set on sticking to this job."

On one hand, you were relieved that he was laying off of you. However, there was also a pang of disappointment that he didn't seem to be passionate or concerned enough to urge you to leave.

At least, that was what it seemed to be initially.

Akira's expression grew serious, as did his tone while his gaze bore straight and deep into yours. "All I want to know is why--the real reason, not the ones you’ve been using as excuses to us and the girls."

Your composed--even cocky--facade finally broke with genuine confusion. "'Excuses'?"

"I know you," he affirmed, his tone leaving no room for argument. Noting the look on your face, his own broke into a grin in response.

"We know you," Akechi interjected, his tone rather tight at the thought of being excluded.

Your gaze shifted between the two, now feeling the heat of both their intense gazes focusing on you.

It made you wish they were looking at you this way in bed, preferably while you allowed them--and Ryuji and Yusuke--to do as they pleased with you.

However, not to get caught up in that fantasy, which would most certainly lead to your downfall, you faced Akira once again as you huffed, "Like I said to Akechi, if you want to hear anything maid-related, we can discuss things after payment."

"Is that how it's going to be then?" Akira responded, the tone less of a question and more of a challenge.

It was difficult to not shiver, but still remaining headstrong, you declared, "Yes."

The tense silence was at its thickest at this point, with the two staring unblinkingly at you, contemplating your words, your attitude towards them.

At last, the rigid atmosphere was broken once again by Akira's amused chuckle, "Mmm, very well." He took a step forward, his arms swiftly pulling you into a short embrace as he murmured lightly against your ear, "We'll be seeing you later then."

Almost immediately, you felt heat press against your back and a puff of air against your other ear, Akechi mirroring Akira's actions as he hissed out, "Count on it."

Then, as quickly as they returned to your life, the two left separately, both going in opposite directions, leaving you alone in stunned silence.

You couldn't even begin to imagine what might be in store.

The days that followed had you even more on edge than before, wondering when one of the four would show up again to dissuade you from your job, to just do something to you. Despite your tenseness, however, you didn’t bring it up to any of the girls, wanting to be sure that your actions didn't break up any friendships within the former Phantom Thieves.

But you knew Akira and Akechi.

You knew firsthand the extent of their determination and calculation.

And coupling that with their words to you that night, you knew they were plotting something.

[it-will-not-last-the-night]

Ryuji + Ann

The writing for Ryuji and Ann’s relationship with each other in the first portion of the game (let’s say up to Kaneshiro’s Palace) is really, really good and I enjoyed it a lot. I think their relationship after that was written...poorly, but this post is going to be a positive post so I’ll focus today on what I liked.

First I want to give some background; when I first began playing Persona 5 I fell in love with Ryuji and Ann’s relationship and shipped both quite hard. I was really fond of them and felt the chemistry between them was incredible. It was the first time I’d witnessed, that I could remember, one of these traditional ‘slap-slap-kiss’-type relationships in media where I felt that it was executed well. Ann and Ryuji did take jabs at each other but it was always moderated, and the two always showed concious effort to back-off if they feared they’d offended, such as Ann instantly stopping ribbing Ryuji over the money she gave him at the Aquarium when he mentions it being for his mom. Ann instantly stops teasing him and says that after all they’ve been through they can call it equal, even showing gratitude to him.

So it was great! The two also didn’t needlessly physically beat each other up (a trope I hate) and for the first two Palace’s Ryuji’s objectification of Ann is incredibly underplayed, the most blatant example just being looking at her Panther outfit, commenting vaguely on it, but then when Ann asks him what he’s talking about he instantly drops the topic and does no more. Instead, in the first part, Ryuji shows borderline overprotective tendencies towards Ann.

So all this combined so that I really felt the two were a great pair (romantically or platonically, either worked I felt). However, sadly, their charm and relationship degrades sharply as the story goes on, for a number of reasons, and thus my special interest in it faded.

I still like it, but no more than I might like Ryuji/Akira, Ryuji/Makoto, Ryuji/Yusuke or Ryuji/Haru, for example.

So what drew me to their relationship so much in the beginning? Why is it so good? Everything below, note, applies only till the end of Madarame’s Palace.

