#i see where you going but i have morals yukiko.

[girlactionfigure]

Chiune Sugihara was a Japanese diplomat in Lithuania who put his family and career at risk by issuing thousands of hand-written transit visas to Jewish refugees fleeing Eastern Europe.

Chiune was born to a middle class family in Mino, Japan on the first day of the 20th century – 1/1/00. In elementary and high school he was a top student, and his father wanted him to become a doctor. Chiune’s own dream was to enter the foreign service, and he deliberately failed the medical school entrance exam by writing only his name on the test. Instead Chiune attended Waseda University and majored in English. He also joined a Christian fraternity to practice his English.

In 1919, Chiune passed the Foreign Ministry Scholarship exam, and served in the Japanese Imperial Army as a 2nd Lieutenant stationed in Korea. He resigned his commission in 1922 and trained for the Foreign Ministry, learning Russian and German in addition to English. He aced the qualifying exam and was sent to work in the foreign office in Harbin, China.

Chiune’s strong moral compass led him to resign his post as Deputy Foreign Minister in Manchuria because of rising Japanese violence against the Chinese (just two years later was the horrific Rape of Nanking by the Japanese Imperial Army.) Chiune returned to Japan, where he married Yukiko Kikuchi. They later had four sons.

Next Chiune went to Helsinki, Finland, where he worked as a translator for the Japanese delegation. In 1939, Chiune became vice-consul of the Japanese embassy in Kauna, Lithuania. Part of his job was to find out if Germany planned to attack the Soviet Union, and to relay any information about this to his bosses in Berlin and Tokyo.

In 1940, the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania. At that time, approximately 1/3 of Lithuanians were Jewish, many of them Torah scholars. The USSR viciously persecuted Jews, especially religious ones, and the Jews of Lithuania were desperate to escape the country – especially because Nazi Germany was occupying more and more of Eastern Europe and would soon be in Lithuania. Hundreds of them, mostly Orthodox, visited the Japanese consulate to beg for exit visas to Japan. The official Japanese policy was that candidates for visas must go through elaborate bureaucratic procedures and pay significant sums of money. Chiune contacted his superiors at the Japanese Foreign minister to ask if the rules could be relaxed to help Jewish refugees. His request was denied, as were his next two requests.

Chiune could have thrown up his hands and told the Jews there was nothing he could do for them, but instead, as he did in China, he was governed by his strong sense of right and wrong, rather than soulless bureaucrats. He ignored his orders and started issuing ten-day visas for Jews to travel through Japan on their way to safe havens like Shanghai, China, where 20,000 Jews rode out the war safely.

As word got out about the Japanese visas, Jews from all over Lithuania as well as Poland began to swarm Chiune’s office. He simply wouldn’t say no to anybody, and spent 18-20 hours a day (!) painstakingly writing visas by hand. He created a month’s supply of visas every single day from August to early September 1940, providing an escape route for thousands of Jews. On September 4, the Japanese consulate in Kauna was closed and Chiune had to leave the country. He was determined to create as many transit visas as possible, and continued doing so up until the last minute. At Kanuas Railway Station, a crowd of Jews gathered to say goodbye. Right before boarding the train, Chiune bowed deeply and cried out, “Please forgive me! I cannot write anymore. I wish you the best!” Someone in the crowd shouted, “Sugihara! We’ll never forget you! I’ll surely see you again!”

Chiune was reassigned to East Prussia, then Prague, and then Bucharest, Romania. When the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania in 1944, Chiune and his family were imprisoned in a POW camp for a year and a half. Finally they were released in 1946 and returned to Japan, but the foreign office had heard about his unauthorized visas, and he was forced to resign. At about this time, the Sugihara’s youngest son died of leukemia at age seven.

Unemployable in Japan, Chiune made use of his excellent Russian language skills and spent the next 16 years working in the Soviet Union while his wife and sons stayed in Japan. Chiune’s exceptional heroism was unknown for many years, until 1968, when he was contacted by Yehoshua Nishri, an attache working at the Israeli consulate in Tokyo. Nishri spent his youth in Poland, and heard stories of the legendary Japanese hero. Nishri made it his mission to publicize Chiune’s heroic acts, and the next year, 1969, Chiune traveled to Israel as an honored guest of the Israeli government. Jews he’d saved lobbied for him to be recognized as Righteous Among the Nations by Israeli Holocaust Memorial Yad Vashem, and in 1984 he received the honor. At that time he was too sick to travel, so his wife and son Nobuki accepted the award on his behalf.

Chiune was asked why he risked everything to help thousands of strangers. He answered, “You want to know about my motivation, don’t you? Well. It is the kind of sentiments anyone would have when he actually sees refugees face to face, begging with tears in their eyes. He just cannot help but sympathize with them. Among the refugees were the elderly and women. They were so desperate that they went so far as to kiss my shoes. Yes, I actually witnessed such scenes with my own eyes. Also, I felt at that time, that the Japanese government did not have any uniform opinion in Tokyo. Some Japanese military leaders were just scared because of the pressure from the Nazis; while other officials in the Home Ministry were simply ambivalent. People in Tokyo were not united. I felt it silly to deal with them. So, I made up my mind not to wait for their reply. I knew that somebody would surely complain about me in the future. But, I myself thought this would be the right thing to do. There is nothing wrong in saving many people’s lives… The spirit of humanity, philanthropy… neighborly friendship… with this spirit, I ventured to do what I did, confronting this most difficult situation – and because of this reason, I went ahead with redoubled courage.”

Chiune Sugihara died in Japan on July 31, 1986. Despite being a hero in Israel, and among Jews worldwide, he was completely unknown in his own country. Even his own children didn’t know what he had done. A huge delegation from around the world attended Chiune’s funeral, and only then did he become known in Japan.

Chiune received many awards and accolades, most of them posthumous. Among them are Sugihara Streets in Vilna, Lithuania, and Jaffa and Netanya in Israel. There is a Sugihara House Museum in Kaunas, and a park in Vilna where 200 trees were planted on his 100th birthday. There is a life-sized statue of him in Little Tokyo in Los Angeles, featuring a plaque with a quotation from the Talmud, “He who saves one life, saves an entire world.” In 1998, Chiune’s widow Yukiko traveled to Israel and was warmly received by survivors who’d been saved by her husband. There is a Sugihara park in Jerusalem, and he was featured on an Israeli postage stamp in 1998. The Lithuanian government declared 2020 “The Year of Chiune Sugihara.” He has been the subject of multiple works of art, including books, films and a play.

It’s estimated that over 100,000 people are alive today because of the brave actions of Chiune Sugihara.

[daily-hanamura]

Love your analysis of Yosuke’s character, it’s so detailed and fun to read! I’m kinda curious, what are your thoughts on his characterization in the fighting and dancing games?

Waaah thank you so much!! I'm glad you enjoyed them 💖

Oooh I actually LOVE his characterisation in p4d and p4au, probably because I think it brought out all my favourite parts of Yosuke and it really felt like Yosuke had matured a lot compared to his first appearance.

In P4A/U for example we see a lot of thoughts from other characters, and I really love that it's revealed how the others - not just Yu, but also Yukiko and Chie - rely on Yosuke a lot for emotional support, as the morale booster of the team, for direction when they don't know what to do, as the glue that keeps the group together, and it's so fantastic because it's so unlike how Yosuke sees himself. A lot of Yosuke's POV also reveals how much overthinking he does and how, despite his empathy in noticing when others are frustrated or worried, he feels like he doesn't do a very good job at cheering them up, even though when we look at their POVs we see that he did!! Both Yukiko and Chie call him up when they were worried about their friends going missing BECAUSE they feel better from talking to him!! Sorry but this particular factoid, this specific gap, sits in my head like a spitroast being rotated all the time because I cannot get over it. But he's trying though - we can see his motivations for the things that he says and how he tries to lighten the mood and yeah. It's great. I went into P4AU thinking it was going to be whatever but let me just say that was the game that triggered my single-minded obsession about Yosuke and the reason why this blog exists LOL like I was very much souyo and yosuke-brained aftert P4G but oh boy. P4AU tipped me over from obsessed to building this damn shrine for him :'D

He always laughs deprecatingly at himself even in the post p4g games, like in P4D - when he dances well he has a line that's like, "not such a disappointment after all" and it, again, really shows how he has such a poor perception of himself that he doesn't see his own good points, like the fact that he held out the second longest during their dance training, losing only to Rise, as pointed out by Yu. He's naturally talented and keeps up well with everyone elses dance style, but he doesn't really notice that either? Also a side thing I find hilarious/cute/endearing in P4D is also how Kanji exposes Yosuke's idol-loving-hours and Yosuke gets extremely embarrassed about it, because at his heart Yosuke does still like that kind of (somewhat) superficial thing, but he doesn't want people to know! It's a stark contrast to how he was earlier in P4G where he's more open about checking out girls (again, the whole "is this overcompensation" vs "is this a product of bro culture from his childhood friends" is a conversation that we can have) but it's a reflection of how that kind of talk tapers out a lot as the game progresses, and P4D was really consistent with the kind of growth that P4G gave Yosuke, instead of reducing him into that best-bro-friend stereotype, and for a game that was actually so short in narrative substance compared to P4AU, it was great. (I'm also convinced that P4D was trying to tell us Yosuke and Yu were dating but I'm not going to start on that again LOL)

And I think ultimately the reason why I feel like P4AU and P4D showcased a lot of growth for Yosuke is in his relationships with other people, because as much as Yosuke worries about how he's remained static, I think the fact that the others treat him with such respect (like when the first years and Teddie acknowledge that Yosuke is basically the team wrangler, and the difference between Yosuke at the start of P4G/in Magician compared to P4AU/D was someone who had become a lot more receptive about forming genuine relationships with other people instead of just protecting himself by surrounding himself with superficial relationships and yeah. yeah.

[sylvarantii]

Alright, finally getting around to the 6th movie, The Phantom of Baker Street.

So, first off, wasn't expecting that twist of it taking place in virtual reality. That was kind of neat, but I feel like this sort of premise would've worked a tad better if it had been more like one where they jump through the different worlds offered rather than just focus on one.

I get it, it's Detective Conan, so the obvious choice is to go for the Sherlock Holmes themed one, but still, I don't know. Had a good idea, but I'm a little unsure about how much I liked the execution.

That said, I thought the characters were handled well in this movie. And even the snobby brats ended up having their merit. I do admittedly like those sorts of plots where children from a prestigious background go through something life changing and come out of it better. I much more prefer a moral story of, "You don't always have to end up like your parents and can become a better person despite your upbringing." It's nice.

The entirety of the Sherlock Holmes world within the VR game was pretty cool too. It made me giggle that since Shinichi's dad and Professor Agasa were the ones that developed the game, they made themselves Sherlock and Watson. It was cute!

And how sweet for Yusaku to make his wife Irene Adler. I don't know, it was just goofy in a, "I really love them being self indulgent" sort of way.

Also holy shit, we finally get some screentime for Yusaku??? No offense to Yukiko cause I love her dearly and enjoy both of Shinichi's parents, but I swear to god, we RARELY get anything with his dad. At least his mom has shown up a few times in the anime, but man, what a rarity.

And just like I hoped, the "sacrifice" scenes from each kid getting a game over were just as emotional as I wanted them to be. It's the feeling of Shinichi/Conan losing everyone around him (but not really). Ran's part was so heart wrenching, thank you to the team. It was every bit of a tear jerker as I wanted it to be. Giving me that good angst and I love it.

As usual, I unfortunately have to bitch about the fact that these movies have SUCH a slow crawl to the main part. Like I get it, this happens with a lot of movies because you have to fill up so much time, but sometimes it is just painful. At least the very beginning is very eye catching and gets you sucked into it.

Good news is I can say this movie felt more like a cinematic experience rather than just something that could've been put into episodes of the anime, so yeah, I appreciate that.

The, uh, twist at the end was a bit funny (to me anyway) I guess. Like, I don't know, sometimes the reasoning for the antagonists are just strange and this one kinda falls into that category as far as motives go. But you know, whatever. I don't hate it, don't love it. I'm just kinda shrugging my shoulders like, "Okay, sure."

So, let's see...Where to put this movie this time?

1.) The Fourteenth Target (2nd Movie)

2.) The Time Bombed Skyscraper (1st Movie)

3.) Captured in Her Eyes (4th Movie)

4.) The Phantom of Baker Street (6th Movie)

5.) Countdown to Heaven (5th Movie)

6.) The Wizard of the Last Century (3rd Movie)

4th place seems good. I still don't think I liked it as much as Captured in Her Eyes, but eh, feels more memorable than Countdown to Heaven. I've kinda forgotten already a lot of what happened in that movie.

My apologies once again to Wizard of the Last Century for still remaining dead last.

On a side note, almost up to episode 700. I'm more than halfway through the series now! Whoo hoo!

[akechicrimes]

when i was reading "emma" by jane austen in undergrad, one of my professors pointed out it's one of the best examples of a very common plotline: a willful child sets out as some sort of aberration from the status quo, and by the time they grow up at the end of the book, they've wound up reincorporated into the status quo.

in the case of emma, she believes that she knows romance better than society around her. she plays matchmaker according to what she believes is right. we are, at best, supposed to find her humorously wrong; at worst, she's a petulant child. her attempts at matchmaking go terribly, while she utterly and totally forgets to notice a man courting her throughout most of the plot. by the end of the book she's wound up marrying a good man of equivalent social standing, who courted her in socially acceptable ways, and is presumably going to settle down and become the good wife and mother that she was always meant to be.

persona 3 wasn't quite so interested in people who didn't fit in with the status quo, but persona 4 and 5 seemed to think they were hot shit for tackling the subject, while everyone and their grandmother pointed out that persona 4 and 5 started off with storylines that called society out on its bullshit, and then mysteriously rolled back its arguments in the later parts of the game. and i'm not trying to say that P4 and P5 didn't have doylist explanations for why they've got weird shit happening in the character arcs, but the more i think about it, the more it just sounds like emma woodhouse.

akira kurusu is wronged by the justice system, and comes to the conclusion that he must rebel against society. by the end of the game, it turns out that the justice system can be fair if you just work really really really really hard, so maybe we should all just work harder, and really you just need a good lawyer. akira is absolved of his charges through conventional status quo means.

yukiko amagi struggles with having her whole life decided for her. while she wonders whether or not she wants to stay in inaba, she ultimately comes to the conclusion that she will stay and run the inn, mysteriously and coincidentally choosing the societally-acceptable answer after all.

ann takamaki struggles with a society that simultaneously sexualizes her and shames her for exercising any sexuality. after ending kamoshida's whole career and making a resolve to embrace her own sexuality as an empowerment thing, she then decides to go into... modeling, in which she sells images of her body to be sexualized by an entire industry set up around sexualizing teenage girls. by surprising coincidence, it seems that she has decided to express her new openness to her own sexuality in a way that makes her extremely palatable to men like kamoshida.

kanji tatsumi winds up with a crush on a guy and struggles with being rejected for his sexuality. but then we are led to believe that really he just struggles with being rejected in general. and maybe he just doesn't like girls because they bully him. and maybe it's not really about him being gay, maybe it's about him being confused. also coincidentally, naoto is revealed to be a "girl," and kanji theoretically has had a crush on a "girl" all along, rendering the entire thing just a series of silly mistakes and coincidentally bringing kanji back into a semblance of heterosexuality.

goro akechi points out the innate corruption of the government, justice system, and extreme prejudice in japanese society that drives someone like him to the point of where he was, but his heel-face turn involves him deciding to submit himself to the very corrupt justice system that he disagreed with in the first place, pitching his cooperation with the status quo as a positive change.

naoto shirogane presents as a boy and goes out of his way to have others refer to him as a boy, but also by pure coincidence, we are led to believe that naoto was just going through some shit and was using gender identity/presentation as a weird coping mechanism, and "actually naoto was cis all along."

and these are all narratives that occur in conjunction with, like jane austen's emma, the typical coming-of-age story. an aberrant child doesn't fit in. an aberrant child grows up. an aberrant child winds up being reincorporated into the existing status quo after all, as they demonstrate to the reader hey, perhaps the status quo was right all alone, and i was the one who should have been fitting in.

the narrative of a "coming of age" story pitches adults as people who've adjusted to society and have been changed by society, rather than agents who change society around them; a "coming of age" story relies on a general consensus that children, teenagers, and minors in general have opinions and thoughts that are amusingly incorrect at best and completely invalid at worst, and it is the job of adults to tell children how to "be correct."

that works for some cases like, say, shinya from persona 5, who's a literal bully playing violent video games because his mom doesn't pay enough attention to him and picks on other children and steals their lunch money like shinya's personal day job is to be a tiny powerhouse of cliches. shinya could stand to learn that yes, he's fucking wrong, and no, you can't beat up other kids.

but the same logic—that kids are misguided and need to be corrected (or "rehabilitated," to use P5's words)—that same logic is what implies to us that akira's phantom thief rebellion is ultimately a phase that he'll grow out of as he reincorporates himself back into society, because it was "morally skeevy" (read: defined as morally skeevy by the law, which has no interest in anything but itself and its own power). the same logic of "kids are misguided and need to be rehabilitated" is what tries to tell us that kanji was just confused about himself and naoto's gender presentation, and that naoto was just going through a phase that “she'll” grow out of. "kids are misguided and need to be rehabilitated" is what allows yukiko the room to doubt whether or not she wants to take over the inn, but ultimately pressures her to accept the socially-acceptable option she was always meant to.

there's a lot of other characters that i could point to as examples of the "emma" trend. by the same virtue, there's a lot of character arcs that don't always quite fit the trend perfectly. but in general, the trend happens with alarming consistency in P4 and P5, as if the storylines are trying convince us that people and behaviors that do not fit with the assigned social script will ultimately "see the light" and realize that they should fit in with society after all. and if you see yourself in these characters, perhaps you too should think along the lines of these characters as they "grow up" into "good adults."

by allowing people to voice their discontents with the status quo, and then ultimately come around to embrace the status quo in the end, the characters are essentially used as strawmen to be conquered and brought back into the normative fold. and in theory, these strawmen will bring with them anyone who found themselves agreeing with yukiko's discontents, or kanji's queerness, or akira's anger at society. you had your teenage rebellion, the games seem to say. but now it's time to give it up, give in, and grow up.

[mystech-master]

Investigation Team Hierarchy

A while ago I made a post (see here) asking about what the chain of command of the Investigation Team of Persona 4 would be like.

We all know Yu is the main leader, with Yosuke coming in ass second in command as the one who got his Persona afterwards and kind of acted like Yu’s mouthpiece in the main game, and Naoto would logically come right after Yosuke with her Detective Knowledge.

A few people did give their two cents in on it (@infullmoon, @the-witch-of-the-water, and @gelgela29), and there was a common consensus.

Most people agree that 4th in command would go to Rise, being social and positive helps with morale, her navigator abilities assist a lot, and her hectic idol schedule helps with time management, plus she does take on the role of the Kouhai team in Dancing All Night.

5th in command people agree that Yukiko might be it, being the most level-headed and less impulsive, plus she has to have SOME leadership ability if she’s going to run the inn.

But I have seen an argument for Kanji to be above Yukiko because of his surprising emotional maturity and ability to keep everyone in line, and Yukiko seeming to be too passive.

But if Kanji is bellow Yukiko then he might listen to Chie out of basic Senpai respect.

So, for the most part, is seems that the fan-prefered Investigation Team Hierarchy goes like this:

1. Yu Narukami

2. Yosuke Hanamura

3. Naoto Shirogane

4. Rise Kujikawa

5. Yukiko Amagi

6-7. Chie Satonaka and Kanji Tatsumi (could be either or)

8. Teddie

The only thing that I could think to add is the possibility that, while Naoto is the smart one and the point member who does a lot of explaining talk in my eyes, does that make a good leader? Like I recall a scene where Rise says Naoto would be a better fit for her scanner abilities but Naoto lacks emotional understanding, so it COULD be possible that Naoto might be further down the line. If you guys have any thoughts on this, where would you put Naoto if not in 3rd-in-command?

[snowpeawritings]

13. Marie

Philemon seems to enjoy seeing his Wild Cards live on with their lives…

insp.

Persona 4 Golden X FeMC!Reader

> . . .

05/01/SUN-Early morning | Shopping District, South

With a wallet packed full with money, you strolled through the shopping district. Even though it was slightly cloudy, the weather was pleasant as people still roamed about the district.

From beside you, Izanami looked at the list that she wrote down herself. “So we’re starting with your books...”

“I finished them all in one night.” You said to her, remembering how your knowledge improved despite your eye bags.

“Then we see new weapons in Daidara’s shop.”

"Chie and Yukiko need to catch up."

"And... You need ingredients to make the boxed lunches."

You sighed but you didn't oppose the Dojimas idea that you were making the boxed lunches. Nanako was too excited for the long weekend and even Dojima wanted to spend time with his daughter. Even if you hadn't known them for long, you wanted to try and get them to bond together soon. You had thought to follow Nanako's suggestion and go to Junes instead so you wouldn't cook but you feared that Dojima wouldn't like to listen to the catchy tune over and over again.

Seeing the bookstore, you walked towards it but stopped when you spotted a familiar girl walking outside. She held a book in her hands and by the look of her eyes, she seemed excited by it.

"Marie?" You said to her. She yelped at your call, fumbling over her book rather comically before hiding it behind her back. Her face was flushed deeply with red as she regarded you with a glare.

"Wh-What are you doing surprising me all of a sudden?!" She screeched, not caring about the bystanders watching. "S-Stupid! You're stupid! I hate you!"

You blinked at her outburst before looking down at her book. "I didn't know you know the concept of buying stuff."

One of her eyebrows raised up. "B-Buy? What the heck is that?"

Your eyes widened. "You mean you stole that book?!"

As if on cue, the owner of the bookstore knocked on his window, mouthing some unintelligible words and pointing at Marie's book. If it wasn't for the glass window, you were sure that everyone in the area would hear his cussing.

"How could you have no money when I pay to remember Personas from Margaret?" You questioned her, already fishing out your wallet.

"How should I know?!" She replied back, stepping behind Izanami as if she could stop the man.

Izanami shook her head. "Good grief..."

---

"Don't you have a curfew when you go back to the Velvet Room?" You asked her once you resolved the stolen book problem. Even though the poem book was fairly inexpensive, it already made a dent on your finances just for the books.

Marie's face huffed even more. "What do you take me for? A kid?! Just so you know, I'm not gonna help you when you go back inside that stuffy car!"

You shrugged. "You were the one who had no concept of monetary value."

She choked but she didn't refute back. The poem book that had been the center of trouble was back in her hands, unscathed and paid for. You wondered if she liked to read or write poems.

Beside you, Izanami seemed to have vocalized your thoughts. "Do you like poetry, Marie?"

She stiffened from your Persona's question but her red blush gave her answer away.

"Not much to do in the car unless I come in, huh?" You said to her, lips quirking into a smirk at the thought of the three people inside the limousine just waiting for you to come back. Come to think of it, they had a bunch of drinks inside the vehicle-are they all adults then?

She clicked her tongue and looked away from you. “Don’t take words out of my mouth! It’s not like I wanted for you to come by!”

“Sure…” You drawled out. “Anyway, you want to join me on my shopping spree?”

Her blush slowly died down. “S-Shopping?”

Izanami nodded to the list that she’s holding. “We have quite a few things we need to get now that we have a new team member.”

Marie regarded her with a nod before crossing her arms. “Okay. And it’s not because I’m bored out of my mind waiting in the car.”

You chuckled at her response as you entered Daidara's shop with her. It was apparent that she's never been inside the shop, for her eyes widened at the sight of different weapons and armor that covered the walls. You continued to watch her childlike wonder before Daidara cleared his throat.

You turned to him, turning your back against Marie as you hauled your materials to his counter. "Oh, and Marie? Don't touch anything."

"What?"

Before you could repeat yourself, a crash followed and soon a feminine screech inside the shop.

Your eye twitched as you looked at Daidara with a grimace. "Would taking the most expensive weapons be enough for compensation?"

Behind you, Izanami sighed. "Good grief…"

05/01/SUN-Afternoon | Junes

You had considered your options for buying ingredients. On one hand, you wanted to support local businesses and their products...

On the other hand, maybe Nanako would be happy to hear that you made lunches out of ingredients from Junes.

You decided on the latter, Izanami dragging Marie as she tried to carry the bag of new weapons in one hand.

"What's this place now?" Marie asked you, looking around the underground grocery. Before anyone became suspicious, Izanami handed you the bag as you carried it on your back. The added weight made you groan but you continued on as you grabbed a cart.

"It's a grocery store." You replied to her, rolling the cart to the ingredients section. "I'm gonna cook for my family."

"Family?" Marie tested the word, almost sounding funny when you saw her struggling with it.

"Yeah," you said before realizing how awkward it would be to leave it at that, "is Margaret not like your relative or something?"

Marie shrugged, walking beside you in stride as she looked at the different types of miso paste brands. "She keeps annoying me so I don't think I want her as a relative."

"Huh…" You sighed out, getting the miso base as you went to another section of the store. "What's up with the Velvet Room anyway? Did you want to be inside a car for the rest of your life?"

You didn't hear her for a while except her boots tapping against the floor as your cart was steadily filling with ingredients. Marie was oddly quiet, so quiet that you and Izanami looked back at her. The girl looked like she was deep in thought, her eyebrows drawn in as though she was having an existential crisis.

Before you could ask her if she was okay, a familiar voice called your name. Yosuke was carrying a crate filled with canned tomato sauce as Jiraiya followed him, obviously bored out of his mind. Adorably enough, Jiraiya was wearing the same Junes apron. How did people not freak out over a floating apron, you didn't want to ask.

"What brings you here?" Yosuke asks you before heaving the heavy crate down on the floor. You winced when you heard an audible crack when he straightened his back.

"Just shopping to cook for Golden Week." You replied to him. "Work being too hard on you?"

He groaned tiredly. "No kidding. Just when I thought I can relax, there's a stupid sale that's happening just for the week."

You patted his back as an apology for the pain he experienced and many more in the upcoming week. 

"And what are you doing?" Izanami questioned Jiraiya, who was busy fiddling with his apron that surprisingly fitted him.

"Moral support." He said simply. "Can't really touch objects without people thinking Junes is haunted so I try my best. Besides, the apron looks good on me."

"Speaking of…" Izanami trailed off, looking at the apron. It was definitely not Asian size as it stretched to accommodate Jiraya's body. She wasn't aware that there were sizes that were big enough to fit an almost 7 ft. tall being.

"Y'know, you don't have to hide it." Jiraiya said, snapping her out of her thinking. "You'd look good in an apron. Or would you rather wear mine…?"

She let out an aggravated sigh before igniting her fingers with electricity and zapping Jiraiya's side. He let out a high-pitched yelp, his body convulsing before he squirmed away from the goddess. His scarf was burned to a degree as smoke emanated from his body.