Genuine Compassion: A common problem I have with the ‘beat each other up but like each other secretly’ trope is that it often feels to me as if there is no actual compassion from one or both of the sides. To be blunt if the only time you can be friendly and compassionate with someone is if they almost die then you’re probably not in a healthy relationship with that person. Ann and Ryuji display several times genuine compassion and gratitude for the other, and clearly hold the other in high esteem.

From Ann’s side she is quick to thank Ryuji for his assistance in the Metaverse, feeling truly indebted to him, and she similarly thanks him for his assurances that if Yusuke tries anything funny she just has to call and they’ll interfere to help her. Ann also is quick to worry about Ryuji when he is separated from the group.

Ryuji, meanwhile, comes across as protective of Ann to a degree which, honestly, wouldn’ t surprise me if he did, or once had, romantic or even familial feelings for Ann. He is the only boy at Shujin who seemingly does not assume Ann is sleeping around with Kamoshida for her own gain, instead insisting that Ann wouldn’t do that. Despite being someone who’s canonically meant to be very unobservant he’s quick to notice Ann in a crowe. He attempts to scare her off from following himself and Akira because, in his own words with a sad voice, he doesn’t want to have to take her somewhere she’ll be in danger and then he’s the only one of the PT’s who specifically contacts and informs Ann that she shouldn’t actually get naked for Yusuke and that if she needs help he’ll come.

Respect for feelings: In the beginning Ann and Ryuji ususally come across as if they pull their punches on purpose because  they don’t actually want to hurt each other. They’re willing to still jab at each other, over the money he owes, over Yusuke’s obsession with the nude modelling, but are always quick to backtrack and offer serious or kind reassurances if they think the other person is truely troubled, as seen in Ann’s words about the borrowing of money, and Ryuji’s quickness to try to assure her she won’t have to get actually naked.

They can have fun: This is an important one because many stories struggle to make a couple interact outside of extreme situations. In a lot of stories romance and romantic confessions only occur in dramatic moments and a couple's interaction outside of those moments makes one not even suspect they're in a romantic relationship (P5 is also an example of this, once you are dating a girl you can practically go on never interacting with her again, making the relationship itself seem ridiculously shallow).

Ann and Ryuji have the capacity to simply talk and have fun together, seen very nicely in the Wilton Buffet when having their little play-argument over food, and are actually, until the end of Madarame’s Palace, very quick to gel with each other over any other PT’s, ganging up at both the Wilton Buffet and when Yusuke comes looking for a home and when organizing a party very quickly.

The two can casually interact and clearly enjoy casually interacting with each other. This is rare among the PT’s because we, sadly, only really see most of the others ever interacting in such a capacity with Akira. If we remove Akira the only comparable relationship I can think is their is some hinting of Makoto and Ann being capable of casual get-togethers and Futaba and Yusuke have the hints of a fun relationship which doesn’t get explored in depth (I think an easy solution the game should have employed is that Akira can do more group social events in which we see the PT’s interacting with each other, not just Akira, and the capacity for cross confidant S-Links).

Conclusion: Ann and Ryuji’s relationship in the first part of the game is actually really nice and fun. It can work both as friends or as two people with feelings for each other, whether those feelings be romantic or familial (Ann and Ryuji can honestly at times come across as if they might as well be a brother and sister). I loved it a lot, and I still think its part of why I enjoy the first part of the game way more than the latter parts.

It actually makes me wish we learned a bit more about their relationship prior to the beginning of the game. For example Ann doesn’t seem to ever even have realized that Ryuji suffered a major injury, or wrongful punishment at the hands of Kamoshida and, if one looks closely, Ann and Shiho’s indifference to Ryuji at the start can raise annoying inconsistencies in their character arcs.

Personally, in my headcannon, I would like to assume that Ann wanted to help Ryuji, and made an attempt at it, but Ryuji, being who he is and also being in the low point of his life, lashed out in some very major and terrible way, hurting Ann deeply enough that she was scared to try to help him again, and Ryuji felt guilty enough that he decided it’d be better for Ann to never interact with him again.