"You never change." Izanami said dryly. "And how does the apron fit you? And how is anyone not screaming at the sight of a floating apron?"

Jiraiya made a sound in his throat, an alternative to how he doesn't seem to have a mouth. He then looked down at his apron, a hand lifting and fumbling at the fabric before letting it drop.

"I honestly don't know."

While the Personas were talking, Marie, who was busy watching you comfort a crying boy, went to watch the Personas. She walked over, arms crossed as she stared at the other Persona that belonged to Yosuke.

Jiraiya took notice of the new girl's stare and immediately floated over to her, a flirtatious line ready in him as he--

"Get away from me." Marie said to him in her absolute, most dead voice.

Jiraiya, currently shocked that she could see him, dropped down from his floating stance as he scrambled on the floor. The sight was surprising but comical to Izanami as she laughed at the sight of the ninja frog struggling to recover from the attack.

Hearing Jiraiya’s struggling sounds, you looked to where your Personas are. The sight of Izanami laughing at Jiraiya and Marie staring at the two of them.

“Wait—” Yosuke gasped out, looking at Marie. “She can see them?!”

“Weird story.” You said to him. “Anyway, you think you can ring me up with some ingredients?”

"Huh? O-Oh sure…"

He then led you towards the section that you needed, all the while conversing with you about plans for Golden Week. It soon spiralled into having a talk about personal things that you two like. You felt closer to Yosuke than before.

"Oh yeah… When did our Personas can touch stuff?"

"... No clue."

Persona Time

After walking Marie back home (and quickly explaining about Skill Cards), she plopped down on the sofa as she sighed from how tired she was. Feeling the book inside of her bag, she fished it out and stared at the hardbound cover.

"You seem to have enjoyed your day out."

She flinched then glared at Margaret, the woman looking at her with the annoying stare that she didn't like. It's the type of stare that it makes her feel like Margaret is prying at her secrets. She hates it.

"Shut up." She said to Margaret, not even bothering to put up a fight.

The elder woman chuckled, her nails tapping against the Persona Compendium in an elegant manner before speaking again. "I'll be willing to let you out more as long as you try not to make too much noise inside the room."

Marie choked before glaring at her.

"Like that."

Marie clicked her tongue before looking away. Grabbing her notebook and pencil from her bag, she angrily wrote on the paper, all the while muttering about a certain platinum-blonde woman.

Both Margaret and Igor stared at her, unamused of her usual antiques. They really can't wait for you to come by again.

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

PQ2 - The ties that bind is cute

So the Special Ticket ‘The Ties that Bind’, starring Haru and Yukiko, is honestly adorable.

The entire event is kicked off when, in AIGIS, Ryuji, Yosuke and Kanji have a conversation about the sort of date a girl would like. Ryuji insists that it’s best to take a girl somewhere you know and are comfortable with, a Ramen place for himself being the example. Yosuke insists that you need to take a girl somewhere outside your comfort zone, like a hilltop. Kanji doesn’t give his own idea of what an ideal date would be but shares Ryuji’s opinion that Yosuke’s idea isn’t it.

Ryuji, being Ryuji, has a lovely moment where he just points out they can ask the girl where she wants to go, and that solves the entire mess. Haru and Yukiko, who’ve been eavesdropping on the trio, then get brought in when Ryuji, out of the blue, uses Haru as his test case for asking a girl their ideal date, without any shame, for some nice Haruji moment. No answer is given at this moment, Haru’s unsure, and the conversation veers off instead into the three boys all talking instead about how elegant and amazing Haru and Yukiko are, and how the pair make an incredible team.

This unlocks the event itself, to find a baby dinosaur, starring Yukiko and Haru. The event itself mostly focuses on the moral of ‘be true to yourself even if against your family’s wishes,’ with Haru’s case being obvious to me, that of learning to reject her father’s plans for her. I don’t know P4 so I don’t know Yukiko’s situation but, from what she says, it seems she too had a predicament where she felt unable to be honest with her feelings towards her family due to some pressure placed on her by them. Curiously, reoccurring, we see that Haru again still does not personally want to condemn her father completely, she loves him deeply even now. She is the one who mentions to Yukiko that even if a family seems overbearing and restrictive, it can be they do it out of love. That being said the end moral of the event is still ‘be true to yourself even if it goes against the wishes of your family,’ 

But what’s really adorable about the entire thing is the denouement. Back at the theatre Haru and Yukiko express their newfound admiration for each other and Haru expresses her interest in the ‘scoring’ that Teddie mentioned, desiring to play along, as she says.

Haru then proceeds to corner Yosuke and ask him if he’d like to accompany her for a hike up a hill to chop down some trees. Not to be outdone Yukiko then proceeds to corner Ryuji and ask him if he’d be willing to dedicate the rest of his life to the traditions of the Amagi family.

It’s an honestly cute bit of teasing/shipping between the four which I found entertaining.

[elliotthezubat]

DEATH CITY DAYS CHAPTER 125

[[cont from part 124]]

 Crow: *perched on Misaki's shoulder*

misaki: ....*small smile* would you like a name?

Crow: "CAW!"

misaki: *strokes under the crow's neck* how about 'Alistair'?

Alistair: *closes eyes* =w=

misaki: ^^ *starts preparing supper*

Alistair: *flies to a bureau...there's a photo on it*

-it shows a young girl with a man and a woman. they look to be happy-

-the bureau has various knick-knacks, such as an astrolabe, a butterfly display, a mortar and pestle, and various books on anatomy, ornthology, botany, astrology, the occult and more-

Alistair: "..." *head tilt*

-it still looks overcast outside...lightning strikes in the distance*

misaki: !!......(i hope mr pumpkin is keeping dry.....)

-meanwhile-

creature: .......

Pumpkin: *wrings out his coat, hanging it up* -_-# "..." *stares at the Creature* "Don't you get drenched either--" *sneezes--a brief stream of fire escaping his nostrils* =~=#

-it's quiet, save for the sound of rain outside-

Pumpkin: "..." *curls up against a wall* "...I wonder if she avoided the rain walking back."

{sister: *turns around* oh. it's you again. *smiles*}

{Pumpkin: ._. "H-Hi?" *steps in* "Am I bothering you?"}

{sister: not at all. ^^ i see that you've gotten a better handle on speaking now. hehe. ^^}

{Pumpkin: *clutching a book* "Th-This helped. I am returning it..." *holds it out*}

{sister: oh! why thank you. *takes it* ..... *looks around* well, the abbot isnt here right now, perhaps i could help you with this?}

{Pumpkin: ._. "Y-You would?" *looks around...sees chairs*}

{sister: of course.}

{Pumpkin: "...Is that a 'chah-air'?"}

-THUNDER STRIKE-

Pumpkin: "?!!!" *swings around, shrinking back against a wall*

-elsewhere-

Akitaru: *holding an ice pack to his head, lying down in the back of the Matchbox* =~=;

Takehisa: *driving* "..."

Arthur: "..."

shinra:....*ahem* s-so commander...

Akitaru: "Don't try to out-drink Honda..." *sits up* "How you holding up?"

shinra: im fine, sir. but i was asking. *ahem* well, iris suggested that we have a party? n-not to celebrate commander arg's death! it's awful that happened! it's just- well things have been tense for all of us and, well... maybe this could help to build morale?

Akitaru: "...Iris is really smart."

shinra: yeah, she is. *smiles*

Akitaru: "Just let me sleep this off, then we'll get pretty balloons..."

shinra: thanks dad.

Akitaru: *yawns* "You're welcome, son..."

-elsewhere-

hinata: konro's back!

Konro: "Hello, Hinata. You keep the home safe while I was out?"

hinata: yep! we sure did!

hikage: ooooh beni's gonna get soooo scolded for not going!

hinata: 500 yen says he's gonna get spanked!

Konro: "Well, can't settle that unless I know where he is--where'd he go?"

hinata + hikage: he's over by the pond!

Konro: "Then I'm on my way..." *walks to the pond*

Benimaru: *feeding koi*

Konro: "..."

Benimaru: "..."

Konro: "So..."

Benimaru: *grunts*

Konro: "..." *kicks Benimaru into the pond*

hinata + hikage: OOOOOOOHHH!!!

Benimaru: "?!!" *COUGH COUGH* "What the hell?!"

Konro: "You didn't even show up. A man is dead--"

Benimaru: "A man that couldn't even be here for us."

Konro: "...Is that what you think?"

kirei: what happened? i heard a splash- ah!

Benimaru: "..." *stands up, his feet squishing in the mud as he walks* "...He wasn't here when you needed him." *walks by Kirei*

kirei: ah-....konro?

Konro: *scratches the back of his neck* "Sorry...The master was being an ass again."

kirei: ....should i go talk to him?

Konro: "I think that'd help."

-elsewhere-

maki: we're back!

Viktor: *stuck to the wall by scalpels*

argit: *drinking a soda can* oh great.

Akitaru: "You been celebrating?"

argit: eh.

Takehisa: "I suggest we start charging him rent."

nozomi: tamaki! what happened?!

tamaki:....just fell....that's all....

Komori: *patching her up*

Arthur: *stares* "..."

argit: oh yeah, that happened. it was pretty funny.

shinra: NOT COOL, MAN!

argit: ok! ok! cripes, im sorry for laughing! there? ya happy now?

Arthur: "...In this castle...you will not insult or mock anyone in it...or I will slice your tail off and feed it to you."

argit: yeesh! what's your deal?!

shinra: you just shut the fuck up you shitty sonic the hedgehog knockoff!

Arthur: "Yeah, what the demon said, vile rodent!"

argit: D8<

Akitaru: "!!! Boys!"

shinra: *shuts up*

Arthur: >_>;

argit: heh.

Akitaru: "..." *sighs* "We all need some rest--go to your quarters." *pats Argit on the shoulder--and grips him* "Let's talk. In private."

argit: QwQ; *gulp*

-elsewhere-

yuuji: *looks at a box full of posters* are these for me?

Aizawa: "Yeah--figured you need something for the walls."

yuuji: t-thanks....oh sweet, grateful dead!

Aizawa: "??? Something you've listened to?"

yuuji: yeah, i like listening to classic rock from time to time.

Aizawa: "Hmm...Yamada may have some to borrow. Just don't mention 'Stairway' in front of him."

yuuji: i'll...keep that in mind, sir....are....um...are you sure you dont mind?

Aizawa: "I wouldn't be giving them to you if there was a problem--I wanted you to have them."

yuuji: n-not that, i mean...you know...me living here?

Aizawa: "...Ah. ...Not going to lie, a lot of things have ruined my status as the 'longer Pro Hero who looks like a homeless man' vibe. But that kind of disappeared when Midnight tricked me into teaching here."

yuuji: i see.....still, cant help feeling out of place, me being an ex-villain and all...

Aizawa: "...Even heroes come out of unexpected places."

yuuji: ..t-thanks...i suppose.

Aizawa: "No problem...After all--" *unrolls one poster--and tenses up*

{Oboro: "--then this checkerboard room shows up with this little dude dancing around--" *handing Aizawa a VHS tape: 'Twin Peaks'*}

{Aizawa: "Hmm. Not sure this is my thing."}

{Oboro: "Dude--give it a shot already!"}

Yuuji: sir?

Aizawa: *looks at the poster, showing a light signal and mountains* "...Could you knock that 'sir' stuff off--'Shota's' fine."

yuuji: um o-ok s-... mr aizawa.

Aizawa: "..." *head pat* "Sure."

-elsewhere-

greg: *sniffs* it smells delicious, bugbear! ^^

Saria: "You really think so? I'm still trying to perfect this recipe..."

saria's dad: well, you worked so hard on it, so of course it will be great!

Saria: "..." *sighs* "I'm not sure about that...What if it's not hard enough..."

greg: well, if you put your all into something with love, it will turn out well, and even if it doesnt, it's still good because you at least tried.

Saria's Dad: *nom* =w= "So tasty..."

Saria: "..." *sighs* ("That's what they always say.") "May I be excused? I want to do more reading?"

greg: you go do that, we'll save some for later if you get hungry, ok?

Saria: "..." *nods, gathers her books, leaves*

Saria's Dad: "...Did we upset her?"

greg: i hope not...

Saria's Dad: "...Let's put away the leftovers and start on the dishes..." *picks up a plate, one crumb rolling off onto the table*

greg: hmm...

Saria's Dad: *scraps crumbs off the plate into the trash...*

*the crumbs settle at the bottom of the can before the lid closes...then start to shift*

*in saria’s room*

Saria: "..." *checks her phone*

lei-lei: [hey sari! u ok?]

Saria: [worried about tomorrow]

lei-lei: [nervous?]

Saria: [incredibly -~- ]

lei-lei: [understandable.]

Saria: [can we meet up before class? i want to have enough time to put the ingredients away]

lei-lei: [sure! ^w^]

Saria: [thnx. i'll finish reading recipes then head to bed]

lei-lei: [k! C U tomorrow~ \(^o^) ]

Saria: [night] "..." *sighs, opens the 'recipe book' again--* "...What the heck is a 'Black Mercy'?"

-the next day-

Monica: "Mornin', losers."

yolanda: ...

Zarya: "Shh...She's focusing."

Monica: -_-; "Hmph. She's got this in the bag."

lei-lei: *has her apron on*

Saria: *puts some prepared dishes into the fridge* "..." *looks down*

lei-lei: hey, we got this! ^^

Saria: "I hope so--I wasn't feeling confident. But if these recipes work out, maybe I'll be surprised."

lei-lei: that's the spirit!

Saria: *closes the fridge door, smiles lightly*

-the food shifts a bit...then blinks*

Duncan: *looks inside the kitchen* "??? You're doing it wrong--you really should separate the yolks--*

-meanwhile-

yukiko: thanks fer invitin' me as a judge, azusa-san! ^^

Yumi: "We're happy to have you. Have you met Lunch Rush before?"

yukiko: i've heard of 'em.

Lunch Rush: *waves*

Rin: *drooling over the proposed menu* "I am so blessed..."

yukiko: easy there, kiddo. *hair ruffle*

Rin: =_=;

Yumi: "That leaves...Wait, where's Tsubaki?"

-meanwhile-

tsubaki: ._.;

Black Star: "I can't believe they moved the hallways around again! ...Wait, I know a short-cut..." *punches a hole through a hallway wall*

-back at the contest-

Yumi: -_-# "We're going to need a replacement judge--and where am I to find one at this late hour--"

Mephisto: "Hello~"

Rin: *chokes*

lord death: oh! i was half expecting stocking.

Mephisto: "Unfortunately, she's tutoring students--it came up at the last minute."

lord death: i see.

Mephisto: "So, how about Arg's death?"

Rin: ("WHERE IS HIS FREAKING TACT?!")

yukiko: i just want it on record the 7th had nothing to fucking do with that, alright?

Yumi: "No one is accusing anyone, and the internal investigation has concluded that it was a suicide." ("Not that any of us believe that for one second...")

yukiko: tch- i oughta give that department a piece of my mind...

Mephisto: "By the by, Death, I think you have problems with your basement--lot of rats getting into the works down there, if you know what I mean..." *HINT HINT WINK*

Rin: "..." ("He wants an exterminator? What the heck is he talking about?")

lord death: *sigh* we'll see what can be done, but they're elusive little bastards...

Mephisto: "I think you'll need to consider out-sourcing. Rin, for example."

Rin: "?!!! What?!"

*students start entering, dressed like chefs*

Kanin: "Thanks for your help with the vegetarian option--I wanted to offer something that maybe others wouldn't..."

kenji: of course! ^^

Kyoka: *STARING AT THE DISHES* "..." *stomach growl*

Axel: "Mountain Dew chicken and rice FTW!"

Duncan: *grimaces* "You have no class..." *sets down a Jell-O mold*

kyouko: they better not waste anything...

Ragnarok: "Dibs on leftovers!"

Saria: *shakes a bit, but manages to set the dish down carefully...it looks like a very well put-together and delicious quiche*

izumi: it looks delicious!

Saria: "Th-Thanks...I hope I did it right..."

Monica: *pushing people out of the way*

-and so-

Rin: *samples the vegetarian option* "Hmm! This is quite good!" *holds up a sign: 8 out of 10*

yukiko: *nom nom* eh, not terrible. *7/10*

Mephisto: =_=; "Pedestrian. Had better." *holds up a sign: 1 out of 10*

Kanin: ^^; "Worth a shot..."

izumi: wow...

Monica: "Go up and present, girl."

Saria: *watching Yolanda* "..." *gulp*

Lunch Rush: *signing* <What have we here?>

yolanda: well, i decided to make a gumbo that my grandma used to make when we would visit.

Rin: "Oh, cool. I had to make dishes at the church since everyone else's cooking sucked."

-meanwhile-

Fujimoto: "...FFFFFFFFFFFF--"

-back at the contest-

Lunch Rush: <It's good to see dishes with a history!>

Mephisto: =_= "Hmph."

yukiko: *nom* this is really good! i can really taste the spices in it! *9/10*

Rin: *nods* "I think it's super!" *10/10*

Mephisto: "Eh." *2/10*

nagisa: hmm, tough competition.

Crona: "Everyone looks like they put in a lot of work..."

mami: indeed.....*notices someone in the crowd* hm?

Poe: *holding what looks like a stick* "..." *points the stick in different directions*

mami: (what are they doing?)

Mephisto: =~= "How many more entries are there..."

Yumi: -_-# "Just a few more--could you fake interest?"

Mephisto: "I've eaten every dish around the world--five times. Little impresses me..."

Saria: *gulps* *walks up* "H-H-H-Here?"

Poe: "Nothing here..." *points towards the judges' stage*

Karl: *growl wimper*

yukiko: *sniff* smells good enough.

Saria: .~.;

Rin: "That's a unique spice--tastes kinda good!"

Lunch Rush: <Very unique!> *thumbs up*

Mephisto: "..." *tugs on the spoon--and it sticks* "??? ..." *sniff sniff* *eyes widen* "?!!!!!"

Poe: *pointing at Saria's dish* D8 "OH NO!"

izumi: ?!

Saria: Q_Q "Is it really that bad?!"

Quiche: *GURGLES...THEN BLINKS* "..." *SCREAMS*

rowena: !!!! oh no, we're too late....

mami: !!! *soul gem out*

yukiko: shit! *transforms*

Mephisto: "...Okay, I admit, I did not see this comin--"

Quiche Monster: *SWALLOWS MEPHISTO* "..." *BURP*

Yumi: D8

Rin: "...BWHA HA HA HA--"

Quiche Monster: *whips Rin into the wall*

Saria: *stunned*

-people are running away while others join the fight-

kyouko: what the hell is going on?!

Hyde: *snapping pics* "Don't know. But the effects have really gone up this year..."

rowena: sterling rodgers.

Poe: *nods*

Asher: "...The hell is a Sterling Rodgers? A gem?"

rowena: he was a necromancer that hid his spells in cookbooks.

Axel: "People actually do that?"

Yumi: "..." *glares at Poe*

Poe: "It's not my fault! I was moving books, and it was the Nihilque Omnino Liber a Daemonibus Inita--"

Axel: "...That's really wordy."

Asher: "So it's a Food Necronomicon?"

lei-lei: either way, it's a mouthful!

genny: now isnt the time for that!

Poe: "We need the book! I need to apologize to the girl I bumped into and caused all this mess!" >~<

lukas: saria!

*The space where Saria was standing is vacant*

lukas: !!! dammit! *goes to look for her*

yukiko: *fighting the monster*

Axel: "!!! Bro! This is totally going on the bucket list--fighting giant food monsters!"

zeke: hell yeah!

Rin: *stumbles off the wall* "Okay, you quiche bastard! I'm gonna--"

*the Quiche has infected other food, as a spork stabs Rin in the nose*

Rin: "... ... ...AAAAAAAAAAAH--"

Rin: *charges blue flames along his sword* "Now you're gonna get--"

*NOM*

*Rin is now swallowed whole*

kyouko: *slashing at the monsters* RIN! *ATTACKS*

Asher: "...This turned into vore so gradually that I haven't noticed."

hibiki: how do you know what- on second thought i dont want to know.

Asher: >_>; "...Izumi, just hit me against a monster--"

*a flying spaghetti monster lunges at Izumi*

izumi: *dodges out of the way*

-meanwhile-

Saria: *hiding under stairway, sweater pulled up to cover her face*

lei-lei: sari! there you are! come on, the others need us!

Saria: "...This is all my fault..."

lei-lei: sari...

Saria: *whimpers* "I hated it. I hated everything...I felt like I wasn't good enough..."

lei-lei: .....*hug*

Saria: TT~TT "I didn't want to fail and be left behind..."

{Saria, younger: *looking at a recipe book* "??? What's this one, Daddy?"}

{greg: it's a souffle. ^^}

{Saria: "That's sounds funny--" *looks it over* "It looks fluffy!"}

{greg: why dont we make one, all three of us? ^^}

{Saria: 8D "Can we?!" *reaches for the book--but knocks over a glass of water* D8> }

{greg: oh- *chuckle* it's ok bugbear, it was an accident.}

{Saria: "..." *sniffle* "I didn't mean to..."}

{Saria's Dad: "Every problem has a solution--" *shows a roll of paper towels with little ducklings on them* "So we just got to wipe this off and keep going!" *smiles*}

{Saria: "..." *nods* "O-Okay..."}

{greg: *head pat* right!}

Saria: "..." *pulls down the sweater* "I made this mess..."

lei-lei: then let's fix it! ^^

Saria: "..." *nods--and transforms*

lukas: HEEEEELP!! *stuck in the spagetti monster*

lei-lei: *TOSSES SARIA*

Saria: "Lukas!"

lukas: !!! *reaches out*

*good catch!*

nagisa: *attacking the monsters* mami, im about at my limit!

Crona: *swinging Ragnarok into pudding--*

Ragnarok: *SWALLOWS* "..." *burp* "...Hey, this one got tinier!"

*a soup monster crawls on all fours--*

Janitor: "...Soup on all fours? I thought soup would be bipedal..." *desperately trying to clean faster*

Saria: "..." *LIGHT BULB* "That's it! Crona, you're weapon is a genius!"

nagisa: *attacking, when her soul gem darkens, and something comes out of her mouth*

charlotte: MOGEGEGEGEEEEE!

Axel: "...What."

kyouko: shit!

Quiche Monster: *still infecting other food*

Yumi: "There's no spot to fire at!" *keeps shooting*

charlotte: *starts eating the monsters*

Saria: "Do what the worm thing is doing--eat them!"

yukiko: the fuck? that wraith is _helping_ us?

Quiche Monster: *doubles over, groaning* *looks like it's turning blue?*

kyouko: !!!

Quiche Monster: *gurgles--before it gets cooked--and explodes, revealing Rin and Mephisto inside*

Rin: *wielding his blue flames* -_-# "Ugh--nothing worse than overcooked food..."

Mephisto: *licks his finger* "Mmm! Not bad!" *holds up a sign: 6/10*

Ragnarok: *sliding along the floor, mouth opening and closing as he eats* "WAKA WAKA WAKA WAKA--"

kyouko: *cringes* this better not go to waste!

Axel: "Five second rule!" *eats a monster mini-bagel pizza*

-and so-

charlotte: *dissapates*

Yumi: *intense stare at the NOTers and the Occult Club*

nagisa: mmmn... ugh...*RAINBOWBARF*

Crona: ._.; *offers a napkin*

yukiko: what the hell?!

Lunch Rush: <This reminds me of the Austin chili contest fiasco--they still haven't gotten the scent out of the canal...>

Poe + Saria: "I'M SO SORRY!"

lord death: *sigh and tiny chop to them both* next time double check on these things.

Poe: TT~TT "Yes, sir..."

tsubaki: we're he-... ._. what on earth?

Saria: "Please don't fire Mr Poe! It's my fault..."

Black Star: "I told you my shortcut would-- ...YOU STARTED A FOOD FIGHT?! WITHOUT ME?!"

izumi: it's a long story.

Kaoru: "Lord Pheles! I came as soon as I got your alert!"

Mephisto: "There you are, Tsubaki!"

tsubaki: im right here though?

Kaoru: "??? No, I'm Tsubaki."

naho: .w.

Black Star: "..." *PUNCHES KAORU* "STAY AWAY FROM MY WEAPON!"

mahiru: just how many tsubaki's are there?!

Kuro: =_= "This is the stupidest thing I have been involved in all month."

Hyde: "Oh, what up, bro?" *covered in red stuff*

Kuro Cat: *walks in, leaps on Rin's shoulder*

Kuro: "... ... ...Nope."

izumi: you know, i think i learned something today....

Asher: "Cooking was a mistake?"

Axel: "Wash your hands before dinner?"

izumi:.....actually i got nothing i was hoping i'd think of something. ^^;

Monica: "Yolanda is the only one we should let cook."

Mephisto: "We still need to decide a winner...Which dish was not infected by the demon?"

Yumi: *holds up a Jell-O mold*

Mephisto: "Fine, this thing wins."

Duncan: "Ha!"

lei-lei + hibiki + others: WHAT?!

Duncan: "What do I win?!"

Janitor: *hands Duncan a mop* "Clean up duty."

Duncan: 0n0#

-elsewhere-

Todoroki: *staring at a text message* "..." *sets down his phone* "..." *sets his arms on the table, thinking*

fuyumi: ?? everything ok?

Todoroki: "...I got a text from someone claiming to be Natsuo's classmate."

fuyumi: did something happen?!

Todoroki: >_>; "...They said their sister wants my autograph."

fuyumi: ...^^;

*Fuyumi's phone has a text message*

fuyumi: *looks*

Unknown number: [sis someone stole my fone so ignore weirdo messages]

fuyumi: [it's 'phone']

Unknown number: [thats how u know its me :P ]

-elsewhere-

All Might: *coughing, doubled over in the teachers' lounge*

midnight: .-.

All Might: *waves* "I'm fine..." *wipes his mouth* "Just need to take five..." *sits on the couch, reaching for his bottle of water*

midnight: maybe head home for the day, i'll handle the rest of your workload-

All Might: "I-I can't--I'm trying to finish up a training schedule for--" *collapses*

midnight: !! shit! recovery girl! get in here!

*a small siren is heard--as Recovery Girl drives in on a scooter*

-elsewhere-

Shinsou: <So support students don't go on training trips like the hero students?>

mei: nope! besides, i couldnt just leave my babies unattended all summer!

Shinsou: ._.; <I see...So, no science fairs after I-Island blew up?>

mei: alas, not this time. but it'd be nice to see the blonde angel again~<3 huh? oh right!

Shinsou: (" 'Blonde angel'?") <"Oh right" what?>

mei: i wanted to show you something! follow me!