Then, on top of this, add that Ann herself was becoming a more and more hopeless person, watching Shiho unravel, feeling the need to curry favour with Kamoshida for her friend, Ann began to lose any of her own self-belief as well, so she never bothered trying again, and Ryuji tried to ignore her.

Honestly simply the character arc of Ann and Ryuji’s movement from friends, to ignoring each other, to friends again is something I find really interesting, and would love to have seen further developed.

Regardless of his real feelings, Ryuji, for example, clearly is ridiculously protective of Ann (which is why if you cheat on her I wish Ryuji would join in on the beating because that is exactly what his character would do. Hurting Ann? Treating Ann like a sexual commodity? That is probably one of the fastest ways to get Ryuji to beat you up).

[kenbinru]

I Can’t Believe I Have the Girlfriend of My Dreams! (An Unromantic Love Comedy LN) Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

Yuki-san was sitting quietly in front of me, her long black hair draped over her shoulders. I couldn’t stop thinking about how I was going to accomplish my mission, but now I had an additional mission of helping out Daisuke and Kaneko-san. Quite frankly, I was barely making any significant progress on getting closer to Yuki-san, even with Akane’s help. After the Valentine's’ Day incident, I can feel that there was an awkward tension between us since then. We just haven’t had an opportunity to talk more yet. The meek class president was standing idly by for the class to calm down.

“G-Good morning everyone! T-Today we-e need to discuss what we are doing for the school festival…”

The class president was a pretty timid person. Tsubasa Takemi was chosen since she was “always the class president” according to the people that knew her. Although we weren’t really close, I can tell that she was a nice person, and at least tries to organize our class for activities and stuff. Class Prez frequently misplaced her glasses, so it was common to see her sport a variety of backup pairs just in case. Today however, she was wearing her standard clear-framed glasses that made her look somewhat like a librarian. She had a very soft-spoken voice like a mouse, but her diminutive demeanor demonstrated that she was at least capable of swaying the hearts of our class.

People like cute stuff I guess.

I almost forgot that the school festival was coming up! Kasumigaseki High’s school festivals were the talk of the town. It seemed that we had a strange tradition of something going wrong one way or the other. For example, there was an infamous incident of evacuating the building because a class burned rice badly enough to set off the fire alarms, or that one incident a few years ago where a bunch of cats were set loose from a makeshift petting zoo (animals are forbidden now). Last year, however, things went smoothly, except for the big relay race with all of the classes. I was the last to be picked to participate since all the other substitutes had gotten food poisoning the day before. Kaneko-san lead by a large margin when she passed the baton to me, and I almost managed to reach the finish line, until I tripped over my untied shoelaces. She still hasn't forgiven me for that. Along with the big race, all the classes were supposed to come up with some sort of event. If your event wasn’t too big, you could help other classes, as long as you could also complete your own class’s event. Our festival lasted three days, and each event had to be active for at least one. There would be a big fireworks display on the night of the last day, and it was great for couples to watch together.

Maybe I could go with Yuki-san?

“So let’s go around and ask for suggestions, is that ok with everyone…?” asked Class Prez.

Class 2-B (unlike Class 2-A) wasn’t as energetic as most other class. We could already hear the random suggestions being screamed from Class 2-A through the walls. It wasn’t until Renge, the president of the literature club, suggested something.

“I know! How about we run a maid café? That attracts a lot of people and all we have to do is serve coffee and snacks!”

She seemed really enthusiastic about this.

I could see Class Prez was embarrassed at the thought of dressing up as a maid, but all the boys (except me, of course) would love to see the girls dress up as maids.

That means I can see Yuki-san in her natural state!

“Of course, because of the boys here, why don’t we make them dress up as butlers too? So we can attract boys and girls!” said Renge-san.

That’s a price I’m willing to pay.

“I’m willing to do that!” said one male student.

“Yeah, that sounds cute!” said another female student.

It seemed that the class had decided on an activity. Maid and butler café it is!

“E-Everyone’s in favor…? Let’s do it Class 2-B!” cheered Class Prez.

The only person I could see that wasn’t in favor of it was obviously Yuki-san. After all, she still worked at the Purrfect Café here in this world. If anyone was an expert at being a maid, it was her. Me being one of the people that raised their hand in favor of the idea didn’t sit well with Yuki-san, who gave me a slight look of embarrassment.

“You better not tell anyone Kaneshiro-san!” she whispered.

“Of course Yuki-san! I’d never tell a soul!”

What price must I pay to see Yuki-san in a maid outfit?

“But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?” recited  Daisuke.

Another day, another tutoring session with Kaneko-san and Yuki-san. The only difference this time was Daisuke joining us to help remember his lines. Apparently, the students of Class 2-A chose to stage a play on the final date of the festival, and chose Romeo and Juliet of all things. Being the two most popular students in their class, Kaneko-san “the roadrunner of Kasumigaseki High” and Daisuke were picked as the two leads. I couldn’t help but laugh at the idea of Daisuke repeating classical Shakespeare, and Kaneko-san simply trying to act. Nevertheless, these two were tasked with learning their lines and carrying the class play on their infamous reputations. It was smart, really. Daisuke would attract his female following, and Kaneko-san already had a good number of fans that would love anything she did. Even the school staff was looking forward to their play. Our maid café was going to rely heavily on Yuki-san leading us, even if she didn’t want her secret to come out.

“O…O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo…?” said Kaneko-san.

Kaneko-san tried to hide her face with her track suit after painfully reciting her line. It was obvious that the two of them were not looking forward to being on stage.

“Nghrnghrnghr! This is so embarrassing! I can't believe I got picked with you!”

She pointed her tiny index finger towards Daisuke.

“W-Well…it’s not like I wanted to do this either! It couldn’t be helped.” said Daisuke.

This is perfect!

Since Kaneko-san and Daisuke were a couple in the other world, this was the perfect opportunity for them to get closer together, but it was going to take a lot of work for them to admit their feelings for one another. It was a classic romantic-comedy situation! In the meantime, Yuki-san was visibly annoyed at our tomfoolery. She had no time to waste on drama. She loudly slammed her book shut.

“Ahem…If we could get back to studying, that would be pleasant.” said Yuki-san.

Her request managed to shut down Kaneko-san and Daisuke’s arguing instantly, but she wasn’t cruel since she said she would help them remember their lines after studying.

“Aka-nee! You’re so cruel!” complained Kaneko-san.

Surprisingly enough, after the incident, Kaneko-san had been trying very hard to get closer to Yuki-san, if not even more than I was! Even though Yuki-san didn’t want to admit it, Kaneko-san was the only other female she could relate to, being her rival and all. Kaneko-san’s casual attitude towards Yuki-san catches her off guard and she tries to hide her blush.

“Ahem…will you be joining us as well, Akatsuka-san?”

“I guess I’ll stay here for now. Might be good to study some more since Dr. Mori has been hassling me.” said Daisuke.

Lately, our group had expanded to include Yuki-san, Daisuke, Kaneko-san, and myself.

What an odd group of people…

My train of thought is interrupted when Yuki-san snaps at me.

“Kaneshiro-san, it would be best if you stopped day-dreaming and went back to looking over my literature notes.”

As the Ice Witch, she coldly stared at me.

I’d better get back to work.

 A few hours passed by as we studied. Daisuke was the first to leave due to something coming up. With his time here, I don’t think he managed to make any progress studying or learning his lines for the play. All I could do was wish the best for my partner in crime.

If only they had picked something like the Masked Avenger.

Yuki-san was the next to leave since it was time for her shift at the Purrfect Café. I thanked her for her help on memorizing the lines and asked if she could give some input on how a maid café would work. Needless to say, she wasn’t very thrilled with that idea.

“I’ll think about it Kaneshiro-san. Good work today. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

For the first time in a while, she smiled to me as she left the room. She suddenly stops and turns around to face me and Kaneko-san.

“Oh! Before I forget, h-here is my contact information. Just in case you two have any questions to ask me of course.” said Yuki-san.

“Thanks Aka-nee! I’ll message you every night!” says an excited Kaneko-san.

Kaneko-san and I exchange information with Yuki-san, before she finally bids us farewell again.

It’s the exact same.

I know it made sense, but I couldn’t help but feel somewhat surprised that Yuki-san’s phone number was identical to Akane’s in World A(kane).

I’d better keep that in mind, but one step at a time.