-elsewhere-

NOS: "Absolutely appalling security parameters--I'm asleep how long, yet what advancements have I seen..." *thumbing through psychological profiles of Pro Heroes*

himiko: *brushing the hair of a doll*

Dabi: *looking stuff up on his phone* "Says the 'bot who's running on DVDs and 8-trax."

twice: BUUURN! *hand up for a high five*

Dabi: "..." *back to his phone*

NOS: -_-# "I have upgraded to SSD and cloud storage. So watch it, before I share your search history with the entire group."

shaula: ok boomer.

NOS: "YOU'RE OLDER THAN ME, YOU TROLLOP."

shaula: =3= ruuude.

Kurogiri: "Please do not squabble." *offers Shaula a drink--and passes motor oil to NOS*

kurome: *sips her orange juice*

NOS: "..." *whispers to Himiko* "How old is the child?"

himiko: 4-5 i think?

NOS: "..." ("Do I even want to know how this happened? Or where the mother is? Is there a mother?")

kurome: *looks up* *offers her juice*

NOS: "Um...No, thank you."

-elsewhere-

Kota: *kicks a rock up the path to the cave* "..."

sphinx: there you are, kouta!

calico: mandalay was worried about you.

Kota: "?! Were you following me?!!"

calico: more of we were following your footprints-

sphinx: *elbows her*

calico: >~0

Kota: "?!!! Jerk!" *stamps on Calico's foot*

calico: OWIE! >~<

Kota: *starts running*

sphinx: *runs after him*

calico: ok I’ll just be here. on the ground. hurtin'.

Kota: *trying to get through the trees--*

*SMACK*

*hits a tree branch*

sphinx: *picks him up and carries him back*

Kota: @_@ *looks like his nose is bleeding a bit*

calico: heeeey...

sphinx: *dragging her by the arm*

calico: thank you.

-elsewhere-

Monica: *lifting Saria up by the collar* "YOU APOLOGIZE FOR THIS MESS!"

Saria: TT~TT "I've said I'm sorry, Yolanda--twelve times now!"

yolanda: come on, monica, let her go already...

Monica: "...Tch." *sets Saria down*

Saria: TT~TT "I just look forward to going home after today..."

lukas: mind if i walked you home?

Saria: "I-I'd appreciate that, thanks..."

lukas: *nods and walks with her*

Saria: "...I really screwed this up."

lukas: saria...

Saria: "I just felt like I wasn't good enough...Sometimes I wonder what we're all doing here--the DWMA is not an easy school..."

lukas: ....*hug*

Saria: "...?!" .\\\\\\.

lukas: im not really the best at giving advice, so...i thought this would help...

Saria: "..." *hug* "Th-Thanks..." *sniffle*

lukas:.... .///. well....

Saria: "I-I...I--"

*CRASH*

lukas: ?!?!?!

Saria's Dad: "I got another one!" *holds up a mini-Waffle Man on a fork*

Waffle-Man: "UNHAND ME, MORTAL--"

greg: EEEEP!! >~<;;

Saria's Dad: *nom*

Saria: D8>

greg: BUGBEAR, HELP!! DX>

Saria: O_O; "I am so grounded...Lukas, will you do the honors?" *transforms*

-elsewhere-

Charon: *rubbing his shoulder* "Take five." *walks away from a bloodied Hood*

hood: *groan*

arrow:....

Charon: *walks into the infirmary, opens the freezer for an ice pack*

Sho: *hiding behind Arrow* "..." *looks around her at the victim*

arrow:......

Sho: *cringes, holding his chest*

arrow:......*looks at sho, worried*

Sho: "I-I'll go back to my room now..." *walks to leave--and bumps into someone*

Hood 2: "?!!!! I'M SO SORRY! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!" *bows in front of Sho*

arrow: ??

Sho: "No, it's fine--"

*slice*

Hood 2: *falls down, unconscious*

arrow: !!

Haumea: "Hmph." *steps on Hood 2* "No courtesy from these lemmings. Get this one back to the infirmary."

arrow:......

Sho: "..." *grabs Arrow's hand* "Take me back..."

arrow:....of course, my lord....

Hood 2: *dragged to the infirmary, blood spread down the hall...*

Sho: *shaking*

arrow:......

Inka: "Yo, Sho!" *waves*

Sho: *hides by Arrow's side*

arrow: inka, he's not in the mood for this.

Inka: "Come on--he's rarely makes any appearances anymore! How about we go pester the moles a bit more--" *starts poking Sho in the cheek--*

*CHOMP*

Inka: "... ..." *screams*

arrow: !!

Sho: *lets go of Inka's finger*

Inka: "WHAT THE HELL?!" *clutching her hand* "...At least do the other one, too--"

arrow: *glares at her before walking off with sho in tow*

Sho: "..." *starts crying as they near his door*

arrow:.......

Sho: *falls onto his bed, face-down in his pillow* *muttering* "I wish I was..."

arrow: with your brother....right?

Sho: "Dead."

arrow:.........*hugs him*

Sho: *sobs into her shoulder* "I'm a monster..."

arrow: *rubs his back*

Sho: *hiccups and cries himself until he passes out*

arrow:.....(we cant....stay here anymore.....we'll likely be on the run for the rest of our lives, but he cant...he cant stay in this place.....)

Sho: "Zzz..."

arrow:.....(we'll leave this place....even if it kills me....)

-elsewhere-

Vector: *at a burger stand* <You ever seen this man?> *holds up a photo of Luke*

kid: <wasnt he on TV a while back?>

Vector: <He was in that Robot Fight in IC Prefecture--before that terrorist attack.>

kid: <oh yeah...i think he died or somethin?>

Vector: <...Yeah, sure, that's it.> *groans* <Do you have a veggie burger?>

-elsewhere-

Rin: =_=# "It was such a mess..."

kyouko: TT~TT

Fujimoto: "So let me get this straight--someone who wants to become the next Paladin got eaten alive by a demon foodstuff. ...Excuse me." *turns away--and starts laughing uproariously*

Rin: >_<# "IT'S NOT FUNNY, YOU OLD FART!"

kyouko: so much wasted food....

Fujimoto: "What, didn't anyone eat the leftovers?"

-elsewhere-

nagisa: *laying on the couch, clutching her stomach* =~=

mami:.....

Crona: "Would you like more ginger ale?"

nagisa: *nods*

Crona: *pours some*

Ragnarok: *stomach expanded* =w= "We were eating fine today~"

mami: *thinking about how charlotte appeared as nagisa's soul gem was darkened* hmmm...

sayaka: and you're sure you dont remember anything?

nagisa: *shakes head* not really, i just kinda blacked out...

sayaka: hmmm, i think it's like what happened to me in hoozuki...only i didnt lose consciousness...do you think it has something to do with that marble we got off those white hooded twins back then?

mami: perhaps....

Crona: "..."

Ragnarok: *nods off*

mami: homura mentioned something about a dream she had the other night. a dream that said to go to kamihama city...

sayaka: KAMIHAMA!? the magical girl capitol of, like, the whole world probably?!

Ragnarok: "Ngh, be quiet..." *tosses a couch pillow at Sayaka*

Crona: ._.; "May be worth a look?"

mami: perhaps.....from what i've heard, similar cases have been happening in kamihama in recent years as well...

Crona: "Want to call in assistance?"

mami: a good idea...

-elsewhere-

Pumpkin: *pulled in against the rain*

-footsteps are heard-

Pumpkin: *alert, conjures a shield*

misaki: mr pumpkin, are you in?

Pumpkin: "...You."

misaki: *small smile*

Pumpkin: "...Why are you here? It's miserable out."

misaki: i was....i was worried for you.

Pumpkin: "Hmph. There's no concern for that--" *his arm, wet from the rain, falls off*

misaki: oh!!

Pumpkin: "...It-It grows back...I swear." >_>;

misaki: *picks up the arm and hands it to him*

Pumpkin: "..." *nods, reattaches it...* "..." *sniffle*

misaki:....*offers her umbrella*

Pumpkin: "...Thank you."

misaki: *smiles*.....say.....if you wanted....you could stay at my house for a while.....s-sorry, that was a bit forward, wasnt it?

Pumpkin: "...How the hell am I supposed to do that? I stick out like...do you have 'sore thumbs' in this dimensions?"

misaki: it's quite alright. i live alone...well, there is that crow, alistair, but....

Pumpkin: "YOU NAMED THAT WINGED BEAST?"

{Imaginary Alistair: "CAH HA HA HA~"}

misaki: ^^;;

Pumpkin: "I assure you, I need no chari--charit--AH-CHOO!" *sneezes fire--then collapses*

misaki: !!!! *helps him up*

Pumpkin: *he looks barely conscious*

misaki:......*helping him walk*

-in asunaro-

???: *running through back alleys while two hooded figures are in pursuit*

???: "We're getting closer."

-the person reaches a dead end-

???: SHIT!!

???: well, you dont have anywhere to run now, so you may as well join us. right tsukasa?

Tsukasa: "Please say 'yes'--it makes things more pleasant."

???: tch- you really think im willing to go with you after you attacked me?! fat chance!! besides, what you're talking about, it's crazy!

tsukuyo:....well, that is rather unfortunate...wouldnt _you_ agree?

???: i said- *freezes as she feels something in the shadows behind her*

Demongo: "Hello~"

???: !!! g-get the hell away from me!!

tsukuyo: my apologies, akane sumire, but you made your choice...

akane sumire: s-stay the hell back you freak!!

Demongo: *his skull-mouth opens wide* "AAAAAAAAAH--"

-sumire can barely let out a cry for help-

-VREEEN-

tsukuyo:.....nn...

Demongo: =w=

Tsukasa: "Well..."

tsukuyo: that was unfortunate....oh well, whats done is done....let's go, the magius will be expecting us back in kamihama by tomorrow...

Demongo: "Give me a second--got to walk this off...Need to jog more..." *follows*

-not too far away, a figure watches them-

???: "My, my, my; what lovely gems~"

-morning-

mirai: uuuugh, it's too hoooooooot!! =~=

Umika: "Yes, summer tends to be warm."

kaoru: let's go to the beach!

niko: im not fond of sand. its gritty and it gets everywhere.

Saki: "Okay, Anakin."

mirai: i agree with niko, the only swimsuit i look ok in is a school swimsuit and people will laugh at me!

Satomi: "How about camping? We could even see wildlife up close and personal."

mirai: good idea, saki, umika?

Umika: "Beach."

Saki: "Beach."

niko: it appears we're at a tie, then...

Umika: "I guess that leaves it up to Kazumi."

kazumi: leave what up to me? *her hair is complete bedhead*

kaoru: *SNRK*

Umika: *clears her throat* "We were thinking of a summer trip. Would you prefer the beach or camping?"

mirai: we're half-and-half on what we want to do.

kazumi: ...well, summer break is until september, right?

Saki: "Uh huh?"

kazumi: it's july right now, so there's no reason we cant do both, right?

kaoru:....she's got a point.

Saki: "...I suppose so?"

niko: that still doesnt answer the question.

kazumi:..... .n.; coin flip?

Umika: "Heads beach, tails camping...Who has a coin?"

niko: *holds one up*

Saki: "Flip it.”

-HEADS-

kaoru: wahoo!

Saki: "Neat!"

mirai: *siiiiigh* i'll go get my stupid swimsuit then. =A=

niko: at least the water will cool you off. plus better wifi.

Umika: "Kazumi, we should get you a new swimsuit as well."

kaoru: and a haircut! *laughing*

kazumi: really?

Saki: "Wouldn't it make you feel a bit better?"

kazumi: ...i guess so.

toto: *pokes head out of her hair* mrow?

Umika: "..." *stifles her laughter*

-elsewhere-

Yumi: *dialing on a mirror* "...Marie? You there?"

marie: yes?

Yumi: "Hello. I wanted to follow up about an official report from your trip."

marie: honestly, it feels like we havent gotten anywhere.

Yumi: "I'm sorry to hear that. Have you found witnesses to the crimes?"

-elsewhere-

Anya: *curled up in bed* "..."

mio:....hey....anya?

Anya: *grunts* "Yeah?"

mio: you doing ok?......i brought you a baguette.

Anya: "..." *STOMACH GROWLS* "...Thank you." *sad nom*

mio:......sooooo....

Anya: "...I grew up without siblings, so the thought of even having one never crossed my mind! Now I'm supposed to think, 'Oh, so I may have a sibling'?! HOW AM I TO DEAL WITH THAT?!!" *angry nomming*

mio:...i think i get it, suddenly having a sibling can be a shock. it sure as heck shocked me when my little brother was born.

Anya: "Hmmm...What was that like? How old were you?"

mio: well, my-....hmmm, let me do the math on that...

Anya: -_-; "In any case, at least you knew your sibling from the beginning--I know next to nothing about...mine."

mio:.....im not sure what else to say....

ao: you're afraid.

Anya: "WHAT?!" *shivers*

ao: suddenly everything is different for you and you're beside yourself on what to do...would this be an accurate assessment?

Anya: *shaking* "I-I think so..."

ao: i see. i suppose that's reasonable. if i were in your situation, i'd probably feel the same way, unsure of who to confide in or talk to...

Anya: "...I don't even know how I would talk to _him_."

mio: w-well you dont have do talk to him _now_.

Anya: =_= "I suppose...Not like I was going to dial him up." *gestures to...a phone that looks like it was made by Alexander Graham Bell*

-elsewhere-

Black Star: *packing an overnight bag*

naho: whatcha doin?

Black Star: "Got a mission! A quick one!"

naho: cool!

Black Star: "Yeah! There's been all these disappearances in Seoul!"

tsubaki: otogiri, shamrock, you'll look after things while we're gone?

Belkia: "D'aw, why don't you ever let me be in charge?" *has Sakuya tied and hanging from the ceiling*

-elsewhere-

Kid: *appearing on a mirror in Soul's apartment* "We have to talk."

soul: sup?

Kid: "There are missions piling up after the Kishinites incident--so Father wants to send out as many available people as possible. Unfortunately, some are already on missions overseas."

soul: ah. let me guess, one of these missions is for me?

Kid: "Perceptive, as usual. We have a few options. Perhaps a visit to France?"

soul: i take it no bringing the kids?

Kid: "...Given the circumstances of this case, I think it would be best not to."

soul: thought so. im sure blair will look after them till i get back.

Kid: "Good, then. I have to travel as well for a mission."

-elsewhere-

Nirvana Employee 1: "He's been...less pleasant than usual since the first madness spike."

luka: *sigh* perhaps i should talk to him.

Nirvana Employee 1: "Try this." *hands a box of chocolates* "Also, don't extend your hand out." *has an arm entirely bandaged*

luka:....i doubt he'll be amused, but whatever...

*there's one door where humming is heard*

luka: *shudders* *touches her necklace before entering*

Asura: *resting his head on Mikan's lap*

mikan: *looks up* hm?

Asura: *groans* "What now." *the energy is radiating off of him*

luka: am i interrupting?

mikan: as a matter of fact, yes.

Asura: "I already told the last flunky--my head is killing me. Or do you want a 'manicure,' too?"

luka:....would you care to explain _why_ your head is killing you?

Asura: "If I knew that, I would have stopped the pain already. I only feel this much pain when around another with a powerful soul wavelength..."

luka: like your wife?

Asura: *pierces the wall by her head with a scarf* "We are compatible."

luka: right, she's the only thing keeping you from going on a rampage.

Asura: "...These are brave words from someone with a death wish."

luka: im just stating the facts.

Asura: "...These are amateurs, playing with a madness wavelength that is discordant with my own. That is all I can determine. Go tell that to your supervisors."

luka: very well then. *exits*

heibito:....daddy? what wrong?

Asura: "..." *pats his head* "Just a headache."

-elsewhere-

Akane: "Good day. Sorry that Clay made us late. I brought donuts."

Youta: ._.

Sid: "Have a seat. We were going over intelligence."

clay: so what's up?

Sid: *shows a map with Kishin Symbols all over it*

clay: dang....

Cho: "The Kishinites were targeting Death City, likely as a distraction for global efforts...Sid was telling me about certain Magic Tools that would assist them."

clay: and the sages?

Sid: "They're doing the best they can--but that's like using a hammer to smash ants. Our work is more precise. So while Zubaidah and others help with the flashy stuff, we're going to be working in shadows."

-elsewhere-

shinra: *YAAAAAAAAAAWN* =~=

Relan: "Zzz..."

shinra:....*pats his head before getting up*

Akitaru: *already making coffee in the kitchen*

shinra: morning.

argit: yo.

shinra:.....why are you still here?

argit: eh, just felt like it.

Akitaru: "I've tried getting him to leave."

{Akitaru: *spritzing with a water bottle*}

argit: *shrugs and eats his bacon*

Viktor: -^- "This is so annoying--some newbie showing up at random out of nowhere, uninvited." *eats toast*

maki:.......

Komori: <Are you fucking kidding me?>

shinra: -.- (i'd rather have schop here...)

Arthur: "In times of famine, desperate people often turn to consuming the vermin present to satiate their hunger. I propose we eat the mongoose."

argit: hey fuck you!

maki:.....so shinra, you feeling any better?

shinra: y-yeah, i dont know what came over me last night...

Akitaru: "...You going to be ready for today's tasks?"

shinra: of course!

Akitaru: *nods* "Keep your phone on today to check in. This is going to be an important one."

nozomi: good morning everyone.

tamaki: *following behind her*

Akitaru: "Howdy! Just about done with the eggs."

Arthur: "..."

tamaki:....thank you.

Komori: *holds up a sign at Argit*

argit: hmn?

Komori: *small print for only Argit to see* <Talk shit about either of them, and you'll wake up in a bathtub without your kidneys.>

argit: o-o tch- *grumble grumble*

-elsewhere-

Australian Park Ranger: "My people found the nest without its eggs. This job was too clean to be a predator--at least, not a non-human predator. These were poachers."

janine: damn...

marie: how awful, the poor mother...

Ranger: "What bugs me is that no one ever sees 'em--it's like they're invisible. Not even footprints."

janine: hmmmm *looking around*

*the nest has feathers in it, as would be expected--except one does not look like the others...*

janine: hmm?

*the feathers in the nest are white or gold...this one Janine sees is purple*

janine: well look at that...

Ranger: "??? What's that supposed to be?"

janine: not sure....a clue most likely.

-elsewhere-

*a Tennessee purple finch eats sunflower seeds before hopping back onto its owner's shoulder*

Poacher: *rubs the bird's head* "You got them locked up?"

???: yeah, these lil bastards wont be causing trouble anytime soon.

Poacher: "Can't wait--Blanche here can't stand this heat. Ain't that right, Blanche~?" *pets Blanche the finch*

Blanche: =w=

*something big rattles in a cage*

-elsewhere-

tsukasa: *playing DDR*

Tsukuyo: *sips a soda, watching*

Demongo: *posing as a shadow*

tsukasa: *stomach rumbles* im hungry, tag out!

Tsukuyo: *sets the soda down, leaps in*

Demongo: "Pick me up something, too!"

-the door opens and a girl enters and approaches-

tsukasa: ??

souju: *takes a seat at their table* ^u^

tsukasa: uhhhh may we help you?

Demongo: "???" *observing Souju*

souju: *offers hand* ayase souju, at your service! please, call me souju~

tsukasa: erm... ._.;

Tsukuyo: *finishes up* "Ta-da!" *looks back* "???"

souju: you two are magical girls, yes~?

tsukasa: ?! h-how did-

souju: i saw you both last night.

tsukasa: !! *looks at tsukuyo* (do you think she's onto us...?)

Tsukuyo: *goes stone-faced* "Hm. And what would that be?"

souju: i'd like to invite you to my house for tea~ ^^

tsukasa: ?? that's it?

Demongo: OwO ("WITH LITTLE COOKIES--")

Tsukuyo: "I don't know..."

Demongo: =_=;

souju: you mentioned something about 'joining' and it got me curious...

Tsukuyo: "?!"

tsukasa: *looks at tsukuyo*

Tsukuyo: "..." *shakes her head*

souju: pretty please~? i'll make it worth your while~

Tsukuyo: "...If you're serious..."

souju: wonderful!

Tsukuyo: *looks at Tsukasa* ("I got a bad feeling about this...")

-elsewhere-

*in a hospital in Seoul*

Doctor: <Another one...>

Patient: *staring up at the ceiling...with eyes that are white, blinded*

nurse: <what do you think happened?>

Doctor: <I would have said it was cornea failure, but...> *gestures to rows of patients, all with the same affliction* <This is too coincidental...>

-elsewhere-

Pumpkin: *snoring*

-smells like toast?-

Pumpkin: *groans, opens his eyes...* "...Where am I?"

misaki: oh, you're awake. *smiles*

Pumpkin: "...Oh. Right. Hello. Has the rain stopped?" *looks around*

misaki: *nods* i made some toast...

Pumpkin: "..." *stands up, looking where he slept*

Alistair: *eating from a bowl of seeds*

-the couch seems a bit old, but not uncomfortable-

Pumpkin: "..." *tries to fold up the blanket*

misaki: *making tea*

Pumpkin: "...It was a comfortable sleep."

misaki: im glad to hear that.

Pumpkin: *takes a seat at the table, looking around the kitchen*

-there are various spices and cooking tools about, as well as a few herbs and a cookbook-

Pumpkin: "You cook much?"

misaki: usually for myself, i dont have guests often.

Pumpkin: "I see..." *spots a textbook on the table* "???'

misaki: toast is ready.

Pumpkin: "...Thank you." *takes a piece* *nom* "...It's good."

misaki: *smiles*

Pumpkin: "Is that cinnamon on it?"

Alistair: *hops onto Misaki's shoulder*

-elsewhere-

Hirotsu: "Here are the crayons, the paper, the paste, and the glitter. Have fun, kiddos."

Tachihara: *seated at the kiddie table* "...WAIT A SEC!"

miyuri: yaaaay!! ^o^

Tachihara: *grumbling* "Why's that old fart treating me like some kid?! I ain't a child--" *doodling on paper* "Yo, Sonia, could you pass the yellow crayon?"

sonia: *hands it to him*

Tachihara: "Yeah, thanks--WHY'S HE GOT TO BE LIKE THAT TO ME?! What if it was your pops treating you like that?!"

sonia:......

Tachihara: "..." *grumbles* "I'm sorry for yelling..."

sonia: you're frustrated.

Tachihara: "You're daaaaaaaaa--...darn right I am. Sometimes I feel like I'm treated like the misfit."

sonia: im sure you'll prove yourself someday.

Tachihara: "...Maybe. I'll...I'll just get back to drawing...What you drawing?"

-elsewhere-

Meme: "Tsugumi, look at this email!"

tsugumi: hmm?

*it looks to be from Marie Mjolnir*

tsugumi: oh!

Meme: "She seems really busy with poachers!"

tsugumi: gagantous!

Meme: "She is reaching out to anyone available to help..."

tsugumi: hmm....

Anya: *packing*

tsugumi: anya?

Anya: "We should help Miss Marie! It would give me something to focus on..."

mio: good idea.

Maid: "Princess, I am afraid you are not permitted to leave."

tsugumi: eh?

Maid: "It would be dangerous to have you go running out so abruptly..."

Anya: "?!!!" *shuts her suitcase, marches out of the room* "Then I know with whom to speak..."

tsugumi: wait, anya!

Anya: *heading into the throne room...*

kathleen: ?? anya?

Anya: "What's this about me not being allowed to leave?!"

kathleen: !! *looks at charles*

Charles: "Anya, now calm down--"

Anya: 0n0 "I WILL NOT CALM DOWN! I am my own adult, and I get to make my decisions--"

*cooks are setting out an extravagant dinner...*

kathleen: anya, please-

Anya: "WHY WON'T YOU LET ME FINISH A SENTENCE--"

Cook: "Excuse me, Princess--will you be having the beef or the pork?"

Anya: "Beef please, thank you. AND ANOTHER--...What."

kathleen: we just.....wanted one more family dinner before you left in the morning...

Charles: ^^; "I suppose we should have clarified to the maids that it would be dangerous for you to leave on an empty stomach..."

Anya: "... ... ..." T\\\\T;

-elsewhere-

kazumi: woah!

Umika: "Impressive, isn't it?"

kaoru: *in a sporty swimsuit* heck yeah it is!

Satomi: >_>; *watches a hermit crab*

mirai: *staaaaare* 0n0

Saki: "Ah, come on--try to have some fun."

mirai: IM NOT CRYING AT ALL!

kazumi: the sand feels so funny!

Umika: "Hang on--let's finish your sunscreen..."

kazumi: o-ok.

Saki: "But then we're going seashell hunting, and swimming, and snorkeling, and--"

Satomi: *curls up under an umbrella*

nico: -.-;

Umika: "The camp will be waiting for us--now, it's fun and sun. There, you are successfully blocked."

kazumi: thank you!

Saki: "What do you want to do first?" *holds up a bucket* "We can also make sandcastles?"

kazumi: yeah!

Saki: ^^ "Okay!" *buckets up sand*

kaoru: umika, lets play some volleyball!

Umika: "Very well--maybe go a bit easy on me..."

mirai: *sulks under the umbrella* T^T

Satomi: "My sympathies..." *opens a book, puts on sunglasses*

mirai: *stares at her* (IM NOT CRYING AT ALL!!)

Satomi: *offers a tissue* "Here."

nico: *looking around*

*looks like an ice cream stand on the boardwalk*

nico: *checks her wallet*

*big sign: "FREE SAMPLES"*

nico:.....hey, anyone want something from the ice cream stand?

Saki: "Yes, please!"

mirai: parfait.

Umika: "Kazumi, want anything?"

kazumi: shaved ice for me!

Umika: "And sorbet for me, please."

Ice Cream Vendor: *ringing the bell*

-elsewhere-

Flight Attendant: <Welcome to Seoul.> ^^

Black Star: *yaaaaaaaawns* "I need coffee and a donut."

tsubaki: ^^;

Pilot: "???" <Fancy DWMA logo on that scarf, ma'am. You looking for the regional office?>

tsubaki: <yes.>

Pilot: <You're going to want to speak to the police station in Terminal A, first floor. They'll provide you an escort.>

Black Star: O_O; ("I hate being behind the language barrier...")

-elsewhere-

Cabbie: *speaking French* <You from around here, young'un?>

soul: <not locally, no.>

Cabbie: <I could tell from the accent--you from across the pond?> *driving by a shipyard...looks like an airship docked there*

soul: <more or less, yeah.>

Cabbie: <Got ya. Well, there's the spot...Kind of a rundown chateau, you sure this is the address?>

soul: *checks phone*

*that's the address--looks like there are some text messages, too*

soul: <yep. this is the place.>

Cabbie: <Alright. That'll be 50 euros--I'll get your bags.>

soul: ......

{Kid: "We've had a serial killer. I warn you, the scenes are...reminiscent of work you've seen before, in Stein's classes."}

{soul: ok....i'll keep an eye out.}

soul:....