Now it was only Kaneko-san and I alone together. I felt nostalgic, looking back on the old times when it was just the two of us, me as the master and her, the student. Now the tables have turned, and honestly she’s probably smarter than me (for the moment). She was working on her lines as Juliet, but I could notice that she was thinking about something. I looked at her, and we had that moment when someone makes eye contact and immediately looks away.

I should say something.

“How are your lines Mar-?”

Oh crap! I thought I was in World A(kane)!

“I-I mean Kaneko-san!”

She became flustered at my sudden outburst and started to cover her face with the dirty sleeves of her trademark red tracksuit. She started to take some deep breaths and tried to compose herself. I tried to hide my slip of the tongue.

“U-uh…it’s going well Kazuki! O-of course this is easy peasy, no problem! I hope that idiot Daisuke can learn his lines!” said Kaneko-san.

Phew! I guess she didn’t notice…

“I’m sure Daisuke will; he never lets anyone down.”

Kaneko-san went back to her script, randomly repeating the lines aloud.

“Say, Kazuki. Are you busy right now?”

“Just going over more of the literature flashcards, why?”

She stood up and came towards my side of the table. I put the rest of my literature flashcards in a neat stack. She held out her rustled script, marked with notes.

“D-do you mind being Romeo for me? It’ll help me remember my lines better if I have someone to practice them with!” said Kaneko-san.

“Of course, Kaneko-san, a master always helps his student in need!” as I give out a hearty laugh. She cringes in embarrassment.

“Anyways, just help me out ok? From this part.”

Reading the script, it was pretty complicated. Most of the words and lines were not modern and instead translated traditionally. I’m not sure if I could remember these lines, but clearly Kaneko-san was trying really hard. Her whole class depended on her and Daisuke being able to nail the roles. We both stood up and tried to act out the lines.

“Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, which mannerly devo- devotion shows in this. For saints have hands that pilgrims’ hands do not touch, and palm to palm is holy palmers’ k-!”

Kaneko-san paused.

“What’s wrong?”

She was annoyed at my response to her pausing.

“I know the line, idiot! It’s just too embarrassing!”

We’re never gonna get this done.

“Let’s just keep going then. It’s getting late, let's at least finish this part.”

I warm up my voice to try to project it. If I recall anything from the one play I had done in elementary school, it was that it's important to project your voice clearly and loudly.

“Then move not, while my prayer’s effect I take. Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged!” I say.

“Then have my lips the sin that they have took.” said Kaneko-san as Juliet.

“Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again.”

“You kiss by the book…”

Just now I notice how close Kaneko-san is to me. During our whole act she had stepped closer and closer to me, almost as if she was in a trance as Juliet. I never noticed that her eyes were a pale blue. She was so close to me that I could smell her shampoo…

“Ahhh! Good job Kaneko-san!” as I step away from her.

My sudden movement alerts Kaneko-san, and she snaps out of her daze and back into her usual self.

“Th-…thank you!” said an embarrassed Kaneko-san.

We may have gotten a bit too into character here. Remember, she likes Daisuke! Remember!

We thought it was best that we call it a day and start to head home together.

 The walk home after the small rehearsal we had is quiet. Things are awkward between us. So far, I haven’t pushed Kaneko-san and Daisuke closer together at all. Operation Maiden’s Heart was going at a snail’s pace.

Time for a direct approach.

“S-So…Kaneko-san, do you like anyone?”

Kaneko-san was obviously shocked by my blunt question. She ran in front of me and lightly punched me in the shoulder.

“O-ow!”

“Wha…what kind of question is that?!?” she asked.

Her face was as cherry red as it had been during our practice. She was really embarrassed.

She sighed and thought about her response.

“W-well…there’s one person I like…”

Bingo!

“Who is it Kaneko-san?”

Kaneko-san lightly punched me again.

“I-I’m not gonna tell you, idiot! You won’t believe me when I say it!”

A maiden’s got to have her secrets, I suppose. It seems I won’t get a name from her.

“At least tell me what he’s like. Please?”

Kaneko-san hesitated a bit. I hoped that spending time with her this past year or so had at least cemented my status as someone she could depend on and trust.

“He’s…an idiot. He's annoying, and stupid! I don’t even know why I like him!” she said.

Women are weird…

“But he’s one of the nicest and most thoughtful guys I’ve ever met. He’s not like me, he's… strong, and brave. And even though I'm weak, he accepts me for who I am… I’ve known him for a while but I don’t know what to say to him…ahhh it’s useless!” pouted Kaneko-san.

Yep. Strong sounds like Daisuke. Your secret’s safe with me!

Time to commence the first step of Operation Maiden’s Heart!

“Maybe…I could help you get closer to this guy Kaneko-san?”

Kaneko’s attitude changed. She gave a confused look at me.

“How are you gonna do that?” she asked.

I have her attention.

“Let’s say I have a feeling who this guy is…and maybe I can tell you what he likes and stuff. I’ll help you get closer together!”

“So tell me what he likes!” she demanded. Her embarrassment had evaporated.

Knowing Daisuke for so long, he was a pretty simple guy to please. In fact, to be honest he and I had similar interests, being partners-in-crime and all. In spite of that, there was one distinct difference between us: I always liked the Masked Avenger, but he preferred the “villain” of the show, the Phantom Defender. The Masked Avenger fought for truth, justice, and all that was right. The Phantom Defender was the opposite. The Phantom Defender in the TV show had a different set of principles than the Masked Avenger, willing to do whatever it took to administer his “twisted” sense of justice. The Phantom Defender believed in the “ends justifying the means,” which led to a lot of interesting episodes in the series, and conflict with the Masked Avenger. Sometimes, however, the monster might be too strong for either one of them to fight, so they teamed up together, making the Phantom Defender sort of like an anti-hero. The Masked Avenger and the Phantom Defender seemed like two sides of the same coin.

Man this kids show is deep!

“You know that Masked Avenger pin you have? Maybe that guy kinda likes the villain more, y’know, the Phantom Defender. Maybe that could help you?” I respond.

Kaneko-san nodded her head and her eyes gleamed at the helpful information.

“Thanks Kazuki-kun!”

“No problem Kaneko-san. Good luck!” I say.

We both separate when we reach the usual crossroads.

 Mother and Dad are home now. Dad had been away again on another business trip earlier in the week, but he’s back to make up for lost time. Apparently they had plans to go on a night out, somewhere simple and relatively close by.

“Oh! I’ve heard of this café that’s very underrated, it’s called the Purrfect Café. A couple of my co-workers recommended it to me! They even have this new challenge that no one’s ever completed yet.” said my Dad.

My mother was trying to hold back her excitement in front of me, but Dad and I knew she was interested.

“Maybe. If you don’t mind that place darling…”

My dad wrapped his arms around my mother.

“Then it’s settled honey! I bet you could complete that challenge, since you always ate a lot when we were dating!” replied my Dad.

It was then that he noticed he had made a huge mistake with his wording. My dad was always like that; unknowingly say the right thing, but the wrong way. Mother was always serious with me, but with Dad she was like a completely different person.

Adults are weird…

“See you later, my boy! We left you some dinner! Try that new herbal tea I got for you!”

My parents left soon after. There wasn’t much for me to do besides sleep and wake up tomorrow in World A(kane).

 *Beep beep*

I begrudgingly look at my phone to see it’s a message from my boss. It’s one o'clock in the morning… couldn’t he wait until sunrise?

A girl needs her sleep y’know! It was a tiring day at the maid café!

A customer got a little too touchy with me, so I had to put him down. Thankfully I didn’t blow my cover with manager-san since he was “used to women in the workplace.” The light from my phone is so bright that it takes a second for my eyes to adjust from my pitch black room. I try to feel for my glasses that I had left on the nightstand, but I couldn’t find them in the dark. Though it will probably be blurry, I can still see things up close.

“I WILL BE ARRIVING SHORTLY. EVERYTHING WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF. KEEP AN EYE ON HER UNTIL I COME. THANK YOU FOR A JOB WELL DONE.”

Hmm…

It looks like he’s going to come face-to-face with her. Finally… It feels like we’ve come to the end of a very long journey. I just hope that he can finally realize that I’m cut out for this job and finally take me under his wing.  It’s going to be an interesting reunion for the two of them…