*it looks like someone is loading crates off an airship into a van labeled "Haijima"*

???: <Careful--those are rare specimens.>

soul: ...*walks up to the house*

*inside are two elderly women*

soul:...*ahem* <good afternoon, ma'ams.> *nods*

???: <Ah, hello, young man. Are you Mr. Evans?>

soul: <and if i am?>

???: <We got the call to set up your room. I'm Sami Champlain, and this is my wife, Françoise Du Pont.>

Francoise: -_-; <Death is making his kiddos scrawny now...> *pokes Soul's arm*

soul: ^-^;

Sami: <Stop teasing the boy, Franny. Here, I'll help you with your bags...> *moves fast but is taking such small steps with such small legs that she is nowhere near his bags...*

soul: <i can handle it, ma'am, really...>

Francoise: <You don't even look like you could lift a feather!>

Sami: <I'm sure it's just jet lag, dear.>

soul: *lifts the bags*

Francoise: <MAKING FUN OF ME, EH?! I bench-press a sea-cow every morning! Feel this arm!> *flexes*

-elsewhere-

nico: the barbeque is ready.

Saki: "Thanks! I'm starving!"

kazumi: *nom* *shiny eyes* woah! this is good!

Satomi: "It sure is!" *bites into roasted corn*

kaoru: *nom* mmm!.... huh, looks like someone's shooting discs.

nico:.....

{*BANG*}

{-screaming is heard...-}

umika:...co...nico?

nico: !!!

Satomi: "You okay?"

nico:....i-im fine. just...zoned out for a moment.

Satomi: "Maybe you need something to drink?"

nico: y-yeah..

-elsewhere-

Demongo: *staring at tiny cakes*

tsukasa: .w.

souju: dig in~ ^w^

Tsukuyo: "..." *hesitantly picks one up*

souju: ^w^

Demongo: *whispers* "Pst--I want the strawberry one..."

tsukasa: 7n7

Demongo: "Come on--do it!"

*looks like a door is opened a bit nearby...*

Tsukuyo: *looks at the door* "???"

souju:....want to see something amazing?

Tsukuyo: *looks at Tsukasa* "Want to?"

tsukasa: hmmm...

souju: please, i insist~! ^^

Tsukuyo: "O-Okay?" *stands up*

Demongo: *following in shadows*

-inside of the room is magical girl merchandise. all over the walls. the floor, bed, everywhere-

tsukasa: um....wow...

souju: isnt it wonderful~?

tsukasa: yooouuuu really like magical girls, dont you?

souju: oh i absolutely ADORE them!

Demongo: ("...Not wrong, mostly?")

Tsukuyo: *backs up* ("Something isn't right...")

souju:...you know, im rather jealous of you two...being able to know your sister.......i was supposed to be a twin as well, but my sister, luca, died in childbirth.

tsukasa: !!

Tsukuyo: "Oh dear--I'm so sorry..."

souju: indeed....i was quite lonely, and the fact my parents were always at work didnt help matters.....but when i discovered the world of magical girls, it was true love at first sight...so i began collecting.

Tsukuyo: "I see...It is an impressively exhaustive collection..."

souju: indeed....but it wasnt enough....i wanted to collect more....authentic, merchandise, shall we say.....*takes out a box, full of soul gems* even if the donors were....less than willing~

Tsukuyo: "?!"

Demongo: "OH SHIT!"

tsukasa: are those.....actual soul gems?

souju: but of course! sadly, i had to get my hands a bit dirty to get them, but arent they just beautiful? they say soul gems are connected to their souls themselves.

tsukasa: you're....you're insane.

Demongo: "I agree--and that's saying something..."

Tsukuyo: *backs away*

souju: oh, you arent leaving now, are you~?

tsukasa: yes, we are! you're nuts! even _she_ isnt this bad!

souju: that's a shame...i really wanted to add you to my collection. *transforms* it seems i'll have to dirty my hands again. oh well~<3

Tsukuyo: "?! Tsukasa!" *transforms*

tsukasa: right! *transforms*

Tsukuyo: *prepares her shinobue flute*

-elsewhere-

*an elevator in Lotte Tower is taking Black Star and Tsubaki up to the top floor*

DWMA Agent: *passes a security badge* <It's not our usual policy to have patients brought to the offices, but this was a rare exception given their condition.>

tsubaki: <i see.>

Black Star: =_= "I don't suppose you speak anything else?"

DWMA Agent: ^^; "Sorry about that--just a bit flustered with these cases and, well, we heard a lot about both of you."

-ding-

*doors open to a skull-shaped hallway, with glass walls showing out over Seoul*

tsubaki: wow...

Black Star: *face pressed against the glass* "No wonder Lord Death wanted this thing up here--you can see everything!"

Agent: "Tallest building in the city!" *leads them down the hall* "I have to warn you, this might get a bit intimidating..."

tsubaki:...*nods*

Black Star: "How bad can this be?" *spots the door* "I'll go first!" *kicks the door open--*

???: "OW!"

tsubaki: D8

Black Star: "???" *looks behind the door to see a very annoyed physician*

Physician: -_-# *pokes Black Star in the eyes with two fingers*

Black Star: "GAH!" *clutches his face* "WHAT THE HELL?!"

tsubaki: black*star!! *goes over to him*

Agent: "How's the patient, doc?"

Physician: "Their aura got worse. Bring the weapon, leave the meister."

tsubaki:....

Black Star: "HEY! I'm plenty useful too--"

Agent: *leads Black Star into a briefing room*

Physician: "Weapon Nakatsukasa, how familiar are you with medicine?"

tsubaki: well, i do know first aid at the very least. and please, call me tsubaki.

Physician: *a shorter person, looks up at Tsubaki* "...Hmph. That won't be enough to understand the physical condition of the patient, but your connection to the Nakatsukasa may help..." *opens a door, revealing the patient in bed...their eyes are blank, pure white, just staring up blind at a ceiling*

Patient: "..."

tsubaki:......<hello.>

Patient: *sniffles, crying* <H-Hi...Who are you? You don't sound like the doctor--you sound actually friendly.>

Physician: -_-#

tsubaki: <my name is tsubaki. what's yours?>

Patient: <...Bong.>

tsubaki: <it's nice to meet you, bong.>

Bong: <Th-Thanks...I want to go back to work--but I'm like this now. That thing came out of nowhere...>

tsubaki: <what thing?>

Bong: <It was hideous--it pulled me into an alley and had this eye growing out of its forehead...>

tsubaki: !! *listening*

*a man in a business suit enters*

???: <Don't tell me you're lecturing our guest upon their arrival, Doctor!>

Physician: -_-# <Director.>

tsubaki: um...

???: *offers his hand to Tsubaki* <Lee Sang, Seoul DWMA director. A pleasure to meet you, Weapon Nakatsukasa.>

tsubaki: <likewise. and please, call me tsubaki.>

Sang: <Of course! I should've made it clearer to Kro to have you and Black Star brought to me first! Oh, Bong--how's it goin'?>

Bong: *whimpers*

Sang: <Hm--still that bad, eh? Hang in there, soldier.> *pats Tsubaki's shoulder* <Let's talk in my office--Kro brought Black Star there already.>

tsubaki: <right.>

-elsewhere-

Damon: *staring at the phone Soul left for him and Becky* "...Still nothing."

becky: at least he didnt leave us home alone...

Damon: "Yeah, but they seem kind of busy..."

Blair: *flipping through a magazine*

Katai: *hiding under a blanket*

nagisa: why dont we play some jenga?

Blair: OwO "Yes, please!"

Katai: "O-Okay...I hope I don't topple it..."

Damon: "..." *shrugs* "Sure, Nagisa."

-elsewhere-

Sami: *holding out a spoon* <Here comes the helicopter--VROOM!> *puts the spoon up to Soul's mouth*

soul: =_=;;;

Francoise: <WHAT?! HER COOKING NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YA, STRING BEAN?!>

*the doorbell rings*

soul: i'll get it. *sits up*

Sami: ^^ <Such a polite young man.>

*at the door is someone holding boxes up over his head*

soul: <can i help you?>

Max: <Hi, Mrs. Champlain--I got your deliveries--> *looks around the boxes* <??? Oh! Sorry--should've recognized by the voice you weren't her...Could you take some of these--they are too heavy.> >_<;;;

soul: <oh, sure thing, dude.> *carries some boxes*

Max: *groans* <Thank you, sir...>

Sami: <Maxie! Pull up a chair! How's your Grandma?>

Max: <Busy, ma'am...> *rubs his back* =_=; *looks at Soul* <??? You look familiar...You a musician?>

soul: <well...no?>

Max: <Hmm...Guess you got one of those faces!>

Francoise: <How many albinos have you seen, Max?!>

soul: o-o

Sami: <He's from Death City, dear.>

Max: <Oh! I have friends over there now!>

soul: <ah.>

Max: <I haven't kept in touch, though...I don't suppose in a big city like Death you've run into them.> ^^;

soul: <maybe i have, maybe not. who knows.>

Max: <...Well, that was suitably cryptic.> ^^; <I better finish these deliveries before my lab shift--bye, ma'ams! Good to meet you, sir!>

soul: *small wave*

Francoise: *opening a box* <Finally!> *pulls out a giant shield*

soul: ._. um....

Sami: <Franny collects weaponry for historical purposes--and combat training.>

Francoise: *poses with it* <How's it look?!>

Sami: =w= <Beautiful, dear.>

soul: <i see...>

Francoise: <I can't wait to get some practice in! Boy, when you're done with your investigation for the day, we're brawling!>

soul: ummmm....

Sami: <I would say yes, or Franny will withhold meals from you.>

soul: D8> (WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN INTO?!)

-elsewhere-

*an assassin is on top of a building in Death City...their eyes narrow to follow a target*

Assassin: <Target spotted.>

*the target exits a grocery*

???: *pulls out a phone, dials* "...Izumi? It's Papa. Running a bit late."

izumi: are you alright?

Assassin: *holds up a red bow, aiming an energy arrow at him* <Steady...Ready...>

Spirit: "Yeah, sorry, the grocery was just more crowded than usual and is out of milk, so I'll need to make another stop."

izumi: ok. should i get started on dinner?

Spirit: "Sure thing! Let Cassidy know I did manage to find your mom a surprise dessert!"

*someone is walking down the sidewalk--and bumps into Spirit*

Assassin: *stops* <?!>

???: "Oh, dear--sorry, sir!" *is looking at a map* "I can't find anything around this city..."

Spirit: -_-; ("It's like Marie or something...") "No problem, buddy--where you heading?"

???: "I was trying to find 'Rest in Pizza'?"

Spirit: *points* "Around that corner."

???: *smiles* "Merci!" *hurriedly runs away*

Assassin: -_-# <Tourists...> *aims again--*

Spirit: *reaches into his pocket for his keys--then stops* "..." *rapid movements* "...Izumi? I'm going to be a little late--BECAUSE SOME ASSHOLE JUST PICKPOCKETED ME!"

???: *heads into an alley* "Hee hee hee!" *calls out* <Peppino! We are eating well tonight!>

peppino: <yay~!> ^w^

Vampa: <Indeed! So, I was thinking a large with cannolis--> *opens the wallet--and pulls out $400* ._. "...I was not expecting this much...Dude was loaded!"

peppino: *SQUEEE* <let's go somewhere fancy!>

Vampa: <Sounds good to me! We could-->

*tap tap on Vampa's shoulder*

Vampa: "???" *turns* "Oh? Do you have a recommendation?"

Spirit: OnO#

peppino: oxo;;;

Vampa: OwO;

Spirit: *slams Vampa into the wall, aiming his scythe blade at his forehead*

peppino: !!! *SHOVE*

Spirit: *turns on her* "You want some of this, too, thief?!"

peppino: !!! *ducks and covers* >~<;;;

Spirit: "..." *groans* "You petty thieves...Just give me my wallet, and I'll be on my way..."

*a laser dot appears on Vampa's forehead*

peppino: !!!!!!! *tackle*

Vampa: "?!"

*an energy arrow collides with the wall, obliterating it!*

Assassin: -_-#

peppino: >~<

Spirit: "What the hell--"

Assassin: <Actually hit him this time.>

bow: <oi, its not my fault that girl caught me off guard!>

Assassin: <Whatever.> *aims at Spirit--*

Spirit: "This is not my day. You two, get back--" *turns--and sees they both ran off already* "HEY! YOU DIDN'T EVEN LET ME BE HEROIC--"

Assassin: *releases the bowstring--*

Vampa: *pulling Peppino away* "What the hell was that back there?!"

peppino: i thought you were going to get shot!

Vampa: "Thanks for saving my butt back there! And I know how to get us out of here..."

Spirit: *dodging in the alley, before throwing a garbage can at the Assassin*

bow: <SHIT!>

Assassin: *blocks with the bow* <He's wily.>

Spirit: *running down the road* ("I need to get to my car and--") *checks his pocket* "...AGAIN?!"

*Spirit's car comes down the road*

peppino: *waves and blows a kiss* ^w^ bu-baaaai~

Spirit: D8< "THAT MOTHERF--"

*an energy blasts right by Spirit's ear*

Assassin: "Do not move, Red."

Spirit: "..." *holds his hands up*

bow: *shift* well look how high and mighty you are now, death scythe.

Spirit: "You're two to talk. What is this about? Please tell me I didn't make a pass at your sister or something..." -_-;

Assassin: "You posed a significant problem for us some time ago. The Crimson Lotus wants retribution. And eliminating one of Lord Death's soldiers is a start."

bow: *chuckles*

Spirit: "What? Oh, you mean when you two got your asses handed to you mere children? Yeah, that was pretty hilarious."

bow: *WHAM*

Spirit: *knocked to the sidewalk* *spits blood* "That was rude..."

Assassin: "Easy...I'm sure the boss would like this one alive..."

bow: nyeheheheh~

*a courier bike parks*

bow: eh?

Spirit: "...Well, I don't have a ride, but let me help with that--" *SCYTHE LEG SWEEP*

bow: WOAH!

Assassin: "?!"

Spirit: *tackles the Assassin, then flips them into the wall*

Assassin: "GRK!"

*the bicyclist looks up*

Ox: "?! Mr. Albarn?!"

Spirit: "Ox! I'm borrowing this!" *takes Ox's bike--and pedals off*

Ox: D8

bow: HEY YOU GET YO ASS BACK HERE, PUNK!

Assassin: *rubs their head* "Not so rusty for an old timer...Let's go." *leaps up to the rooftop, following Spirit*

-meanwhile-

Vampa: *leisurely driving* =w= "Nice wheels, eh?"

peppino: hmmhmm~ you knooooow~ i heard there was a 'lovers lane' not far from here~<3

Vampa: =\\\w\\\= "Oh ho ho~" *switches the radio to love songs...*

*thump on Peppino's window*

peppino: *looks* OxO;; ohhhhhh biscuits.

Spirit: *pedaling like a madman* "GIVE ME BACK MY CAR AND MY WALLET, YOU THIEVES!"

Vampa: "Hey! We stole this free and legally! Go harass actual criminals!"

Spirit: "OVER MY DEAD BODY!”

peppino: that can be arranged~<3

Spirit: "...Oh biscuits--"

-VERRRN-

Vampa: "Watch the wheel!"

*the car is pulled towards the bike, nearly colliding into Spirit*

Spirit: "!!!" *turns his feet into scythes, leaping off the bike to skid along building walls*

Hyde: *running a hot dog cart on the street with an umbrella* "That'll be five dollars--"

*SLICE*

*the umbrella is sliced by Spirit's feet*

Hyde: *a hot dog smashed into his face* =_=#

bow: LOL

Assassin: "Focus." *rooftop running* "We only need the Death Scythe--the thieves are expendable." *aims...*

Ox: *running over sidewalks, huffing and puffing* *calling on his cell* "Yeah! Two assassins! I--" *trips over the hot dog stand* "...Ow."

Vampa: *steadies the wheel--then glares at Peppino*

peppino: QAQ

Assassin: *aims at the hood of the car...*

Spirit: *reaches through the window--and leaps into the car, landing over Peppino and Vampa*

peppino: *SCREAM*

Vampa: "GET OFF OF ME!"

Assassin: *FIRES*

*the energy arrow hits the hood--and the car flips up and through the air, towards a familiar building...*

Vampa: *HIGH-PITCHED SCREAM*

Spirit: *slow-motion* "NOOOOOOOO--"

peppino: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-

-meanwhile-

Lucy: *sitting in the Agency office* "Hmmm...Kenji, I can't figure out this crossword. The clue is 'blank blank goose.' Four letters. You got any ideas?"

*outside, Spirit's car is flipping through the air towards the window Kenji is looking out of*

naomi: DUCK!!

Lucy: "Oh! That fits..." *starts writing it down--*

Kenji: .w.; "...SIR!"

Fukuzawa: "..." *sighs* "Kunikida. Lucy. Kenji."

Lucy: *looks up* "?!"

Kunikida: "On it!" *grabs Naomi*

Fukuzawa: *stands in front of the oncoming car* "..."

*slow-motion, the car goes through the wall of the Agency...*

Vampa: "FUUUUUUUUUU--"

Fukuzawa: "..." *swiftly swings his blade, slicing the car down the center in half...*

Kenji: *catches the half with Peppino* "Hello!"

Lucy: *sends the other half with Vampa into Anne's Room*

-outside the door-

Kyoka: *walking to the door with Atsushi* "I hope there's work for us to do soon..."

atsushi: *opens the door*

Kunikida: *protecting Naomi from debris*

*the entire wall of the building is destroyed*

Spirit: *hanging from the ceiling, blades dug into the ceiling, his clothes sliced* Q_Q

atsushi:.....yep, just another normal day.

Kyoka: "...I'll get the dustpan."

Assassin: *across the street* "...You have to be kidding me. What rotten luck."

bow: awww maaaaan....

Assassin: <No way I'm going against Fukuzawa today. Let's head back to base.>

-elsewhere-

Vampa: *sitting at a tea set with Anne* O_o; "...Are you going to eat me?"

-elsewhere-

Asher: "Yo. What did your dad say?"

izumi: he mentioned getting dessert for mom.

Asher: "Seems to be taking his time--think he did something?"

izumi: i-im sure he's fine.

-elsewhere-

Spirit: *seated at a table in the police department--across from Vampa and Peppino, handcuffed to the table*

peppino: QAQ;;;;;

Vampa: "It's all a setup! It wasn't us! It was two people who look just like us! One of them, how do say it in English--'double gangers'! Two gangsters!"

Spirit: "..." *reaches into Vampa's pants*

peppino: D8<

Vampa: "HEY! NO TOUCHING WITHOUT DINNER FIRST--"

Spirit: *pulls out a wallet*

Vampa: "..." *sneers* "Good luck finding the money, mister--I kept that in my safe spot! HA!"

officer: ...

peppino: 7//w//7 nyehe~

Vampa: "See? She knows what I'm talkin' about--"

Spirit: *not looking up at them, looking through everything but the money pocket of the wallet* "You have kids?"

peppino: e-eh?

Vampa: "??? No? I mean, I don't think so?"

peppino: why do you care, mister?

Spirit: *opens his wallet, as a roll of photos falls out...they seem to be photos of a baby, then that same child a little older along 4, 10, and 13...then there are photos of another girl and her mother...*

peppino: these your kids?

Spirit: *nods* *points to the girl in most of the photos* "This is Maka. That's my daughter."

peppino: she doesnt look it.

Spirit: "...She takes after her mama, a bit."

peppino: can we get to the point of this now?

Spirit: *slams one hand onto the table--extending his blade*

peppino: OwO;;;;;;;;;;;

Vampa: "!!!"

Spirit: "These photos are some of all I have left of her! I hope you never have children, because I'd hate to see you running scared of losing what little you have left in your pathetic waste of a life! I don't give a shit about the damn money--keep it if you want!"

Vampa: "...Sweet! We earned a profit!"

Spirit: *FORMS ALL THE BLADES*

officer: MR ALBARN, please calm down!

Vampa: "EEP!" *struggles to put Peppino behind him as he shields her from Spirit*

peppino: ...*mutters* not like i could have any on my own anyway.....

Vampa: Q~Q

Spirit: "..." *knocks the chair back as he stands, picks up his wallet* "Enjoy collecting the evidence, officer--I have to go recycle my car for scrap metal!"

-elsewhere-

Stein: "I'll be back in about an hour--he asked me to pick him up." *picks up the keys* "The new paint job should get a reaction out of him."

valentine: just try not to scare him _too_ much.

Stein: "I promise, he will survive." *opens the doors, as a modified ambulance is parked in front of the Lab*

-elsewhere-

kazumi: *yaaaawn* im tired...

Umika: "But you had fun, right?"

kazumi: mmhmm! i want to get to experience more fun things like that.

-BANG BANG-

nico: !!!!

kaoru: what the heck?

Saki: "?!" *holds her whip*

-looks to be a fight between 3 magical girls and a 4th figure...-

souju: see? your demon collects magical girls as well! we arent any different from each other, right?

tsukasa: shut the hell UP ALREADY! *kicks her in the nose*

souju: GRK-

Tsukuyo: "Contain her!"

Demongo: "I'M TRYING!"

souju: hehehe~ my face is all bloody now...that's not very friendly~....*slashes behind her, bisecting airi anri, who then evaporates and returns to demongo*

mirai: what the hell?! t-that was-

nico: a wraith? no....this one seems....different...

tsukasa:...sis, we have company.

Tsukuyo: "Shit!"

Demongo: "...Lot of girls--dang. Is this a convention?"

tsukasa: dont get any funny ideas, stupid demon!

souju: ahh~! the pleadies saints! this is such an honor!

mirai: just who are you girls anyway?

Umika: "Looks dangerous...Summon weapons just in case?"

Saki: *nods*

nico: that girl just now, she was airi anri, wasnt she?

tsukasa: and what if she was?

kaoru: QUIT BEING SO CRYPTIC AND ANSWER THE QUESTION!

souju: *charges at tsukuyo*

Satomi: "?! Wait!" *tries to use her wand for protection*

Umika: "Damn it! Kazumi, stay behind me..."

Demongo: "HANDS OFF HER!" *summoning...*

akane sumire: *KICK*

souju: OOF!

akane sumire:.......

Satomi: "?!!! What on earth?!"

kaoru: !!! sumire-chan!

akane sumire: ..... *charges at them*

kaoru: sumire-chan stop! it's me, kaoru maki! we play soccer together!

-she doesnt reply-

nico: her eyes.....

kaoru:...*growls* WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HER?!

Tsukuyo: "Now may be a good time to make some distance..."

kaoru: why YOU!!! *charges*

kazumi: kaoru!

???: *GRAB*

kaoru: !!!

"Yuuri": *stares with dead eyes--aiming a gun at Kaoru's neck*

nico: !!

kazumi: NO!!

-kazumi then transforms and sends and energy blast-

souju: !!! GYAAHH!

Tsukuyo: "Maybe that'll shut her up."

-'yuuri' was also evaporated-

kaoru: holy shit, i thought i was seriously gonna die!

Umika: "What is going on?!" *glares at the twins*

souju: *unconscious, her magical girl outfit torn up*

Satomi: "Why did she attack? Who is she?"

souju: *her eyes snap open as she stands up* ....well....that's certainly annoying.....

Demongo: "WHY CAN'T SHE JUST DIE ALREADY?!"

Tsukuyo: "Quiet..."

tsukasa: (she seems....different somehow)

souju: *takes out a second soul gem and transforms*

mirai: ?!?!?!

kaoru: what?

souju: allow me to introduce myself proper. my name is Luca Souju. im sure you're all well acquainted with my twin sister, Ayase.

Tsukuyo: "?! Sis...What the hell..."

tsukasa: but...ayase told us...you died....

luca: yes. it's true that my physical body died in infancy. however, my soul continued to live on in ayase's body as a 'secondary conscious' of sorts. It's said that twins are one soul in two bodies, well our situation is reversed; two souls in one body.

tsukasa: one soul.....

Tsukuyo: "...Then we have to contain this second soul, too."

luca: now, with all due respect. please die. *charges*

Demongo: "Hoo boy..." *tries to summon--*

kaoru: *ATTACKS*

tsukasa: oh shit- RETREAT!

Tsukuyo: "Damn it!" *grabs Demongo* "Come on!"

Demongo: O_O;

luca: ....

kaoru: GET BACK HERE!!

Umika: "Kaoru! Focus before--"

luca: ......*looks at kazumi* you. you've lost your memory, right?

kazumi: eh? w-well....

luca:....go to the museum of the teddy bears. you'll find the answer in the basement. *flees*

Satomi: "Get back here!"

kazumi: .....

Umika: "...Kazumi? Do you know what she meant?"

mirai: museum of the teddy bears....ah! does she mean angelica bears?

Satomi: "Probably our best lead?"

Saki: "..." *nods*

-elsewhere-

Lucy: *directing Anne* "Okay, set the wall over there..."

Kenji: *picking up debris in the office*

Kyoka: "That sounds like quite a mess..."

sylvia: s-scary...

Fukuzawa: "This is why we have contingency plans in case of any attacks on the office."          

atsushi: ...

Kunikida: *holds up a binder* "Multiple plans." *hands one to Atsushi*

atsushi: *looks* fire...flood...... ._. geese?

Dazai: "Sharp tooth-filled feathery monsters." *munching on chips in the corner*

-elsewhere-

kazumi:.....

kaoru: what do you think we're going to find?

mirai: i dont know, i just have the deed to the building!

Satomi: "Sh-Should we be in here?"

kazumi:.....i think we have to...

Satomi: *sighs...nods* "Where do we start exploring?"

nico: she said the basement....

Satomi: *takes out a flashlight*

mirai: *opens the door leading to the basement* well....here goes....

Umika: *follows...sniffs* "Ugh--really dank..."

-they head down the stairs, that seem to go on endlessly-

Satomi: "It's like something out of a horror painting...Like Esher..."

-soon, they reach a corridor-

Umika: "Cover our bases..." *takes position before they open the door...*

kaoru: *defensive stance*

Satomi: "!!! What the hell..."

kazumi: *eyes wide in shock* w..wha.....

-there is a lab.....with several incubator machines containing copies of kazumi-

Umika: "My God..."

Satomi: *looks around...spots a set of photos on a desk*

kaoru: mirai, did you know-

mirai: of course not!

kazumi: *collapses to her knees, stunned*

Satomi: *picks up one photo* "Wait...I know this...Michiru..."

mirai: ?!?! what?

nico: why would there be a photo of her here?

kazumi:....mi....mi....

kaoru:....well, i guess we should explain.....

Satomi: *looks back and forth between the photo and Kazumi* "...Y-Yeah..."

{Umika: *dials on her phone...*}

{???: yes?}

{Umika: "Hello? It's me, Umika Misaki? I had sent my manuscript to you and--"}

{???: yes yes, how can i help-}

{Umika: "Why was my novel under someone else's name?!"}

{???: ah, miss misaki! good to hear from you! when can we look forward to your next work?}

{Umika: "..." *drops the phone* "...Some idol..." *falls back in her chair, next to a book review, praising some idol credited for writing _her_ novel*}

-...-

{kaoru: nnngh....huh? wha...what happened?}

{Nurse: "You're awake..." *sets down a chart, holds a flashlight to one of Kaoru's eyes*}

{kaoru: ...}

{Nurse: "Do you remember what happened? Do you feel any pain in your legs? Do you need more pain reliever?"}

{-the sound of footsteps are heard-}

{Nurse 2: "Clear the way!"}

{*someone is attached to the gurney being run in*}

{kaoru: what's going on out there?}

{Nurse: "...You were in a soccer game with that girl..."}

{kaoru: !!}

{Nurse: "You collided in your match, breaking your legs...They found your opponent int he bathroom when she...tried to..."}

{kaoru:.....ah-.....*sobs*}

-...-

{mrs usagi: happy birthday, satomi!}

{Satomi: OwO "Yay! What do I get?"}

{cat: mii!}

{Satomi: *tiny gasp* "Kitty..."}

{cat: *hops into her arms* mii! ^w^}

{Satomi: *hugging and petting* "Awww, you're so cute!"}

{cat: *nuzzles and purrs*}

{Satomi: *opens the front door*}

{sare: *laying motionless on the floor*}

{Satomi: "??? Sare? ..."}

{-...-}

{vet: im sorry, there's not much we can do now...}

{Satomi: *covering her face* "I did this...If I had paid more attention..."}

-...-

{mirai: *sitting in class* .....}

{Classmate: *talking to another student* "Let's check out the new crepes at the bakery!"}

{mirai:....(who needs them. as long as i have my teddies, im fine!)}

{Classmate 2: "Sounds good!" *bumps into Mirai's desk* "Ugh--hey, four eyes, can't you ever put your desk in the right spot?!"}

{Classmate: *staring at Mirai's teddy bear* >_>; }

{mirai: s-sorry.......*holds her bear close*}

{Classmate: "Aren't you a little old for stuffed animals?"}

{-...-}

{mirai: *sewing her bear's arm* stupid classmates......i....*weeps* i want friends....}

-…-

{niko: *laughs* over here!}

{Neighbor: "Slow down! I need to catch up!"}

{neighbor 2: you'll never catch me, coppers! *laughs*}

{Neighbor: "Oh no you don't!"}

{niko: bang!}

{Neighbor: *fake scream* "Eeek!"}

{niko: BANG!}

{-BANG-}

{Neighbor: "?!!"}

{*it sounds like something shattered*}

{niko: ah-}

{???: what was- !! NIKO! WHERE DID YOU GET THIS?!}

{Neighbor: "!!!" *runs away*}

{niko: *trembling as she drops the gun* i....i didnt.....}

{???: "Call an ambulance!"}

-...-

{???: big sis look!}

{???: "Oh--what's this that you've found?"}

{-the girl holds up a lily of the valley flower-}

{???: isnt it pretty, saki?}

{Saki: "Oh so incredibly..."}

{???: when i grow up, i want to have lots of pretty flowers like this so i can have a bouquet for when i get married!}

{Saki: "Aww, but I find it hard to believe there's someone out there good enough for someone as amazing as you!"}

{???: hmm... *hug* then i'll marry you, saki! >w<}

{Saki: ^^; *hug*}

{-...-}

{-in the remnants of an accident, the girl lays on the ground, glass lodged in her throat as she chokes-}

{???: someone! get help!}

{Saki: "M...M-Miyuki..."}

-...-

{-the girls stand at a bridge-}

{kaoru:.....}

{mirai: *holding her bear*}

{niko: *holding a newspaper article on the shooting*}

{Saki: *holding the lily*}

{Umika: *holding a manuscript*}

{Satomi: *holding a cat toy*}

{-before they can jump, a magical net seems to catch them-}

{Satomi: "?!"}

{kaoru: !!! wha- what was i just....?}

{???: *phew* that was a close one. you girls just sit tight while i take care of this bad boy.}

{-a young woman in a witch's outfit appears-}

{Umika: "What...What are you?"}

{???: a magical girl. *leaps up to fight the wraith that has appeared*}

{Satomi: "A...Magical?"}

{Saki: "How does someone do that?"}

{-...-}

{???: perhaps i should introduce myself, my name is Michiru Kazusa.}

{kaoru: that was so awesome! you beat that...whatever it was like paper!}

{Umika: 'What was that thing, exactly? A demon?"}

{michiru: a wraith. a creature that brings misery and suffering...}

{mirai: that...it tried to kill us!}

{Saki: "Th-Thanks for not letting us get killed?"}

{michiru: of course.}

{kaoru: if things like that exist, then we need to stop them!}

{Umika: *still holding her manuscript* "..." *nods*}

{niko: but where can we even start?}

{michiru: you've heard of the incubator gardens, right?}

{mirai: i think so?}

{michiru: you can become a magical girl there, as well as have a wish granted.}

{kaoru: for real?!}

niko: she was the one who helped us form the pleadies saints.

mirai:.....she was almost a second mom to us.

Saki: *looks downcast* "Until..."

kaoru:.....

Umika: "...When she passed away...."

niko: *looking through notes left behind*

kazumi: *unable to speak*

niko: ?? i think i found something.

Umika: "??? What is it?" *looks*

Saki: "!!! These papers mention Michiru..."

-michiru came by again today. we decided to go to the natural history museum for a while. i swear, her smile could light up a room. she told me she got a report from the doctors this morning. the tests came back negative. i was heartbroken for her. she really wanted to start a family, and so did i. i promised her that i would find a way. ~Kazuhito Asakura-

Umika: *tenses up* "...You mean...They..."

mirai: i didnt know she had a boyfriend.

niko: *skimming notes*

-she's gone. this evening she stumbled into the lab in terrible shape. i tried to get medical help, but her wounds were too severe.-

*it looks like there are dry tear stains on the paper*

-if soul gems really are connected to souls, maybe there's a way to save her using the clones. if i can find a way to do a transfer-

Saki: "Wh-What is he talking about? 'Clones'? Soul gem transfer?!"

-test 1; failure-

-test 2; failure-

-test 3; failure-

Satomi: "Th-This is insane--this is too much..."

mirai: i think im gonna be sick....

-test 13; i think i succeeded. i'll name her 'kazumi'-

*the rest of the notes are torn out*

kazumi: ah.....ah......

Umika: "Ka-Kazumi...It's going to be okay..."

kaoru: where even is this guy- whoever he is....

???: im afraid that wont be needed.

Saki: "!!!" *spins around, weapon ready*

souju: dr asakura has been dealt with already, my benefactor made sure of that~

Umika: "Everyone, arm yourself!"

souju: *hits a button, causing the incubator machines to open and release the other clones*

Clones: *groan...*

kazumi: *shaking*

clone: KREEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

Saki: "!!!" *blocks*

kaoru: shit!

Umika: "Don't let that fiend get away!" *aims at Souju*

clone: *lunges at kazumi*

Satomi: "!!!" *attacks the clone*

kaoru: *picks kazumi up* come on!

Satomi: "..." *tries to reach for papers on the desk--*

-elsewhere-

izumi: ....

*the front door opens*

izumi: *looks up*

Spirit: *enters, staring down at a set of photos in his hands*

izumi: welcome home.

Spirit: "H-Hi..." *his tie is loosened, he looks like a mess* "I'm sorry I couldn't pick up everything..."

sachiko: what on earth happened?!

Spirit: "...We better sit down. C-Can I get some water?"

-and so-

Spirit: "--then I told the police."

izumi:.....

Spirit: "I'm speaking with Lord Death in the morning."

-elsewhere-

Kro: *flipping through pages of a sketchbook* "And this is of our HQ! And this is of my neighbor's parrot! And this is of a bowl of fruit--"

Black Star: TT~TT ("The one guy who speaks English here...")

Kro: *flips a page to a giant multi-eye monster*

tsubaki: !!!

Kro: "Oh! This is what the victim reported seeing before their eyes went--" *passes a hand over his face back and forth* "--blind. Wild, right?"

tsubaki: *looks at black*star*

Black Star: "FINALLY--SOMETHING WE CAN FIGHT! Where'd that monster go?!"

Sang: *covering his ears* ^^; <"He's certainly energetic...>

tsubaki: <that's one way to put it.> ^^;

Kro: "Oh! Um..." *flips through paperwork, all covered in doodles* "Ah! Bong had encountered the monster in an alley off of Jung-gu at the Dongdaemun Vegetable Market--"

Black Star: "WE'RE ON OUR WAY!" *runs...then walks back in* "Which way is that?"

tsubaki: -.-;

-elsewhere-

kabo: y'all got plans for the summer?

camie: malibu, baby!

Inasa: "Awesome! You going to get some TRAINING done for our LICENSES?!"

camie: yeaaaah that too! ^^;

Seiji: =_= "You both should take this seriously--or you'll never get your licenses at this rate." *bites into his burger*

camie: =3= mood killer.

Inasa: "AW, HE'S JUST SAYING THAT BECAUSE HE CARES!"

kabo: sure has a funny way of showing it.

Seiji: "No, I'm serious--I doubt either of you will get your license with the way you're carrying on."

Inasa: QwQ; "Ouch, buddy."

camie: i bet that rock's gonna make a fine diamond when it comes out.

Inasa: "??? I don't get it."

Seiji: -_-; "Kabo, what will you be doing?"

kabo: im gonna be helping my fam out with the farm.

Nagamasa: "How is your family doing?"

kabo: we're doing pretty well. weather's been nice.

Inasa: "What's in season? You got peppers?"

kabo: yep, plus we got zucchinis for ma's famous zucc pie!

Inasa: "YOU HAVE TO MAKE SOME FOR US BEFORE YOU LEAVE US BEHIND!"

Seiji: *hair blown back* ._.

-elsewhere-

*it's nighttime in Seoul...the downtown area is starting to disperse as people head home...*

*one woman is walking with her service dog*

Black Star: "IT'S THIS WAY, RIGHT?!"

tsubaki: not so loud...

Black Star: "Sorry--just wanted to see what was there to find a clue--"

*BUMP*

Woman: <Ow!> *knocked over*

tsubaki: ah! <sorry!>

Woman: <Ow...That really hurt...>

Black Star: "Hey, watch where you're going next time!"

Woman: "... ... ...What the hell did you just say to me?"

tsubaki: oh.

Dog: *helps her up*

Black Star: "... ... ..." *light bulb* ._.; "Oh shit--sorry!"

Woman: "Yeah, thanks a lot--OW!" *she has a cut along her arm*

tsubaki: ah! you're hurt!

Woman: "Ah, it must have been when I fell over..."

tsubaki: *taking a mini med-kid out of her bag*

Dog: *kneels down next to her*

Woman: "Do you have a bandage?"

tsubaki: here...

Woman: "Ah, thank you, ma'am..." *applies the bandage* "Bae, the groceries?"

Bae (the Dog): "WOOF!" *picks up the bag*

Black Star: " 'Bae'? Ha! That's funny!" *pets Bae*

Woman: -_-# "Could you not pet my dog while she's on duty?"

Bae: *growls*

tsubaki: ^^;

Bae: *barks--and runs into the alley*

Woman: "?! Bae! What is it?"

tsubaki: ah! *follows*

Black Star: "!!!" *picks the woman up* "I am really sorry about running into you, Miss--"

Woman: "Chul. Don't you know how to follow directions?"

Black Star: "I know where I'm going! Why don't you--...Oh, nevermind! Wait here..." *runs into the alley*

Bae: *chasing after something*

tsubaki: here bae! *whistles*

Bae: *corners something under a dumpster* "BARK BARK--"

*CRASH*

Bae: *knocked into a wall*

tsubaki: !!! *runs over to her*

Bae: *struggling to get up--before something whips at her leg...something covered in eyeballs*

tsubaki: !!!!!!

Bae: "WOOF!" *bites into the whip--ripping it off*

???: *inhuman scream, before it reveals itself, sliding along one snail-like tail...a giant creature, covered in eyeballs, just like Kro's drawing*

tsubaki:....*blade arm*

Eye Creature: *gurgles, its eyes shifting all over...*

*Tsubaki's eyes start to glow...as her vision starts going dark*

tsubaki: *SCREAMS*

*two new eyes start to form along the Eye Creature's body--*

*SLAM*

*Tsubaki's vision is restored*

tsubaki: ah!

Black Star: "TAKE THAT!" *slammed a dumpster on top of the Eye Creature*

Bae: *holding the Creature's tentacle in its mouth* "RAUR?" *head tilt*

tsubaki: black*star!

Black Star: "Hey! I caught the monster--"

*an eye-tentacle whips out, grabbing Black Star by the ankles and swinging him around*

Black Star: "WAAAAAAAH!"

-SLASH-

Black Star: *lands against the alley wall* "Thanks, Tsubaki! Let's kick this thing's ass--" *kicks the dumpster--revealing a giant slimy hole underneath it...and no creature* ._.

tsubaki:....

-elsewhere-

Sami: <Will you be needing anything else before beddy-bye time? Some sleepytime tea?> *literally tucking Soul into bed*

soul: =~=;

Francoise: <Stop babying the boy, Sami! You! Go to bed!>

Sami: ^^; <Good night, Mr. Evans!>

soul: <good night.>

Sami: *turns off the lights*

Francoise: *slams the door behind them*

soul:..... (well this has been a weird day.)

*phone vibrates on the nightstand*

soul: *checks*

Blair: {they're so cute >w< } *photo attached of the kids asleep on the couch*

soul:...*smile*

-morning-

-it looks a little damp outside, like it rained a bit-

Izuku: *jogging*

jirou: sup, midoriya.

Izuku: "Oh, Jirou--hello! You're getting an early start!"

jirou: guess so.

Izuku: ^^; "Sorry--just trying to keep my training up before the summer trip."

jirou: yeah, thats like, any day now.

Izuku: *nods* "I had to finish shopping from online purchases after--...Well, after." *slight shiver*

-elsewhere-

Asher: "Thanks for the alternative ride this morning, Mrs. Albarn."

sachiko: no problem. you got your lunch all packed?

izumi: yes, mom.

Asher: *holds up a bag*

-elsewhere-

Gen: =_= "...I try to run a nice clean facility..."

Spirit: *crying over the remains of his car, scattered all over Gen's workshop*

Gen: "And you ruin that for me. Why."

Spirit: *sobbing*

hakuno: come on, albarn, suck it up!

Spirit: "My baby! Those crazy assassins and damn thieves ruined my baby! Please, re-build it!"

lord death: *ahem*

Spirit: Q~Q *wipes his nose* "R-Right..." *clears his throat* "The police identified the two thieves as two-bit hoodlums, but the assassin definitely was from that Crimson group."

lord death: hmm...

Gen: *examining a sliced fender* "Gee, no wonder you couldn't out-run them in this old jalopy--"

Spirit: OnO#

Gen: *whistles innocently* >_>;

Spirit: "But why would they target me--I'm lovable!"

hakuno: -.-;

lord death: given the position of power death scythes have, it would make sense they would be targeted by an enemy faction.

Spirit: "But to kill me? That's a bit much for some assassins to show themselves!"

hakuno: ....

Gen: "Things are getting more desperate after those Kishin people showed up. Everyone's skittish--and thinks they can make a power play."

-elsewhere-

*there is a dungeon...*

Twice: *walks up to the jail bars with a tray of food* "Mornin', sunshine~!"

Queen: *locked in the cell, emaciated, bandages on her arms* "..."

Twice: "Hey, Banshee--take a break, it's my watch."

Queen: *growls*

banshee: *nods and exits*

Dabi: *standing in the hallway, looking irritated*

banshee:.....?

Dabi: "...It's quieter here than the noise upstairs with those loons."

banshee: i suppose so.

Dabi: "...I finished errands. Your meal is in the fridge."

banshee: thank you.

Dabi: "..." *grunts, goes back to leaning against the wall*

Twice: *heard yelling inside the dungeon* "No, you're supposed to _eat_ with the fork!" *pokes his head outside--with the fork jabbed in his forehead* "Dabi, be a dear and help? THAT'S AN ORDER!"

-elsewhere-

mirai: .......

Umika: *carrying a tray of food* "...You eaten yet? I was hoping to get Kazumi to eat..."

mirai: saki got me some french toast.

Umika: "..." *nods* "Okay. Please try to be patient with Kazumi--this is a lot of information to take in."

kaoru: no kidding, i mean, if i were in her situation....

Satomi: *overhearing from the hall before she steps in* "All we can do is be supportive and listen to her--it'd be more useful than just sitting around."

-elsewhere-

Saria: "Morning! Was that your mother dropping you two off?"

izumi: yep.

Kanin: "He was crying and saying something about 'my darling red and sleek baby.'"

izumi: ^-^; yeah, his car... it got kinda totaled.

lei-lei: golly! i hope he's alright!

Asher: "He was pretty shaken up."

Axel: "Did someone say a mechanic?" *pulls out a wrench*

-elsewhere-

Anya: *in outback attire and carrying a giant bug net* "I am ready to confront the Australian wilderness." *swing swing*

mio: Q-Q

Meme: "Relax, we're not even out of the airport! It's not like there's some wildlife already--"

*a crocodile is sitting in the back of a Jeep to pick them up*

crocodile: yo.

Anya: *smug look* "Don't you hate being wrong all the time?"

ao: i dont know, dont you hate having a spider in your hair?

Anya: *LOUD SCREAM, rips off her hat, smacking it against the side of the Jeep*

ao: made you look~ ^^

Anya: OnO#

Meme: ._.; "Um...We were expecting a ride to see Miss Mjolnir?"

driver: hop on in.

tsugumi: so no one is gonna acknowledge that the crocodile just spoke?............no one?..........just me?.........ok then.

-elsewhere-

Iida: "Forward, forward! The bell will ring shortly!"

Bakugo: "Jeez, the stick up your butt must be extra rigid today..."

Iida: "THAT IS A LIE AND YOU KNOW IT!"

kaminari: *snicker*

Izuku: *runs into the room*

Eijiro: "Morning!"

Aizawa: *already in the classroom...asleep*

ochako: im here! *coming in through the window* my alarm clock broke.

Mina: "Wow, swinging in like Spider-Girl! Training must be paying off!"

tsuyu: *also comes in through a window*

*tick tick--DING*

Aizawa: *bolts up awake* "In your seats."

-everyone's seated-

Aizawa: "We're finishing up your training camp route. Be present at 5 AM, as we're leaving bright and early...So early..."

*the blackboard behind him has a chart on it*

Aizawa: "This also should prepare you for your daily training schedule--" *he taps the blackboard--and the electronic portion lists a daily schedule--including one marked "REMEDIAL" with the names of Mina, Eijiro, and others*

kaminari: owo;

Eijiro: "Aw, man..."

Mineta: OnO# "WHY AM I LISTED?! I DIDN'T FAIL THE EXAM--SERO DID!"

Sero: "Hey!"

Aizawa: "I can answer that..." *disappears behind the desk, and a grunting sound is heard*

ochako: ??

Aizawa: *lifts up a very heavy binder folder labeled "WHAT MINETA DID"*

Mineta: ._.

jirou: *almost falls out of her seat*

Mineta: "B-But I still passed the exam!"

Aizawa: "Yes, you did. And yet the complaints keep coming in about conduct. Need I remind you of the Sports Festival? Or the locker room incident?"

tsuyu: let's not forget last thursday.

Aizawa: "...I don't have a record of last Thursday." *pulls out stationery and pen*

Mineta: Q_Q *trying to inch out of the room*

jirou: you stay and face your crimes, coward.

Mineta: "..." *sighs* *turns, faces the class* "Part of being a hero is having the courage to face your fears."

Izuku: "Aw, Mineta..."

Mineta: "The other part IS KNOWING WHEN TO RUN FOR SAFETY!" *bolts*

Aizawa: *flings his scarves* "New assignment--capture the coward."

tsuyu: way ahead of you.

ochako: omae wa mou shindeiru.

-meanwhile-

Shinso: *walking down the hall--*

Iida: "GET BACK HERE!"

Mineta: "NEVER!" *runs by Shinso*

Shinso: "... ... ..."

ochako: dont just stand there, get him!

Shinso: "..."

Mineta: *cornered in the other hall, turns, runs back--*

Shinso: "..." *holds out his foot--*

-le trip-

Mineta: *slow-motion* "NOOOOOOOOOO--" *face-plant*

jirou: time to pay for your crimes.

Shinso: <What did he do this time? Is this about the fly paper and rubberbands?>

Mineta: D8 "SPARE ME, JIROU! REMEMBER THE GOOD TIMES WE HAD TOGETHER!"

jirou:.....you know what, i've thought about it....

Mineta: 8D

jirou: and i've decided....im going to destroy you twice as hard now.

Mineta: Q_Q

Aizawa: "I said capture, not 'destroy.'"

-what occurred next was far too heinous to depict here-

Aizawa: ._.;;;; ("Oh, the principal is going to rip me for this one...")

Shinso: "..." *tilts his head* <I didn't know it could bend like that.>

Mineta: *horrifying shriek*

-elsewhere-

Customer: "--and I don't appreciate people like you showing up where I live! This used to be a nice community before your kind showed up!"

Cashier: *has a Quirk* =_= "Sir, this is a Death Mart."

mitsuki: *checking the wine rack and humming*

Inko: "Mitsuki?"

mitsuki: oh hey girl!

Inko: ^^ "Hello! How's it going?"

mitsuki: oh the usual. and yourself?

Inko: "The same. I was trying to find something for Izuku's workout diet. How's Katsuki?"

mitsuki: oh, you know how he gets. ^^; *mutters* beingalittleshit...

Inko: "Oh dear...I was worried after Izuku mentioned their last exam...It sounded far too violent." T~T

Customer: "IF I HAD A FACE LIKE THAT, YOU MUTATED FREAK, I'D STAY HOME!"

Cashier: =_=#

mitsuki: ! you got a problem with quirks, buddy?!

Customer: "I got a problem with ones that turn people ugly! This asshole didn't give me the right change--probably because his stupid eyes are on either side of his head."

Cashier: *blinks in annoyance*

Inko: "...Well, it takes all kinds, _sir_."

Customer: "Did anyone ask you two old hags?"

mitsuki: HOW ABOUT WE TAKE THIS OUTSIDE, BUDDY?!

Customer: "Well, Dad raised me never to hit a woman--too bad I don't see any here!"

Inko: "... ... ..." *sets her purse down in her shopping cart*

mitsuki: you know what's gonna happen if you dont shut up, im going to punch my fist through your teeth, down your throat, grab you by the BALLS and PULL YOU INSIDE THE FUCK OUT!

Customer: "Probably the only action you've gotten in the last year."

Inko: *rolls up a sleeve...*

mitsuki: WHY YOU LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT!!

Manager: "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to--"

Customer: *swings his fist towards the manager*

-WHA-BAM-

Inko: =_=# "Some people nowadays are so inconsiderate, aren't they?"

mitsuki: *has the customer in a chokehold*

Customer: *high-pitch squeak* "Ow! Let me go, please! Owie owie owie!"

Inko: "Hold him still, Mitsuki--I don't want to have to deal another one..."

Manager: ._. "..." *dials the cops*

-elsewhere-

Black Star: "AND IT WAS SUPER GROSS--EYES EVERYWHERE!"

tsubaki: ^^;

Physician: =_=# <It is really pathetic that you two needed a dog to procure this sample from the creature...> *keeps it under glass* <Where did the dog even disappear to?>

tsubaki: <they left before you got here...>

Black Star: ._. "???"

Sang: <What a shame--we really could have gotten more information.> *smiles, pats Physician's back* <Good thing we have an excellent forensics team! I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of this!>

Physician: =_=#

Sang: <Why don't you two see the town? It would help to acclimate yourself.>

tsubaki: that sounds like a good idea.

Black Star: "Yeah! Let's go find that blob monster in the sewers!" *has not heard of word of this in Korean*

Kro: "Oh! I can give you the tour!"

-elsewhere-

Vortex Cafe Master: "We heard the crash all the way down here...An entire car, through your window?"

Kunikida: =_=

cafe master's wife: did anyone get hurt?

Kunikida: "No, thank goodness. Our team was able to stop the vehicle."

Lucy: =_=

atsushi: and the consultation office was nice enough to offer their office temporarily while we do repairs.

Kenji: "Their plants are so friendly!" ^w^

*the cafe door opens*

Cervantes: "GOOD DAY!"

frances: hello dears~

Kunikida: *nods* "Ms. Burnett."

Kenji: "Hiya! Did you finish watering already?"

frances: indeed i have, young kenji. *looks at the cafe master* i'll have my usual please. *hands him the money*

Master: *smiles* "Right away." *begins brewing*

-elsewhere-

Blair: "AW, YOU LOOK SO ADORABLE IN YOUR UNIFORMS!"

Damon: ._.

becky: -_-; did dad approve this?

Blair: "He wanted you to have a busy and productive summer! I heard the Death Scouts do all neato activities! First aid, weaving, build campfires..."

becky:....i guess i've always wanted to do scouts. 7.7;

Damon: "I was hoping to stay indoors and read?"

Blair: "You can read the Scout Guidebook--" *pulls out a pocket-size book*

Damon: "???" *opens it* "Oh, a bug guide!"

-elsewhere-

Chuuya: *fanning himself* "I just want to figure out something to keep busy, you know?"

naoya: i feel ya.

Chuuya: "And with the girls, that's a challenge, to keep them occupied, you know? It feels like I haven't had a night off..."

naoya: i could look after them for a day if you'd like.

Chuuya: "Oh, that'd help--thanks! What would you like to do with them--anywhere you'd want to go?"

naoya: i could take them to the zoo or mephyland or something.

Chuuya: "Not bad choices--although I'll have to ask Sonia first...That clown on the Mephyland logo is creepy."

-elsewhere-

stocking: zzzz....

Kid: *holds her, gently rubbing her shoulder*

stocking: *nuzzles up to him* =///w///=

Kid: *yawns* "Love you..."

stocking: hmhm~ ^^

Kid: "Want to just stay in bed?"

stocking: yus.

Kid: *smiles* "I love summer breaks..." *nuzzle*

stocking: mmmm~<3

Kid: *kisses her shoulder*

-elsewhere-

[vicsep7250]

@ren-amamiyaa and their (he/she?) Golden Heist, Thief Nanako and Cryptid Chaser aus flooded my brain and now Im making this post bc I cant fit all of this in asks!!!

All right, so, idea. Cryptid Chasers, Thief Nanako and Golden Heist are all connected righr???

CC acts as a prequel, TN becomes the inbetween starring Nanako and Akechi, and GH stars a broken and older IT and slightly jaded PT.

So far CC has Yosuke and Naoto forming the brotp that fanon wanted through silly Saturday Night Ghost Chasers Shenanigans, Akiren is bein' a lil shit at midnight bc he needs an outlet and exercise to Phantom Thief. While this goes on, Akechi's ghost/spirit/rement/heart/whatever pulls pranks and shenans along with Joker (hiwever that happens).

As the Cryptid Chasers keep going out of their way to confront Joker about Arsene (bc even he likes to mess around) the other IT in Inaba start to try and stop them from disrupting the peace (read : harassing a known criminal) and this somehow leads to a falling out. Mayhaps Naoto and Yosuke break a few laws and Chie busts them, Kanji wants to know why theyre stalking his student/protege, and Yukiko just wants to keep the rumors about the inn in check bc jfc Yosuke STOP SCREECHING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT IN THE LOBBY THERE IS NO GHOST ON THE TV!

Maybe eventually they call it quits or dont bc Naoto dug this hole too deep to climb out themself and Yosuke is having the time of his life since Partner isnt around and hasn't come back to visit yet (Not sayin' souyo is canon and there but-). And the Cryptid Chasers arc probably ends here with there being some animosity towards their shenanigans , but the IT are all still friends.

Now fast forward to like, uhhh (*flings dart at wall of calendars*) 2014 during winter and Akiren's cryptid acts are now fully accepted and maybe exposed, who knows. Nanako is like 10 ~ 12 (P5 is maybe three/five years post P4 I believe) and is just going through the motions of public education. I.E. go to class, do work, get good grades. Dojima is still the same as he was before Yu came but is at least doing better at being a dad, not much but better. Yosuke and Ted aren't around as much bc Junes, Chie is transferred to Tokyo, Yukiko is busy managing the Inn, and Kanji is busy with work (as a teacher and crafts business owner). Rise unfortunately cant come visit and Big Bro now visits every other year.

Nanako starts to look back and wonder how things started to fall apart amongst the group and recalls that "delinquent" who came back at the same time the Cryptid^tm showed up and ruined the group. So now she starts to remember the good times when Big Bro came by and starts to notice some blanks around winter... Why was she in the hospital when she got kidnapled? Why does she remember these weird flashes of Big Bro and his friends and some monster?? And how come she tried to ask them anything about it they brushed her off each time???

The TV in her room flashes and soon she starts hearing things. She starts to move closer to the tv, as if she was in some sort of trance, as the sounds start to become voices to her. When she's directly infront of the screen she sees something... someone on it...

Nanako doesnt show up for breakast, or to school, and nobody seems to have seen her.

A full year passes on after that day. It starts off with a big search party of the IT and Social Links for the first two months, then after ankther three something stange happens... are people forgetting that Nanako existed or something? Everybody's starting to act like completely different peoplw than who they are too, some even end up hospitalozed due to severe headaches and such, and start claiming that Nanako was never around when she vanished or that she left Inaba or was already deamed dead or missing. This rings alarms in the IT's mimds as they search for answers, eventually all fully reuniting for the first time in years/months.

Naoto and Yosuke blame themselves bc they piece together her disappearance with the Cryptid + Ghost case and immediately get scolded for trying to pin their stupid kids game on a missing person's case - especially now with Nanako missing and possibly in danger again! Afterwards the IT are a bit on edge and a bit broken with the whole thing. Meanwhile Akechi can hear the tale ends of "missing person" and "literal disappearnace" and starts looking into this weird limbo metaverse he's in bc some shit is kinda fucked in here now for some reason. They're pretty much only together as a team to rescue Nanako.

GH in the PTs POV starts when Akiren invites the group to the Amagi Inn thanks to licrative money grin- I mean training. He comes clean into having seen something weird on the tv one late night and wants to let the gang know.

Midnight rolls around and Akechi shows up on the screen and the Thieves losing their shit is an understatement - numerous noise complaints were filed that night. Anyways Akechi decides to just play the role of "hey moron, some shits fucked come help fix it" and ends up informing them of a missing girl and this weird TV Mementos world he is in.

I would like to note that Akechi is not at all bitter or confused at everyone's circumstances in life, no of course not Joker stop crying I know its been a while but shutup theres a kid in trouble rn and youre the only ones who can possibly help her.

When the PT figure out a plan to reach this other world Goro is in (Arsene : THOUARTTHEESTICKYOURHANDINTHETVDOITDOITDOITDOIT) the IT eventually come to the very sad conclusion that Nanako moght be in the TV world and that opens a whole can of worms and burnable bridges to cross.

While in the TV world, I'd like to imagine that due to Akechi having been there for a good while it has been shaped to reflect his heart and be the new overall theme of that world. It all still looks like Inaba, but it all holds themes to Akechi and his no good terrible life. However due to Nanako having been in that world as a kid, and now for an uncertain amount of time, the world now holds motifs to the Heaven area from P4, but it's all sorta ruined and kinda darker.

When both teams get together and enter the weird Tele-Mentos world (IT in a Junes storage and PT at either Ren's pad [bc he moved out obvi] (OR bith teams enter from seperate TVs at the Inn so SHENANS!)) Yu and the IT go through Akechi's influenced world/TV Palace, finding out about his tragic backstory and involvement with the PT, but anything that can and could reveal their true identities is blurred and staticy or missing bc Akechi aint gonna snitch out who ruined his sperm donors life (also I guess saved the world too yeah). While going through the Palace the Team starts to think that finding Goro will just be an "if it happens" sort of deal bc he's been missing for years already, what if we just leave him here bc M U R D E R E R.

Cue a sudden appearance by someone in some sort of fallen angel garb who starts whipping out a full on Metal Gear Villain monologue about how hypocritical the IT are when they find the truth about Akechi's life and disappearance - they claimed to want to live in a world where no one hides in the fig, was that all a lie? Are they going back on their word, and hiding behind a shriud of lies and falsehoods once more? "You've gone and lied and hidden the truth already, what's to say you won't continue?"

Meanwhile Akiren and the Thieves enter at the very top of the Heaven TV Set and have to climb all the way down. As they do so they start seeing little murals or epitaphs about memories and people in this girls life. They see all of these memories of a happy girl who had such a loving family - both found and by blood. As they go further and further down the ruins start to look like an actual Heaven, and the scenary becomes more bright and colorful. Eventually they might run into Crow in his Black Mask clothes and give the bastard a slug on the arm and a group hug or two, bc man he doesn't deserve to suffer anymore like this.

Now that the Phantom Thieves have been reunited (Akechi : I can't leave this world The PT : FUCK, MORE PLOT) they end up thinking up ways to get Akechi out until this weird angel priest looking dude shows up and starts babling about how they are criminals and how they've done more bad than good and blah blah blah. Everyone is just all "We're the good guys, we do the right thing even if its morally grey/ambiguous!" and oh look! Another crazed maniac wants to kill us for our "injustice" *Crow has the decency to look away and not say anything* annnnnnd Heaven is locked off. Perfect.

Now maybe the Phantom Thieves and Investigation Team run into each other somewhere in Akechi's Palace and "You have Personas?!?!" "The hell is a Palace?" "YOU'RE THE CRYPTID OF INABA!!?!?" "And Im the 'Ghost' that follows him." "Wait you followed me as a ghost?" "WAIT WHY ARE THERE TWO AKECHIS??!??!!"

Oh yeah, Shadows... Akechi is still kinda in denial about the whole friends and justice thing...

And now the Dark Priest is back great ("Good name Skull" "Well I've got my moments right?").

Annnnnnnd now I have no idea what happens next and Im all burned out but AAAAAAAAA this entire AU crossover thing is so GOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!

[chroniccombustion]

Ipomoea Alba pt. 1

From “Seven Days to Eternity“, part of @souyoweek2019

Genre: Hanahaki Disease, angst w/happy end, romance, M/M Rated: T Characters: Souji Seta (Yu Narukami), mentions of the Investigation Team, mentions of Nanako Dojima Warnings: minor descriptions of blood and vomiting Status: oneshot collection, incomplete

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"Ipomoea alba, sometimes called moonflower or moon vine, is a species of night-blooming morning glory... It symbolizes dreaming of love, or a love in vain..."

Day 3: Illness/Injury or Holding Hands

There is a tickle in Souji’s throat all through November. It burns when he swallows wrong, causes him to cough once or twice out of nowhere every so often. Nothing major; just a tickle. If, sometimes, he tastes just the barest hint of blood in the back of his mouth after a particularly deep cough, well, he is fighting shadow monsters in a world shrouded in supernatural fog.

There is a tickle in Souji’s throat all through November. It burns when he swallows wrong, causes him to cough once or twice out of nowhere every so often. Nothing major; just a tickle. If, sometimes, he tastes just the barest hint of blood in the back of his mouth after a particularly deep cough, well, he is fighting shadow monsters in a world shrouded in supernatural fog.

He has other things to worry about, though. Like finishing the Heaven dungeon as fast as he can. Like keeping his team and himself alive long enough to reach the top and catch Namatame.

Like rescuing Nanako

He can’t stop just because he’s getting sick, because of a little tickle in his throat that sometimes refuses to go away for hours at a time. He’s survived worse; he can still fight Shadows with a minor cough.

It doesn’t go away after November is over. It’s there throughout December, too, more insistent, deeper-rooted. It spreads from his throat to his chest and goes from being just an occasional tickle to a kind of pressure behind his sternum. It’s like he’s got some kind of drainage happening, like he’s got fluid somewhere down in his lungs; a stuffy sort of feeling that rattles a little on the harder coughs – still only a couple at a time – and makes him wonder if he’s grown an allergy to the fog. He wouldn’t be surprised, honestly. After all, the glasses only keep their eyes from being obscured by the ever-present mist; they don’t do anything to keep the team from breathing it in. (And fog is water, so it would make sense for him to have something sitting in his lungs if he’s been breathing tiny droplets of monster-vapor.)

But, again, he has other things to worry about. Nanako and Dojima are still in the hospital and Adachi is on the loose; they can’t stop now, not when they’re all so close to bringing the real killer to justice, not when Souji has a murderer to catch and an empty home waiting for him when he’s too exhausted to keep fighting for the day.

If he was being honest with himself, that was probably the worst part of it all. Adachi having literally killed people notwithstanding, every time they left Magatsu Inaba without having reached the end, every day that Adachi still remained at large and Souji went home to that house of deathly silence, it was just another reminder of his failings. He hadn’t been able to protect Nanako, he hadn’t been able to stop Adachi from escaping into the TV; the quiet and the dark and the stillness that greeted him every time he crossed the threshold felt like mockery.

You weren’t fast enough, smart enough, strong enough.

Just another reason to finish their pursuit as quickly as they can.

For two entire months the empty house is like a weight on Souji’s shoulders, slowly crushing him to death. He doesn’t sleep much – too many dreams of disaster – nor does he really remember to eat. He cooks still, out of habit and the desire for even a semblance of normalcy, but more often than not he just packs it away in a bento for the next day. Not that he really eats that, either; instead, he invites people to spend lunch break with him at school and lets them tackle most of what’s in the container. It keeps it from going to waste and helps Souji to keep up appearances. Because he’s the leader, that’s what he has to do.

He knows that the other members of the team can see him fading at the edges; none of them are dumb or blind. He’s seen the worried glances that Chie and Yukiko send his way when they think he can’t see them during class. He can tell by the slight downward curve of Rise’s lips, Kanji’s furrowed brows, Naoto’s intense, assessing stares. They know he’s not completely alright but there’s nothing they can do to change it. He appreciates what they can do, obviously – when they come to check on him or invite him to hang out on a rest day. Or, more notably, their determination in battle, their fierce resolve, the way they throw themselves into bringing the case to an end with just as much fervor as he does. He sees it all and he is so, so grateful for them. He could never ask for a better team.

But they have responsibilities, too. In between their hunt for Adachi, his friends all have work, school, families that need them to come home, so no matter how much he might want to, Souji can’t monopolize all their time – it just wouldn’t be right. And it’s not like they can spend every waking moment in the television either, because magic or not, they’re all human and humans wear down. Souji had pushed his team nearly to the breaking point when Nanako was still missing; this situation might not be the same but he still isn’t about to do that again.

He visits Nanako and his uncle when he can, especially on the days when none of his friends can hang out, so he does get to see them. It’s not the same as having them home, though, and that’s the major issue. Given the chance, Souji would camp out in one of the lobby chairs if they’d let him, but visiting hours only go so late into the evening before the hospital staff kicks him out with a “come back tomorrow”.

So Souji spends a lot of the later hours of the day alone.

The only reprieve from the constant feeling of inevitable, punishing solitude that he seems to get is around his closest friend. Yosuke, almost eerily attuned to Souji’s moods as he is, has taken to dropping in after his shifts, even when he’s clearly exhausted. He sometimes makes the excuse that he hasn’t had any time to study and could Souji help him with his homework, please? They usually don’t get much of anything done; most of the time Souji has already long-since finished several days worth of homework just for something to occupy his mind. (There are also rare nights where there is no homework due the next day, so that particular excuse falls a bit flat.) Other times, Yosuke will grab food from Junes before heading out and simply come over with a set of store-bought bentos and a movie he’d stuffed into his bag before school. It’s on those nights that Souji actually does eat.

Yosuke sits and talks with him after school until he has to leave for work, Yosuke sends him texts whenever he can while on shift, Yosuke calls him when on break if he knows that Souji is alone, and then again after work on the days he absolutely can’t come over. He waits for Souji in the mornings so that they can walk to school together, invites him to spend the weekend together if Souji has no other plans, goes with him to visit Nanako and brings her snacks or little trinkets from Junes. Yosuke is a godsend.

Souji finds he can let his mask slip, just a little, around him, too. He knows that Yosuke already knows the cracks are there, just like the others do, but Souji is more comfortable acknowledging them himself when it’s Yosuke that’s looking. Souji is the leader, the commander, the pillar of strength with a hundred different Personae in his head; he still has a mission to complete and a team to lead and he can’t falter, he can’t crack, because if he does then he risks everything. He has to keep up moral, has to be unflinching in battle so the others have someone to look to, so that nothing (else) falls apart. So even while his friends share those worried glances and those furrowed brows, Souji keeps pretending that he’s got everything under control. He powers through the burnout that has settled in, sunk its claws into his shoulders, filled him with empty exhaustion, and all the while he keeps his outward facade carefully in check. He can buckle later, once everything is finished.

But around Yosuke it’s different. Yosuke is his equal, his partner, second-in-command of the Investigation Team; he’s also familiar with the feeling of loss and of loneliness. He never judges Souji when it’s clear he hasn’t been taking care of himself, nor does he let Souji lie to him and say that no, it’s alright, you should go home after work and sleep, you need to rest. Maybe it’s because he’s been with Souji from the beginning, knows more about him than anybody else in the world. Maybe it’s because he’s the only one of the team to have seen Souji cry, on that awful November evening when Nanako had called him “oniichan” for what he thought would be the last time.

Souji barely remembers anything past breaking down that night. He knows that Yosuke had somehow managed to get him home and convinced him to wash off the sweat of battle, because he has a very vague, fuzzy memory of sitting on his futon and shivering, hair still damp, with Yosuke’s headphones lying on the work table and the sound of the shower running in the distance.

He can’t be sure, because his mind had been too quiet and too noisy all at once to tell what was real and what was a dream, but Souji thinks there may a have been a moment, somewhere in the darkest hours of the morning, where he’d felt the sensation of long fingers carding tenderly through his hair.

But that was November, and Souji hasn’t had a chance to think about anything besides their mission for very long, let alone something that might not even have been real to begin with.  He has to make it through December now, has to stop Adachi, has to keep himself sane in the hours that he’s forced to be alone, and even then he tries to block out all idle thought lest it turn and twist and drag him under without warning.

So really. With two solid months of stress and grief and very few chances to breathe, it’s no wonder that he’s having difficultly doing so. It’s no wonder, what with the no sleep and the barely eating and the house with no heat and the damp winter air outside, that there’s a tickle in his throat or traces of toxic fog still sitting in his lungs.

Souji continues to ignore his increasing symptoms, even as they start to get nearly obstructive. He hides them from his friends, from Nanako and Dojima, and even from Yosuke. He especially hides them from Yosuke; his partner has already worried far, far more than he needs to over Souji’s health and if by some cruel twist of fate Souji gets too sick to fight on anymore, the team is going to need Yosuke to lead them. Souji doesn’t need Yosuke burning himself out, too.

Which is why, when Adachi has finally been captured and Ameno-Sagiri lies rusting in the ruins of Magatsu Inaba, Souji continues to keep the burning, choking feeling when he breathes a secret. He knows that Yosuke will be upset with him, will blame himself if he finds out that Souji’s been hiding his illness to make sure Yosuke didn’t wind up sick as well.

Besides, their victory is a cause for celebration, and his friends have all worked so hard and been through so much. Souji can’t take that moment of victory away from them by bringing down the mood with his shitty health.

So Souji endures it. He forces back the sudden, minor shortness of breath that seems to be happening more and more frequently. It’s to be expected; he’s just come off of two months of unending stress, of fighting in wet, awful conditions and then returning to a cold house without even a working kotatsu, all while staving off the most persistent bug he can ever remember having. He does, however, begin making an effort to take a little better care of himself, because while he appreciates everything Yosuke has done, it isn’t his partner’s job to do so – especially not now that the stress has lifted somewhat.

Souji makes sure he takes warm showers and then dries off thoroughly afterwards so he isn’t going to bed with wet hair. He buys cold medicine, and tea that’s supposed to help boost his immune system and clear out his chest. They seem to help; the steam and the warmth of the showers eases the tension he feels while inhaling and the tea makes it easier for him to sleep. The cough wants to linger? That’s alright. Souji isn’t sick enough to warrant any worry just yet, and it doesn’t impact him to where he can’t go to school or to work or be sociable. He takes it easy over winter break, anyway, and wears a facemask to the hospital when he visits his family. He doesn’t want to risk breathing anything onto Nanako while she’s still weak.

By the end of December the cough has gotten a little deeper, a little wetter. It’s less frequent when it happens, though, so Souji takes it as a decent sign that he’s slowly knocking whatever this is out of his system. He figures it must just be the gunk in his lungs working its way out – which is only further justified when he feels something shifting during his rare bouts of coughing. He’d briefly wondered if maybe he wasn’t coming down with pneumonia, but he only has the slight cough and the scratchy throat, so a quick search at the library and online makes him think, “probably not.” Just to be sure, though, he tells himself that if he isn’t completely well by January then he’ll go to the doctor. But, since it feels like something is trying to come loose in a productive way, he also decides to wait until he sees real issues functioning before letting it bother him too badly.

 He’s holding out pretty well by the time New Year’s comes around.

The group makes plans to go out together to celebrate, to visit the shrine, to just be normal kids for once. It’s the perfect way to put the whole mess of a year behind them, and Souji finds he’s actually a little excited for it. His mood and mental state are improving steadily now that things aren’t so consistently terrible, and he’s feeling well enough physically that he doesn’t think his cold will be a problem. As long as he remembers to take some medicine beforehand and not push himself too hard, he should be fine. He is a little sad that Nanako won’t be able to join them, (she’d been pretty disappointed herself when she found out the hospital wouldn’t let her leave for the night) but he promises to take her to visit the shrine once she’s all better and makes a mental note to buy her some sweets to compensate.

They all decide to meet up separately at the shrine so that no one is left waiting on anyone else to get ready. Rise in particular seems to get a kick out of this, because in the days leading up everything she keeps trying to rope Chie and Yukiko into shopping for new outfits with her. She gets a strange, sparkly, conspiratorial look in her eye whenever she manages to catch Souji’s gaze while the subject is being discussed, so he gets the impression that Rise is hoping to use the opportunity to try and get their resident “useless lesbians” together at last. He chuckles and silently wishes her luck.

 The idea of dressing up for New Year’s doesn’t seem too bad, though, so when the day arrives he bundles up as best he can without it being obtrusive and slips into his own charcoal grey kimono, just for fun. It might not be strictly advisable, but he’s at least made sure he’ll be warm enough not to freeze. He takes a dose of medicine about half an hour before he sets out, and drinks two cups of tea just to be absolutely sure.

He meets up with Naoto and Kanji first, since the both of them are just wearing casual clothing and likely took the least amount of time. Rise finds them next, and as she approaches them her face is contorted into the slyest, most self-satisfied smirk that Souji thinks he’s ever seen. He sees why a few minutes later, as Yukiko and Chie come wandering into view, both in kimono and both walking very slowly as they keep sneaking glances over at one another and blushing furiously. Souji holds his hand out low behind his back, palm up, and feels a giggling Rise slap him five where the other girls can’t see. (Not that they have eyes for anyone but each other, anyway.)

Surprisingly, Yosuke and Teddie are the last to arrive. Souji hears Teddie shouting exuberantly before he sees them, so he has absolutely no warning whatsoever when he turns around to greet the last two members of the IT and nearly chokes on the spot.

Under his open jacket, Yosuke wears a deep, cinnamon-colored sweater that Souji has never seen him wear before. It’s fitted, hugging his chest and the curve of his waist in a way that is wholly unfair. The neckline dips into a low v-neck, showing off the dusty, muted rose of the shirt underneath – which still doesn’t quite go high enough to hide Yosuke’s collarbones. The worst (or best) part of his outfit, though, are the tight, tight black skinny jeans that cover the lower half of his body. There is a soft flush to his cheeks and the tips of his ears and when Yosuke spots Souji in the crowd he smiles and suddenly Souji finds he’s having trouble breathing properly.

(Whether it’s from his newly racing heartbeat or just the cold medicine beginning to wear off, he couldn’t say.)

The group huddles together to wait out the time until the count down, and somehow, naturally, he and Yosuke wind up standing next to each other, so close that Yosuke’s arm brushes against his own whenever the brunette moves in a certain way. Souji doesn’t know if he’s supposed to feel this warm; he can feel it in his face, his neck, in the pit of his stomach, and it comes with slightly shaking hands. He hopes he hasn’t suddenly developed a fever on top of everything else.

But he came here to have fun with his friends and to ring in the new year with hope for an end to the chaos of the previous one, and he’s not about to leave before midnight hits. He does his best to ignore the way his cheeks flush when Yosuke bumps into him again, focusing on the happy faces of his teammates and the excited chatter all around him instead. He has to focus harder, after a while, to try and also ignore the way his chest is slowly beginning to constrict the longer he stands there.

It starts off as nothing but an irritation; it’s nothing more severe than he’s been dealing with for two months already. As time goes on, though, it gets more and more uncomfortable, until it actively feels like there’s something obstructing the base of his throat as he tries to inhale. He has trouble getting the air back out of his lungs, too, having to push a little harder than his body would do normally to get his chest to empty so he can suck in another breath. 

At some point, just before the clock strikes twelve and the old year dies to birth the new, Yosuke throws an arm around Souji’s shoulders and whispers, “Happy New Year, Partner” against the shell of his ear.

For a single, terrifying moment, something inside Souji’s body twists. It sends a jolt of pain through him, like he’d swallowed something without chewing properly and had it lodge deep in his esophagus to choke and stretch and tear at him on its way down. Except it isn’t gradually going away. He goes to take a breath in shock, his body trying instinctively to help move the impeding object back down through muscle contraction, but nothing. Happens.

He tries again and still his lungs don’t fill.

He brings a hand up to his clavicle in fear, just as the countdown reaches zero and midnight officially hits. His friends whoop and cheer around him, and Souji is jostled to the side as Yosuke, arm still over Souji’s shoulders, joins in the merrymaking and knocks into him. A moment later, Teddie tackles them both from behind and the movement slams Souji forward, forcing him to take a stumbling a step or two away in order to maintain his balance. It distracts him from Yosuke’s arm, from the mounting terror of not being able to breathe, and as he lurches he feels whatever it is in his chest shift just enough that his next inhale goes through.

He takes several deep, gulping breaths, and smiles weakly when Yosuke looks at him with wide, worried eyes.

Yosuke asks him what’s wrong but Souji just waves his concerns away with a quiet, “it’s nothing.” He says nothing more as Yosuke turns to scold Teddie for nearly bowling them both over, clearly thinking that to be the cause of Souji’s distress. Souji silently apologizes to their odd little bear friend for the undue tongue lashing, and adds “sweets for Teddie” to his mental list underneath “sweets for Nanako.” It’s cowardly, but Souji is still trembling from nearly choking to death on nothing, so the energy and ability to properly explain what really just happened is well out of his reach for the time being.

As Yosuke and Teddie bicker, Souji uses the distraction as a cover to slip away for a moment and try to get his bearings. He pressed the heel of his hand hard against his sternum, rubbing in small circles as if that will help him dislodge whatever it was that had almost caused him to pass out. His throat tingles as if he’s sucked water down the wrong pipe and he coughs once, twice, three times, doubling over for a second as the force of it bends him at the waist. He takes a rattling breath in, feels it catch on something wet, coughs again to bring it up. He spits, and his tongue tastes like copper.

He says his goodbyes and heads for home as soon as they all finish up at the shrine.

 Souji wakes early the next morning with an unnamable feeling of deep-seated dread. He rolls out of his futon and spends several minutes on the floor trying to stop the strange wave of lightheadedness that comes with the movement. When at last he can sit back onto his calves and try to get up properly, he nearly crashes back down before he can get to his feet. Something isn’t right. It takes him far longer than it should to figure out what.

Souji can’t breathe. In his sleepy, half-suffocated stupor he hadn’t immediately noticed the way his lungs had to work to force him to exhale, nor the way spots danced in the edges of his vision with each painful, wheezing inhale. He feels sick – his head aches like it’s being squeezed, pounding in time to the throbbing, stabbing, writhing feeling deep inside his chest. It’s like his heart is being compressed, fluttering frantically at the lack of oxygen like a hummingbird in a cage. He sucks in a long, horrible, rasping breath, feeling it bubble, thick and sticky, as it hits the back of his throat. It stings; rubbing alcohol on an open, bleeding wound.

Panicked, Souji manages to stagger his way out of the bedroom and down the hall to the bathroom as something like bile begins to rise in his gut. The bubbling intensifies, clotting and tar-like just beyond the back of his tongue and he feels the choking, jerking, telltale signs of an oncoming coughing fit. He flops his shoulder into the bathroom door and leans against it, letting his weight help him swing it open; he barely is able to reach for the light switch before the coughing wracks his body.

Souji gags and something comes up the back of his throat as he coughs, deep and hacking, feeling it all the way down to his weakening knees. It tastes like metal, like red-hot iron searing along his windpipe as he wretches and gasps over and over again, until he can feel a blob of wet, limp something sliding across his tongue and out onto the floor. Blindly he stumbles over to the counter and props himself up with violently shaking hands. Tears cloud his eyes as he bends low over the sink and coughs and coughs and coughs until his strength is gone and his throat, his chest, his body is positively wrecked.

Everything tastes like blood, more and more of it dripping from between his teeth with each sobbing exhale. With every bone-shaking hack, Souji vomits up another clot of that same, bitter something, leaving him only a split second in between to suck in another ragged breath before his chest heaves and he’s back to spitting up another slimy clump of whatever has taken root inside him. It’s minutes before the torture ebbs; minutes longer before it comes to a stop. By the time the coughing has subsided, Souji is left a shivering, half-conscious mess against the biting edge of the counter. He pulls in a breath and finds it easier. He pulls in another and feels the tightness in his chest ease just a little. One more, and slowly, utterly exhausted, he pushes himself up until he’s able to stand.

He blinks away the saltwater obscuring his vision and very nearly screams at what he sees.

There is blood everywhere. The white of the sink is awash with it, the counter, the mirror, the floor, the wall; all of them are splattered with thick patches of dark, dripping red. But there is worse to see.

Floating in the blood in matted, soggy clumps—

 are flowers.

They’re all around him – pooling in the sink, plastered to his hands, trailing from the doorway where he’d been a moment too late on his way in. They aren’t just pieces, either, just stems and leaves, but fully formed with white, star-shaped petals and pale yellow centers all stained crimson as they lie limp and drowned upon the floor.

Souji stares in unadulterated horror.

He thought he’d just been getting sick.

His mind shuts down as he makes his way out of the bathroom, leaning against the walls for support and taking one painstaking step after another down the hallway. Somehow he manages to make it down the stairs, to gather up the cleaning supplies from the downstairs closet. He drags himself back to the second floor and leans against the opposite wall from before, taking care not to step in the bloody footprints he’d left in his wake.

He doesn’t remember cleaning up the bathroom, scooping up the scarlet-soaked blossoms and tossing them into the toilet, flushing them out of sight. He doesn’t remember numbly wiping the blood from the wall, the mirror, the sink, doesn’t remember slipping and sliding on the wet tile beneath his feet, doesn’t remember scrubbing at the red before it can stain and continuing to wipe every surface he can reach long after the initial color is gone.

When he’s finished in the bathroom he starts back out into the hall. Back and forth across the floor he goes, all the way to the stairs and back again, wiping at the footprints until none remain. He moves to the stairs next, then the places in the kitchen and the downstairs hall where the last of the bloody tracks lie. He tucks away the cleaning supplies when he’s done.

Souji comes back into himself hours and hours later, after the sun has long-since set, and vaguely notices that his sleep clothes are replaced with a different, fresher pair. His skin feels frozen in the heatless winter air that permeates the house, his hair wet against his pillow. He doesn’t remember stripping off his clothes to dump into the washing machine, has no memory of sitting in the shower until the water ran from pink to clear, then from clear to bitter cold. He lies there and doesn’t remember climbing back into his futon after sitting freezing under the icy spray for more than an hour.

Instead, he remembers the flowers.  He remembers the feeling of pain and sickness as they traveled up his windpipe and out of his mouth. He remembers the taste of the blood, the bitterness of the petals; he remembers the way his chest had squeezed and his lungs had filled not with air but with moon-colored blooms.

He whimpers softly, and the sound is swallowed by the empty, lonely dark.

From somewhere over to the side there comes a faint buzzing. It pulses like a heartbeat, accompanied by a harsh white glow. Souji shifts until he can look over at the noise, reaching one shaking, clumsy hand out from beneath his comforter to try and grasp at the square of light. His fumbling fingers brush against his phone just as it stops ringing.

He pulls it back toward him with all the strength he has left and digs his thumb between where the two halves fold together. It takes him several tries to push the halves apart and flip the phone open; when he does finally succeed, the light from the screen makes him scrunch his eyes shut in pain. He’s still blinking away the blindness when the phone starts buzzing again.

Souji’s hands are already trembling – weak and uncoordinated from the blood loss, the lack of food, the sickness – so the moment the phone begins to vibrate he loses his tentative grip. Down it drops into the folds of his comforter. He grabs for it, claws at the fabric with fingers that feel boneless, tries to heft himself up onto an elbow but cannot get his arm to support his weight. He manages to bring his hand down on top of the phone and mash his knuckle into the “accept” button right as the phone goes silent once more.

‘4 missed calls from Aibo.’

His heart makes a little flutter of happiness at the sight of it.

And then immediately constricts.

Souji cries out wordlessly as he feels his body convulse. The tightness in his chest comes creeping back in, twisting over his heart and driving the air from his already battered lungs, turning his scream of pain into nothing more than a feeble, aborted croak. Fear burns hot and thick behind his eyes, blurs his sight, trickles down his face in the form of tears. He coughs as the flowers in his ribs dig their roots in deeper, and tastes blood on the back of his tongue.

“Yosuke,” he rasps, and the tiny, thin threads of voice left to him scratch at his throat on their way out. There is no one around to hear.

“Yosuke, help…”

[obstinaterixatrix]

im sorry for how apropos-of-nothing this is but. i've seen lately people legit arguing that persona 5's thesis is "rebel, but only so you can behave yourself and fit back in with society afterward!! rebellion is just a youthful indiscretion in the end" and im like. how is That what you got out of the god-shooting endgame sequence, like i know the story's full of shitty details but its broadstrokes are so Not That?? it's like they're projecting p4's worst flaws onto places they don't exist

sorry for all that im just. really affected by p5’s ending, it’s one of the few things lately that i’ve been using for Positive Energy TM and seeing people compare it to p4 stuff is very lol

Hm… I feel like P4 and P5 have pretty different scopes & focuses, like internal (acceptance of self) & external (rejection of society). They’re related, but interpreting P5′s flaws in P4 terms feels like thinking slightly to the left.

I don’t think P5′s end result completely dismisses its strong messages of rebellion, and while there are trip-ups… I guess a comparison between Haru’s and Yukiko’s s.links shows it best - content-wise, Haru’s s.link has ‘oh, this adult wasn’t actually an untrustworthy villain,’ but it doesn’t frame it as Haru being wrong to think so, per se, the point of Haru’s s.link is to highlight her inclination against expressing her thoughts clearly to the relevant party, then develop her to a point where she can be direct in telling whoever that guy was what’s on her mind so she can get herself out of the ‘say nothing, be suspicious and resigned to misery’ cycle she was getting stuck in. in contrast, Yukiko’s s.link *could* have gotten her to the place she was trying to run from in a satisfying way - for example, if the framing of ‘taking over the inn’ changed from an obligation she had no control over INTO a position of leadership that GIVES her control - but instead, only addresses the surface dilemma (taking over the inn) without addressing the underlying issues Yukiko has about it (control over her own life), meaning the route she takes to accept her position - ‘oh, these people care about me’ - isn’t satisfying.

Another parallel could be Ann and Rise’s s.link - Ann’s relation to her modeling career is going from relative disengagement (it’s really just a hobby) to investment on her own terms (wanting to cultivate her own strength in a way that can reach shiho even when they’re apart), so even though there are aspects that conform to societal standards - working out, being conscious of diet - it doesn’t necessarily affect her in a toxic way. On the other hand, Rise’s conscious disengagement from idol work, and everything that pushes her back into the same place is mostly external - her manager, the letter from the fan - and while there are some aspects that focus on her identity stuff, it’s like… circling around to the same place without any real assurances of support, or without fully addressing ways to combat the aspects of idol culture that lead to Rise’s disengagement… I think it can also be compared to Kanji’s s.link because he starts as a guy who likes cute stuff, and ends as a guy who likes cute stuff and is more comfortable embracing that without the negative self-image imposed by toxic masculinity - he circles to the same point, but with additional insight and self-confidence. (and. even though kanji being an mlm isn’t explicitly addressed in the s.link, joke’s on you atlus this can be extrapolated and applied to kanji being an mlm). Granted, it’s been a pretty long time since I’ve played through Rise’s s.link, but from what I remember it felt kind of like circling to the same point (external pressures to be an idol). so in that way - for the gals especially - p4 feels like it has more of a problem circling kids back into their “proper” place in society, and p5 has less of that problem.

I think the point where folks might think about P5 in that way lies in how P5 kind of touches upon the “““““moral ambiguity”““““ of changing hearts without really following through on alternatives or conclusions. like when we see all the abusers in cages with everyone else I was like. am I supposed to feel bad, because I absolutely definitely don’t, but this feels like it’s framed as “the p thieves’ fault”. I don’t remember everything but I guess... the apocalypse... was kind of related to stealing hearts...???? and in that case they were ““technically”“ ““in the wrong”“ to steal those hearts????? and if that’s a hill on which atlus was bumbling its flag, it’s a really weird hill to vaguely meander on. it’s like, retroactively applying a morally grey label to what doesn’t scan as morally grey, and by doing so, having the vague implication of ‘oh maybe the phantom thieves weren’t the heroes they thought they were’. and by vaguely implying that those actions might not have been right, atlus was vaguely implying that rebelling wasn’t the ““““right”“““ way, or that they were rebelling in the ““““wrong way”“““. but it’s also like... if the only consequence of changing hearts is having to fight god or whatever, why not just keep changing hearts and throw down with god whenever it pops back up. but also-also, this possible interpretation is based on stuff that’s (from what I remember) so... vaguely written and not really committed to that folks can either really lean into it, or kind of ignore it, which leads to extremely different readings of p5′s overall themes.

in the end, I’m of the opinion that there are strong messages in p5 that really shine through, and there’s a lot of *super real* strength about how the ending involves everyone coming together to bust protag out of jail. there’s a lot of poignant parts of the story that deals with not conforming to society and staying true to yourself. but I do think altus’ writing undermines itself by being too mired in the oppression it ostensibly opposes. *especially* because it’s written to appeal to the idea of a privileged audience. (straight men). (regardless of whether or not straight men actually enjoyed the occasional sexism or ““““humorous”“““ homophobia, these aspects were written because the the game was written for straight men). societal reform was probably too big of a topic to tackle for a writing team that had folks who didn’t realize jokes about how horrifying gay people are, is quite possibly, a bad writing choice to make, when your story follows themes of fighting against oppression; shitty details really do impact the broad strokes of the story.

[sillyfudgemonkeys]

So with Kasumi’s mindset, how do you think she would feel about SEES and the IT? Would she be more accepting bc their methods aren’t as morally grey compared to the PTs? Or would she still feel the same way since all 3 still rely on supernatural forces?

I think she’d be fine with SEES/IT, and it’s probably 1) yeah they aren’t as morally grey, and 2) Supernatural issues are needing to be solved with supernatural means, P5 isn’t really a supernatural issue completely, 3) SEES/IT are true shadow heroes, no one knows about them while the PT people do kinda (so it’s not like SEES/IT are showboating, I mean she’d probs be annoyed with Junpei’s hero problem that got his team in trouble but that’s as far as it goes, as for the IT they feel like heroes but they don’t demand recognition like the PT do). 

SEES and IT are both working on the same side as the police, PT are not.

SEES need to clean up a supernatural experiment gone wrong, only way to do that is via supernatural means. They are also the ONLY ONES who can fix it (cause everybody be a coffin during that time), there’s no way around it.

IT, you could argue that they should/could get the police involved from the beginning, but......tbh that could probably lead to a nation wide panic attack (think about a supernatural world on the other side of your TV, I think that would get people worried). We also see the issues involved in getting Adachi prosecuted cause of all the supernatural stuff, it’s also possible they could be putting more people in danger getting normal police involved where they can help people who became victims of supernatural means, via solving it with their supernatural powers. Basically, getting the police involved early on could’ve easily ended up being a shit show if the writers wanted to, so the IT thinking “Well we have powers they don’t have, we can solve it, not like they can prove anything anyways so it’s kinda all up to use to solve it.” 

PT? Teacher is an asshole, Yakuza are criming, and a CEO is abusing their employees. Nothing supernatural about it! These are all very normal (by which I mean “non-supernatural”) things, and can potentially be solved in non-supernatural ways. Ways that SEES/IT couldn’t solve their problems, because if SEES/IT don’t solve it using supernatural means, then people will die. Yes, P5 makes it so that it seems near impossible to take these bad guys down, but that doesn’t mean it is impossible. She probs respects the people who have the balls to stand up against these people, even if they end up hurt in the end, imo I think she thinks those people are the true heroes. 

But yeah P5′s ways are.....very morally grey, and can lead towards black if you look at it in certain ways. I don’t think she HATES them, she says she doesn’t care for them tho, which means she probably just doesn’t like them, or at least is not willing to worship the ground they walk on. 

I think she’d also like SEES/IT due to how they both confront their own issues head on without the needs for supernatural means. See kids being bullied? Step in. See Naoto might get shanked by a knife? Step in. Paparazzi bugging Yukiko/her inn? Tell them to back off. Cops bothering Kanji? Back him up. Having issues in your life? MC will listen and maybe guide you, but they will ultimately change their issues themselves. Everyone solves their issues on their own, or if they have help, they don’t take the easy way out they still confront it. P5 doesn’t do that for the most part, besides a few PT CoOps (and I think Sun, cause Sun is a BAMF, tbh he and Kasumi fit the theme of “do it yourself, accept the consequences of your actions” from what we have so far), everything is solved via stealing hearts, the person doesn’t change their situation themselves. And when it comes to the PT who don’t resort to supernatural stuff to solve their problems, it makes you wonder WHY DON’T YOU JUST DO THAT???? (unless it’s so minor or it’d make no sense to do that, like with Anne/Mika, Mika’s being an ass to Anne but like not enough to justify a change of heart, and the find out too late that Mika was doing to the other models so it’s....yeah why bother when it’s already been dealt with) Makoto suspicious of her friend’s new bf? Get the info you need to look for his Shadow and steal his heart if you need to. Haru’s issues on who to trust at her company? Get the info you need to look for their shadows and question them. Haru’s issues with her fiances? Steal his heart. Suspicious of the guy talking to Yusuke? Get his name and question his Shadow. Ryuji’s issues with the new track coach? FREAKING STEAL HIS HEART LIKE OMG???? Like play smarter not harder P5, everyone on the team is so gung-ho on stealing hearts but when it comes to their CoOps it’s like “Wait I can do that to solve my problems????” Like if the PT want to realize they can solve shit without supernatural stuff, do it in the main story line, don’t put it in the side story where it’ll conflict with the main story. And that’s not the only time we get conflicting stuff about stealing hearts between the main story and the CoOps. Like shit, Makoto is out there being like “it’s too selfish of me to ask to change my sister’s heart, even tho she’s in a position that could hurt people if not changed” but at the same time we have greedy Futaba over here being like “yeah I’d like an order of 3 heart changes, 1 for the main story and 2 for CoOps please.” Can I just get some consistency here P5? If we’re going to have these two mindsets you could at least have some headbutting between the characters over it. DX

-Ahem- But yeah.......sorry got a little side track about a writing thing with P5, but it was slightly on topic (cause if I didn’t talk about it a bit more in detail someone would say “But Anne/*insert character* solved her’s without the need for stealing hearts” and it’s like yea but why not just steal hearts? I mean they already have that mindset it’s seems odd to just not do it). 

[individuationfic]

Seeking to Seize Chapter 17

AO3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lighthearted conversation effectively ruined, they return to their homework.

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

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

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

Yosuke goes red and averts his eyes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Because Yu looks goddamn beautiful.

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

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

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

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

You’re supposed to be on my side here!

I am. You just don’t see it yet.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then she gets in the bath with some of them.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anything but the scars.

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

[artificervaldi]

I was gonna write fics for the last day of Persona Week but that fell through because of... Reasons. So Instead, have a post about an AU.

So, Persona AU that’s basically a mix between those cop dramas on TV and a buddy-cop comedy movie. I’m sure it’s pretty obvious that it’ll involve characters involved in the legal system/medical field mostly.

I mean, I could give everyone a role in this, but seeing as I don’t wanna get attached enough to write for it... We’ll stick to (some of) the characters involved in the legal system/medical field (ones I can come up with headcanons for, anyway)

Not accurate to real crime solving because, um, it’s based of things like buddy-cop comedies and the like.

So, this post’ll include: Maki Sonomura, Katsuya Suou, Tatsuya Suou, Akihiko Sanada, Naoto Shirogane, Chie Satonaka, Ryotaro Dojima, Tohru Adachi, Goro Akechi, Sae Niijima, and Tae Takemi!

Maki Sonomura:

Therapist who doesn’t exactly directly work on most cases with the police. Often supplies therapy for victims of crimes that do not result in their death.

Drinks with Katsuya and Tatsuya on occasion. Tries to give advice when they’re stumped on a case (the advice usually ends up helping them, too. No one knows why her advice is so good).

Friends with Tae due to chronic health problems. Tae’s medication usually keeps her out of the hospital. They don’t mention it to any of the legal team in this AU.

Lives with Eriko and Yukino in an apartment near her office.

Katsuya Suou:

Police Detective who isn’t the type to give up on a case when one is given to him. Overworks himself often, despite the worry his coworkers voice at this.

His bosses don’t seem to take him seriously, no matter how hard he works. Been at the station longest and is still the one sent out on silly errands.

Knows Maya and Ohya due to often having to chase them off from crime scenes. Gets pulled into drinking and chatting with them more often than he’d like to admit.

Lives with his brother in an apartment. Might as well live in the station at times.

Tatsuya Suou: 

A normal cop, often tries to be quick to respond to emergencies when he can. Not good at dealing with the press, but is decent with civilians.

Goes on errands with Katsuya when he can squeeze it it. It’s about the only time the brothers can bond when things are getting hectic at the station.

Friends with Jun, Lisa, Eikichi, and Anna. Tries to keep them away from his work as much as possible. When really stressed he might even avoid his friends.

Lives with his brother in an apartment. Sometimes crashes at friends’ places when he doesn’t want to make the trip back.

Akihiko Sanada:

A police officer who likes to be the first on scene when he can. Always looks for those in need and tries his best to keep any causalities to a minimum when it comes down to it.

Chie’s partner, been working a little longer and doesn’t know what to think of her antics at times. Other times he’s just as bad as she is and they both end up getting scolded.

Friends with government agents Mitsuru and Aigis, sometimes gets information from them when the leads dry up. Lies about where he gets the info, Mitsuru helps make sure the story checks out.

Married, lives with his spouse in a house. Lives fairly far from the station (spouse can be whoever you imagine, since I’m not writing this lmao. If I did write it tho, would probably be Minato as the spouse)

Naoto Shirogane:

Detective who often finds herself working with the police on tough cases. Usually not greeted with much warmth when working with them, so she tries to avoid trying to make friends.

Often looks for clues and information among the regular populace. Known for being able to use the smallest thread to find an lead that can be used. Gets caught up in it.

High school friend of Chie’s. Doesn’t know how she feels when she ends up working at the station Chie works at. It really depends on the case and Chie’s mood at the time.

Married, lives with her spouse in a nearby apartment  (spouse can be whoever you imagine, since I’m not writing this lmao. If I did write it tho, would probably be Kanji as the spouse )

Chie Satonaka:

New police officer who’s way too excited to be working with Akihiko. A bit hot headed and is known for rushing into things a lot of the time. Has been scolded a lot for this.

Great with civilians. Has a huge following of women who bring her snacks and sweets at work. She doesn’t seem to be interested in actually getting to know any of them past perhaps friendship.

Admires Akihiko, Naoto, and Dojima. Always follows them around the station, as long as they don’t find a way to lose her. When they do she usually defaults to Katsuya instead.

Dating Yukiko, long distance relationship. Lives in a small apartment. (You can imagine what you want with Aki and Naoto, but YukiChie is There).

Ryotaro Dojima:

Police detective who gets more caught up in his work than Katsuya does. Has more trouble staying out of it emotionally than Katsuya does, however. It makes him blind to clear answers sometimes.

Smokes and drinks like a motherfucker. Spends a lot of time drinking with Ohya, due to them both trying to drink their stress away. This worries his daughter.

Adachi is still his partner and still gets pushed around quite a bit. Thinks Adachi transferred out of Inaba because of this pushing and will mention it often.

Lives with Nanako and Yu in a small house.

Tohru Adachi:

Police detective who transferred out of Inaba when a now cold case went unsolved. The case happened to be the deaths of Mayumi Yamano and Saki Konishi, which Adachi is actually linked to.

He seems to be hiding a lot, but only a few really notice it. The few being Katsuya, Naoto, and Goro. He’s good at dodging questions that could incriminate him, however.

Tries to be friendly with Yu and Nanako. Yu is willing to go along with it, but Nanako has no interest in playing nice with him. He acts like he doesn’t understand the dislike, when he does.

Lives in a ratty apartment far from the station.

Goro Akechi: 

A detective known for solving cases that lead to political repercussions on certain parties. This is due to the fact he sets them up on behalf of Shido, in order to further his plans.

Afraid of Maki, who has taken an interest in him and has noticed something is up with him. Tries to keep her from picking at his brain too much. This also goes for Naoto and Akihiko.

Spends most of his time with Sae, working on bigger cases to help her set up evidence. Usually sets it up to ensure the outcome he wants is the outcome, Sae usually seems to be none the wiser.

Lives alone in a nice apartment. Made sure it was far from Maki’s apartment.

Sae Niijima:

Prosecutor who does her best to ignore the conspiracy she is part of in order to make it big and supply for her sister. Has lost sight of many of her morals due to this.

Often butts heads with people such as Katsuya, Akihiko, and Chie. Doesn’t see the point in relying so heavily on what they feel is the right thing in a dog-eat-dog world.

Spends a lot of time away from the station due to the stress headaches it causes her. Relies on Goro to deliver most of the information to her because of this.

Lives in a home with Makoto, doesn’t come home often.

Tae Takemi:

Medical examiner for the police. Has a fashion taste that wouldn’t point to this, but she takes her job as seriously as anyone probably should.

Used to be a practitioner, but after things fell through she changed aims and ended up working with the police. Ended up being able to thrive with the small group she got to know.

Friends with Tatsuya and Dojima, lets them vent to her while she’s doing her work. She always knows what to say and never seems to mess up on what she’s doing.

Lives in an apartment near the station.

[astoundingbeyondbelief]

A while back, I came up with an idea for a sequel to Godzilla (2014) centering around an offbeat take on Mothra. Some of you might remember me carrying on about it in group chats. Well, I was never able to set aside the time to hammer out a complete script, but I hope this 3,000-word outline proves entertaining. I started working on it before Kong: Skull Island came out, then reworked it into something that would align with that movie in a couple of marathon writing sessions.

GODZILLA WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS

It’s a Monday morning in 2014. Specifically, the morning after San Francisco was demolished by three prehistoric monsters and nearly vaporized by an American nuclear missile. Godzilla wakes up and drags himself back into the ocean. An intern at a local TV station loses her job for the headline that accompanies his departure: “King of the Monsters, Savior of Our City?” Few care. Seven billion people are busy contemplating a world where they are no longer the dominant species, and what they can do to survive it.

It’s Tuesday. A massive anti-nuclear protest around the former Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository in Nevada turns violent. Similar gatherings around the country follow suit. Drs. Ishiro Serizawa and Vivienne Graham attend a meeting called by Monarch’s new director, U.S. lieutenant general Antonio Connor. He states that there’s only one way for the organization to quell the unrest its decades of secrecy have led to: find a way to kill Godzilla.

It’s Wednesday. WikiLeaks publishes scores of Monarch documents and videos, their source a total mystery. The papers contain information on the Castle Bravo strike, the Skull Island fiasco, the Janjira cover-up, and a series of cave paintings from around the world depicting Godzilla and creatures Monarch has named Rodan, Mothra, and Ghidorah. Translated at furious speed by amateurs and professionals alike, the documents are read all around the Earth – and beyond it. Two women onboard an alien vessel reel back in horror when they see the painting of Godzilla confronting Ghidorah.

It’s Thursday. The two women (they look like twins, actually) materialize in Oakland. Their presence goes unnoticed, coming as it does in the middle of a massive brawl between demonstrators and police. The former TV intern is among them, using her “King of the Monsters: Savior of Our City” sign as a blunt instrument. The twins dive right in, grabbing abandoned cans of spray paint and marking the nearest wall with an intricate symbol that resembles a cross inside a circle.

It’s Friday. Godzilla surfaces near the Senkaku Islands, earning him a Chinese H-bomb to the head. The weapon is remarkably similar to the high-yield device the U.S. thought would deal a killing blow against the King of the Monsters and his two opponents just a few days ago. It does nothing to Godzilla, but quite a lot to international tensions. Meanwhile, the U.S. invades Skull Island in a desperate face-saving measure, capturing a Skullcrawler for experimentation and driving Kong underground.

Five years later, Admiral Stenz’s carrier group is chasing Godzilla once again. This time, it’s on the attack, using unmanned surface vehicles to spray him with a newly developed (and newly legal) nerve gas called Hedrium. He responds by coughing a little and launching one of the boats a thousand feet into the air with a flick of his tail. The mood aboard the USS Saratoga is grim but resigned. No one expected this to work, least of all Serizawa and Graham, who are struggling to hide their vindication.

The boats abruptly return to the carrier group, not because they’re out of Hedrium but because Godzilla has entered Tokyo Bay. His destination: Haneda Airport, where the JSDF is engaging a giant reptile called Varan. Their battle is brutal but short: Godzilla breaks off one of the spines on his enemy’s back and slices his throat. After a triumphant roar, he returns to the sea.

In the post-action Monarch meeting, Director Connor spins the Hedrium operation as an unparalleled triumph – it is, after all, the first time humanity has managed to cause Godzilla any sort of harm. He’s confident that the nearly-finished Rods from God, a system which launches tungsten rods from a satellite at around Mach 10, will be even more successful. If that fails, well, even Godzilla won’t be able to resist a gravitational singularity. To the awe of most of the attendees, he unveils plans for the “Dimension Tide,” a cannon theoretically capable of firing a miniature black hole.

Serizawa and Graham are the only dissenters, and their objections quickly turn into a shouting match, the basics of which their colleagues have clearly heard many times before. After Connor threatens their jobs, the two scientists confer after the meeting and decide to leak the existence of the Dimension Tide project to the media; it’s a ludicrous waste of taxpayer money at best and a bringer of the apocalypse at worse. This will be no easy task, since they’ve never talked to the media in their lives.

From a San Francisco apartment covered in newspaper clippings and paintings of Godzilla, one of the media’s least reputable figures is putting her own spin on his latest appearance. To former TV intern Yukiko Saegusa, this is just the latest example of Godzilla doing a better job of protecting humanity than the organization formed specifically to fight monsters. The real wrongdoing, she asserts, is the U.S. deployment of a mysterious chemical weapon off the coast of Japan. As she shifts awkwardly into a rant about the second Pacific Rim sequel, her cameraman Mateo’s ringtone sounds. She rebukes him, but only for his song choice. Her apartment is supposed to be a Cosmos-free zone.

Who are the Cosmos? Why, only the world’s most popular pop duo, signed by Clark Nelson of Rolisican Records after a ballad they sang in an Oakland jail cell went viral. Their lyrics are enigmatic, written in a language that somewhat resembles Malay, but their vocal abilities and stagecraft border on the supernatural. They close their latest concert in New York the same way they always do: with a prayer for Mothra to defeat Godzilla, as she has so many other monsters in the past, and usher in a new era of peace. Their audience roars in approval. Fame, however, has brought them no joy. Only their most obsessive fans believe their devotion to the “Queen of the Monsters” is genuine; to everyone else, it’s just a charming gimmick. But they’ve come up with a way for Mothra to prove her benevolence beyond a shadow of a doubt before confronting Godzilla. (They would have sent her against Varan, but slept through the whole incident.) Ignoring Nelson’s protests – she’s a lunatic, a subversive, doesn’t even have a million subscribers – they call Yukiko to request an appearance on the next episode of her show. It takes her about two seconds to say yes.

The Cosmos smile politely at Yukiko’s apartment-wide Godzilla shrine as the interview begins. Well, it starts as an interview, then veers dramatically off course when the Cosmos start going on about how Ghidorah attacked their civilization thousands of years ago, leaving themselves and Mothra as the only survivors; their affection for Earth, which they first visited for the monsters but kept returning to for the people; their conviction that Godzilla, being powerful enough to slay Ghidorah, will inevitably threaten the world; etcetera. Yukiko is bored to tears, thinking it’s an expansion of their act. What she’s curious about is how a moth could beat a fire-breathing dinosaur who has literally eaten nukes for breakfast. Her guests propose a demonstration, one that will prove Mothra’s moral superiority to Yukiko’s hero. Every American can agree that slavery was wrong, so why is the most famous building constructed by slaves still standing?

The Cosmos’ signature metal armbands glow and they begin to sing. As they do, Mothra enters Washington, D.C. airspace, hovering above the White House. The mansion is evacuated as SAM batteries around the capitol open fire, but every missile explodes just before it reaches her. Mothra ignores them and circles the White House, forming a ring of energy. A ray shoots down from its center, obliterating 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Yukiko and Mateo watch slack-jawed as the first confused reports of Mothra’s activities pour in. The Cosmos, as serene as when they first walked into the room, ask if they find the demonstration convincing. Neither gets to answer, because Monarch agents burst into the apartment and tranquilize the four of them.

Now, Monarch is no stranger to abducting people who know too much, but never anyone as famous as the Cosmos, and it shows. Though the singers did not publicize their trip to San Francisco, and Yukiko was planning the video as a surprise, enough people figured out their whereabouts to make a secret raid impossible. Nelson whips the Cosmos’ 80 million Twitter followers into a frenzy. Protests break out in front of Monarch headquarters in Seattle. Unfortunately for Monarch, that’s where the Cosmos are headed. Director Connor wants to speak with them personally, and events are moving too quickly to bring them anywhere else.

The Cosmos refuse to answer any of Connor’s questions – he’s especially interested in what they know about Ghidorah and how they’ve managed to live for so long. In another room, Yukiko and Mateo frantically deny any collusion with their quite terrifying interviewees. Connor changes tactics, telling the Cosmos that the U.S. military killed Mothra with newly-developed atomic heat ray guns outside of Richmond. Their bracelets glow, then they spit in his face for such blasphemous lies. Realizing the significance of their jewelry, Connor orders it destroyed. The twins just scoff, speaking in unison for the first time: “She already knows where we are.”

As it happens, Godzilla knows where Mothra is too. The two monsters make a beeline for Seattle.

Meanwhile, Serizawa and Graham take advantage of the chaos to make copies of the Dimension Tide plans. A guard nearly catches them, but they are saved by the intervention of Mason Weaver, now a veteran Monarch agent. She lets slip afterwards that she was the one who went to WikiLeaks in 2014. When she found out about the plans to invade Skull Island and use Kong for target practice, there was nothing else to do.

Most of Monarch’s employees flee as Mothra casts a massive shadow on their headquarters, but Connor remains. He believes she can’t do anything but threaten them without hurting the Cosmos. He’s quite wrong. Mothra waits until the top floors of the building are empty, tears them off, and webs him to a wall. The Cosmos ascend on one of her legs as the fans outside scream themselves hoarse in celebration. They’re still partying a few hours later when a familiar roar pierces the air and everything goes to hell.

Godzilla, perhaps sensing the caliber of foe he’s facing, readies his atomic breath immediately. Mothra sets the Cosmos down and releases a golden pollen from her wings; his ray ignites it on contact and envelops him in a massive explosion. The match goes poorly for him after that. Weaving between skyscrapers and raining down slashes and laser beams, Mothra seems like she’s going to be able to do what two MUTOs could not. Thousands die as the fight rages on. Neither monster seems to notice.

At the behest of the Cosmos, their fans storm Monarch headquarters, liberating Yukiko and Mateo – as well as Graham and Serizawa, who got stuck in an elevator when Mothra’s arrival triggered a lockdown. They emerge just in time to see the conclusion of the monsters’ battle. With a seemingly erratic shot of his atomic breath, Godzilla decapitates the Space Needle, which falls directly onto Mothra. This time, he has no victory cry to offer; visible exhausted, he makes his way through Seattle, heading east.

Their faces ashen, the Cosmos announce that Mothra still lives. Until she recovers, they have a new mission: to document Godzilla’s path of destruction. For most of their fans, chasing the King of the Monsters is a bridge too far, but a few eccentrics sign on. Serizawa, Graham, Yukiko, and Mateo are among them, sensing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study their obsession up close. Serizawa and Graham let the group into the Monarch garage, where they assemble a truly impressive caravan.

The scientists soon figure out the purpose behind Godzilla’s strange behavior. Using his atomic breath is a serious drain on his energy. When he used it against the MUTOs (collapsing afterwards), he had a handy source of radiation to absorb in the form of the nuclear missile that exploded offshore. Now he’s actively seeking out radioactive materials, and since there are no nuclear power plants left in North America… well, the situation is not good. It is, in fact, about as bad as it can get.

Godzilla’s destination is the ICBM sites around Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. He’ll arrive in less than a day. If the missiles there don’t satisfy him, he’ll move on to the silos in North Dakota or Wyoming.

Thus begins a road trip like no other. The Cosmos, of course, oversee the livestream. It proves as popular as they hoped; never mind the viewers online, all the major networks are showing little else. Their fans are as worshipful as ever and help them sharpen their critique of Godzilla. It’s now clear that his existence is a threat to the delicate balance of nuclear power which has kept a third world war from breaking out. When this is over, he’s unlikely to stroll into Russia and devour some of their warheads to even things out.

All is not well with the twins, however. They’ve never had their connection with Mothra severed before, and the ferocity she displayed against Godzilla in Seattle disturbs them. If that’s what she’s like when left to her own devices, why should anyone on Earth trust her? And why doesn’t anyone besides their fans seem to appreciate her razing that old building in D.C.?

Serizawa and Graham are having the time of their lives, but pose as abductees, well aware that Monarch is listening and watching them through the others’ phones. It’s all they can do to keep prying eyes aware from the Dimension Tide plans, although with everything Godzilla and Mothra have just done, it remains to be seen if anyone will care when they’re published.

Yukiko and Mateo are hilariously out of their depth. Oh, they were from the moment the Cosmos called, but now that things have calmed down, it’s really setting in. Unable to offer alternative programming (their own phones are either in San Francisco or Seattle), they gravitate towards Serizawa and Graham. With paper and pens, the four make a chronicle of Godzilla’s trek across America. The taunts from the Cosmos and their fans are plentiful, but they do their best to ignore them.

There’s plenty to chronicle, even as the King of the Monsters proceeds without military opposition. While he shows little regard for any buildings unfortunate enough to stand in his path, he starts to walk around gas stations after the first one explodes underfoot. Likewise, he’s mindful of cars, people, and even deer. An attack from a militia group almost seems to make him smile. At night, he pauses to watch some shooting stars and growls at them. The members of the caravan debate endlessly over whether his periodic glances in their direction are acknowledgments or just a general scanning of his surroundings.

During this interlude, Monarch and the U.S. government make preparations on multiple fronts. Yukiko’s interview with the Cosmos is released to the public, albeit with all mentions of Ghidorah removed. The Rods from God are launched, with the stationary Mothra intended as their first target. (Connor has a nightmare where the rods bounce off her like a fistful of plastic straws.) Crews scramble to dismantle the ICBMs at Malmstrom, but it’s clear that Godzilla will have quite the selection to choose from when he arrives. Special forces and drones tail the caravan, waiting for the order to move in.

After Godzilla tears apart the first missile silo, the meal clearly giving him a shot in the arm, the President orders the remaining Malmstrom missiles to be launched into space. The Rods from God prepare to rain metal down on Mothra, but she chooses the moment before their launch to burst out of the Space Needle rubble and dart towards Godzilla. Their rematch is an ugly, face-to-face affair – no nuclear fire or eye lasers, just teeth and claws.

As the ground trembles, the folder with the Dimension Tide plans flies open, and Monarch takes notice. The special forces move in. Our heroes use their vehicles’ various anti-kaiju weapons to fight back, but their lack of combat experience makes the outcome inevitable. Surrounded, they prepare for the end. Instead they get Mothra, who picks up the remaining vehicles and blows away the soldiers with a single beat of her wings. Godzilla watches her set them back down with interest.

Then a curious thing happens. As Mothra reengages Godzilla, he hurls her away from him, seconds before getting speared by a dozen tungsten rods. It’s a devastating blow; his scream of pain shatters every window in the caravan still intact. Mothra hesitates before charging in again – to carefully help Godzilla remove each of the rods and seal his wounds with her webbing. The two start to converse, with the Cosmos helpfully translating Mothra’s end (and chiding her for her language). She persuades him to return to the Pacific, offering to bring him a docked nuclear submarine or two if he needs a boost before then. As he departs, she flies into space and returns with the Cosmos’ ship. The ramp automatically lowers and the Cosmos beckon their fellow monster-chasers inside.

Well, what would you do?

Months later, Yukiko is the face of the first pirate TV station filmed in space, with Mateo still behind the camera and the Cosmos, Serizawa, and Graham as science correspondents. After the latest episode wraps, the Cosmos present her with an invention of theirs: a kaiju communicator for humans. It’s not nearly as elegant as their bracelets, sort of resembling a psychotic dentist’s chair. (And they insist the tiara-like headpiece is essential.) Just before they turn it on, they inform Yukiko that she won’t be talking to Mothra, as she assumed, but Godzilla.

The credits roll before we hear what he says.

Dream Cast:

Yukiko Saegusa – Lyrica Okano

The Cosmos – Auli'i Cravalho (through Orphan Black-style trickery)

Dr. Ishiro Serizawa – Ken Watanabe

Dr. Vivienne Graham – Sally Hawkins

Mateo – Tyler Posey

Director Antonio Connor – Glenn Morshower

Clark Nelson – Steve Buscemi

Mason Weaver – Bette Midler

Admiral William Stenz – David Strathairn

Obligatory Post Credits-Scene: A scaled-down version of the Dimension Tide is tested at a Monarch black site. Though Serizawa and Graham’s exposé was successful in shuttering the project, Connor has cooked Monarch’s books just enough to fund this proof-of-concept device. Since no one has observed a black hole in person before, they think the trio of high-pitched cackles emanating from it are a little weird, but nothing to be worried about.

[lisatelramor]

NLTSA Extra: Phantom Lady with Vermouth

Takes place before ch 18′s events.

Kuroba Chikage had visited cities around the world in her lifetime, seeing some of the most beautiful places of human creation and some of its worst and seediest underbellies. Chicago was neither the best nor the worst of these cities, but it did have some pretty views and architecture. From her hotel room, she could look out over the Chicago river; it was especially pretty lit up at night, lights glinting off shifting waters and along the underside of bridges. She always did like cityscapes though. It didn’t have the romantic charm of Paris or the dazzling neon of Vegas, but she’d take Chicago in early summer over Orlando this time of year.

Chikage watched the river lights now, little moving ones of the ferries on the water, and the blur of cars going about their business. So many people, so many of them unaware of crimes happening right under their noses, maybe even right at that very moment. Chicago might not be the crime capitol of America, but it was one of the prime locations for crime hubs, being smack in the middle of North America, close enough to Canada for crime to hop borders and stop in on its way elsewhere, or link between the east and west coasts. A perfect foothold for an underground organization to set down roots in to better spread tendrils. They were planted a bit over a decade ago, and Chikage had kept an eye on their growth since not long after its inception.

It was about time that that growth could be tapped again for new information.

The click of the electric lock on the hotel room door interrupted her quiet contemplation. A brunette carrying two large paper bags shouldered into the room moments later, the keycard dangling from her fingertips.

“You wouldn’t believe how busy it is out there right now,” the woman said, kicking off tennis shoes that matched her grey and pink jogging suit. “You’d think it was a holiday, but it’s already past July fourth.”

“Chris,” Chikage said in greeting. She took one of the offered bags. Predictably, it had a large salad from a nearby restaurant.

“I think I passed two different groups out on bachelorette parties,” Chris Vineyard continued. She tugged at her hair, pulling off the brown wig she’d taken to wearing for this operation. “Want to go out and join them? I think they’re drunk enough that a couple of strange women would fit right in.” Tossing the wig aside, she pulled a bottle of wine and two boxes out of the other bag. “I got a nice white wine and some tiramisu from that Italian place you like. I’ve been told the dessert’s on the boozy side.”

“That kind of defeats the point of getting a salad,” Chikage pointed out.

“We only live once!” Chris said, tossing herself into one of the hotel armchairs. Her sock feet kicked up on the windowsill. “Besides, you both know we’ll be working it off soon enough anyway.”

“You always say that,” Chikage said. Her smile belied her words though. “Did you finish everything you needed to do?”

“Completely done,” Chris said. She pulled a wine opener from somewhere and got to work on the bottle. Chikage fetched them glasses and forks, both taken from earlier room service calls that week and hoarded for future use. “Everything is prepared to get us in and out of the building in two days. Their security is pathetic. We should have an easy time with this one.”

“Wonderful.” Chikage would take easy. They’d had more than enough close calls over the years that easy would be a fucking vacation. “That makes just one more run and I can go home for a bit. It feels like ages since I’ve been in Japan.”

“Can you call it home when you’re never there?” Chris asked, a slanted smile on her face. Chikage rolled her eyes. “Just saying. You’re with me more than you’re at the Japan home these days.”

“I own it, it has my belongings in it, I raised my son in it and lived half a dozen years with my husband there. It’s still home.” The wine was dry, more to Chris’s taste than Chikage’s, but the fruitiness of it came through pleasantly enough. It went well with the strawberries and pecans in the salad. “Just because you gave up the concept of home that doesn’t mean I have.”

“Mm, maybe my concept of home is more a person than a place,” Chris said lazily. She stole a bit of salad off Chikage’s fork.

A decade ago it would have been flustering, but by now it only made Chikage feel fondly exasperated. “Use your own fork.” Chris stole the whole salad instead. She was terrible, Chikage thought. Terrible, horrible, and dangerous as hell, and Chikage wouldn’t have anyone else at her back. “Kaito’s been in all kinds of trouble since I left.”

“Is this including getting his arms cut up or the heavy landing he took at the last heist?”

“Mm, either. I’m more thinking about the company he’s keeping honestly.”

“Right, a detective.” Chris sipped at her wine, lounging like a jungle cat and twice as lethal if she wanted to be. “And not Cool Guy.” She sighed.  “They would have made such a dynamic team if they’d ever got their shit together.”

Chikage shrugged, having mixed feelings about that. While Yuusaku and Yukiko’s son was a good person, she’d heard enough about Kaito’s close calls with him to feel comfortable with the thought. That was part of her hesitation with Hakuba Saguru, no matter how polite he had been in the phone conversation they had a few weeks ago. Chikage could still remember him facing off against Kaito when they were teenagers; she wasn’t going to say anything to Kaito or Hakuba, but she could worry about potential betrayal. “Did I go wrong somewhere?” Chikage mused. “He marries a police officer and makes friends with detectives. Is he just attracted to people with strong moral compasses? Is it the uniforms? Enjoys mind games?”

Chris laughed. “Well, I imagine it would be easy to fall into role play...”

“Stop. I am not going to think that hard about my son’s sex life.”

“You brought it up,” Chris said, hiding another smile in her wine glass.

“Yes. Well.” She waved a hand. “I find it a bit worrying that the people he gets attached to always seem to be the ones who are in positions to hurt him worst. I don’t care if Hakuba Saguru is retired, you don’t turn that sort of skill off.” Not thieving, not detective work, and it wasn’t like Chris could turn off the part of her that looked for weaknesses and places that would cause the most damage. It was how they were wired even if they quit the business. Chikage took a decade off from theft and look at her now; skills still sharp as she prepared to break into a building for information that wasn’t hers.

“If he meant to turn him in, he’d have done it by now,” Chris said, entirely unconcerned. But she’d said the same about Aoko after the divorce, so it was probably true.

Chikage’s phone pinged with an incoming text and she leaned toward the bed stand to get it. “Speaking of Kaito...” The text was just a date and time with a question as to if she would be home by then. It was less than two weeks away. “He has the date of his next heist.”

“Oh?” Chris leaned over. “Hm. That’s around when we have that time sensitive thing in—”

“New York,” Chikage finished. Her nails clicked on the phone casing as she drummed her fingers. Chris rescued Chikage’s wine before her lax grip on it let the glass slide from her hand. Chikage pressed the call button. If Kaito was awake to text, he was awake to call.

“Hi, Kaito?” she said as he picked up. “How likely are you to need me for the heist?” Chris stole bits of salad as Chikage listened to Kaito’s response; the usual downplaying of his need for help. That didn’t really make her feel any better about the situation. Kaito would say he could handle it eight out of ten times, even if he had his back to a wall with a gun pointed at him. The only time he asked for help was if he truly didn’t feel he had a chance to pull a heist off alone or she caught him at just the right moment and mindset for him to admit the reality of what he had planned and where it would benefit from another set of hands. “No, no, I’m asking because I need to know if I should try to move up my schedule.”

Another deflection. Chikage bit her lip and caught Chris’s eye. Chris raised one manicured eyebrow.

How likely is it to move things up? Chikage mouthed.

Chris shrugged and wiggled her hand, open palm down. Fifty-fifty.

Not good enough. But if they passed up New York, they would be passing up one of the current largest international hub points for the organization, and Chikage hadn’t managed to get anything vital from there when she tried alone five years ago. With Chris, with their informant ready to abandon their position as soon as the transfer of information was complete—or as soon as their escape plan came into effect and they became a veritable ghost—there was a huge chance at hitting the largest vital info tap this decade. This could be the one that got what they finally needed to tear the whole place apart from the inside out.

“I’m not sure I can make it,” Chikage said, hating herself just a bit. Her son was brilliant, but he was one man. Toichi had been one man once, but even Toichi had had Chikage and Jii at his back. All it took was one moment for everything to go wrong and she knew that. If Kaito wanted, no, needed her there, she’d be there, operation be damned because she might not protest his risks, but she wanted him to live to see old age too. She couldn’t lose him when she’d lost Toichi.

Kaito chattered on in her ear about his preparations and how he had everything more or less ready to go already and really, he’d be fine. He didn’t ask her to come. Chikage wasn’t sure he would ask if he really did need her anymore though. Things like that kept her awake at night. It was nights after she stole information that she slept the best, because those were the days she knew she’d done something to strike out at the shadow looming over them.

“Ok, Kaito,” she said finally, aware of Chris watching and the way a hotel room, no matter how nice, could never quite feel like home. “If something changes, I’ll let you know. Be careful.”

When Chikage hung up the phone, Chris handed her the salad and the glass of wine, filled over the usual amount.

“He’s a smart kid,” Chris offered like smarts would be enough.

Chikage took a large swallow of wine. “We need to push up the dates. As much as we can.”

Chris sighed. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thanks.”

The happy mood from earlier was gone; the wine left a sour taste at the back of Chikage’s throat.

***

They’d tried to move up New York. Tried being key, because everything had gone to hell complete with flames. Chris was injured, bleeding from a bullet graze on her thigh, and some idiot had managed to set the lab on fire in the rush to catch intruders.

They were two days behind the original planned schedule, down an informant, and caught in a building that was quickly becoming a hazard. Chikage was going to shoot whoever they came across next, consequences be damned.

“You would think,” Chris said, “that they would be more worried about getting out of the building than catching us.”

Around them the fire alarm flashed and blared high pitched shrieks. It made stealth easier, but that was a two-edged sword when it meant they could be snuck up on.

“You’d think,” Chikage agreed, gritting her teeth. On the other side of the globe, her son was starting his day, about to go into a risky endeavor and there was no way at all she was going to be able watch his back now. If only they’d been able to pull off Chicago as easily as it seemed. If only their informant hadn’t pushed the date back. If only he hadn’t ended up dead, but those were just a few more ‘if only’s to add to a lifetime of them. Chikage couldn’t get bogged down by could-have-beens when there was enough now to drown in. “Do you think you can get anything from that computer in the corner or should we just call everything a wash and try to get out in one piece?”

“Who do you think you’re talking to?” Chris said, tossing her head. The effect was ruined by how sweat made her hair stick to her face, but Chikage could appreciate the intent. They weren’t quite out of luck yet.

Chikage took the door while Chris took the computer.  Chris was better with them than Chikage, but they both knew how to hack. The program in Chris’s flash drive circumnavigated the firewall easily enough. If only there wasn’t the actual fire encroaching on them. Smoke fizzled under the doorway in hazy eddies. “I am too old for this,” Chikage muttered to herself. The scientists must have evacuated from this part of the lab. Between the fire alarm and the earlier fighting, she didn’t blame them.

There was movement in the hallway, a man with a gun, but he kept walking past the closed lab door, probably thinking they’d continued on in an effort to escape. That or he was running from the fire like a sane person.

“We’re going to die of smoke inhalation, not even something exciting.”

“Quit being dramatic,” Chris said, typing away. “I think I can get something from here. It’s not going to be as big as what we wanted; this is only a research terminal, not an upper management computer, but it will be something. There are probably human testing trials in here somewhere.”

“Something to get more investigating done on this place at any rate. That’s more than we had before.”

“Good enough.” Chris glanced at the smoke curling under the door and back at the monitor. “Give me five minutes.”

“Might not have that long,” Chikage said, voice tight. Flames licked the end of the hallway from what she could see in the small door window. It was getting hard to breathe and the temperature was rapidly rising. There was smoke starting to filter down from the air vents too... “Fuck, Chris I think it’s spreading faster through the air ducts.”

Chris didn’t answer. Her lips were white where they pressed together. Chikage hoped she’d be able to run on that leg injury.

There was an ominous creaking sound from further in the building.

“And we are going to have to go. I think something’s caving in.”

“Not yet,” Chris snapped. “If I don’t get something then what’s the point of all of this?”

“There’s no point at all if we don’t live to see another day,” Chikage reminded her, already abandoning the door to hustle closer. There was a second door that led to an adjacent room, and they’d have to take that door and hope the hallway was marginally clearer there. “Come on.”

“A few more seconds,” Chris said, stubborn to the end.

The ceiling groaned, smoke from the vents making the room start to go hazy.

“Now,” Chikage said, grabbing Chris’s arm.

Chris hit one last key and snatched the flash drive from the tower. “It’ll be what it’ll be, let’s go.”

Chikage dragged her through the door. The next room was marginally less smoky, but not by much. “There’s still some flames in the hall,” she said. Damn.

“Not like we have a choice.”

“They’re going to be waiting for us outside.”

Chris grinned like that was a challenge. Of course she did. She plucked an explosive from her pocket, more bang and smoke than destruction, but their thoughts were in the same direction.

“They’re looking for two women,” Chikage said.

“So we disappear in the chaos.”

Plan settled, they darted out into the hallway. Heat battered at them and smoke choked the air even as they moved almost bent in half. They ran. Chris threw her bomb. Screams sounded and the building groaned and crackled where places collapsed behind them. This plan, at least, went off without a hitch.

***

In the end, they were both covered in bruises, suffering minor smoke inhalation problems, and Chris had picked up another bullet graze in the chaos. Chikage bandaged her in an apartment building stairwell a long ways away from their hotel room. It wasn’t safe to go back there yet, not when they didn’t know whether that had been compromised or not. It was hours since the burning building and it would be hours more before Chikage could get to her phone to check her messages. There was nothing that could be done about it, so Chikage didn’t let herself think about anything more than what was in front of her.

In front of her was Chris, face pinched with discomfort, a slapdash med-kit gathered from three different drug stores, and a quick-mart bag of granola bars and water to tide their stomachs over.

Chris turned the flash drive of data she’d gotten around and around in her palm. Disappointed. They both were disappointed. “Should have expected things would go that bad,” Chris sighed.

Chikage smeared antibiotic ointment into the bullet graze on Chris’s thigh. “We can’t plan for everything no matter how hard we try. I admit I wasn’t expecting our inside man to suicide...”

“Is it suicide when he was cornered?” Chris said. She clicked her tongue and tucked the flash drive away. He irritated expression didn’t change even as Chikage started winding bandages around her thigh, holding a gauze pad in place. “I guess that’s one more time New York won. Hopefully the data we got will be useful to someone. It’s enough to get the...FBI? CIA? Who handles something like human experimentation in the US?” She shrugged. “Someone can use it and it’s a foot in the door for having a reason to check into every nook and cranny that facility has. Who knows, maybe the fire helped too.”

“They’ll have all the local authorities in their pocket and you know it,” Chikage muttered.

“I was trying for optimism,” Chris said. She caught Chikage’s hands as she finished tying off the bandage. “Let me get your scrapes. I noticed that burn on your arm too.”

Chikage held still and let her. Nothing hurt badly, but there wasn’t really a reason to court infection. “Can we call today a wash and go find somewhere to sleep before breaking into our own hotel room?”

“I can do the breaking in if you’d like. Give you a rest.”

“Chris, you’re hurt worse than I am,” Chikage said.  “I just want to sleep, then check my phone for Kaito’s post-heist message, and a stairwell isn’t prime sleeping space.” Especially not when she was past fifty. Aging sucked. Meanwhile Chris barely aged at all thanks to some chemical cocktail experiment she’d been part of years ago. An experiment that lingered in some of the things they stole, not that Chris had been with that group since the major split and definitely not since her branch of it had been busted by Yukiko’s kid. Immortality was an overrated concept and the realities that had come out of searching for it weren’t as ideal as their creators would have desired.

“Fine, fine.” Chris sighed. “The mail box for apartment 324 looked like it was overflowing. Either the owner went on a trip and forgot to stop their mail, or they’re dead. Either way their apartment is someplace to sleep.”

“Really, Chris?”

“You’re not that squeamish about corpses.”

“But we could walk right into a crime scene. Or they could just chronically forget their mail.”

“I’ll take that risk,” Chris said. She stood, stiffly, her injuries apparent now that she wasn’t running anymore. She offered Chikage a hand.

Chikage took it. “I guess we could always gas the owner and find a nice closet to hole up in,” she muttered. “But if there is a corpse in there I swear to god I am not following whatever next impulsive choice you make.”

“It’s not impulse, it’s calculation. And my calculation is that we both need some fucking sleep.”

***

Almost twelve hours later, Chikage dragged herself from a stolen apartment bed to drink from a kitchen faucet and raid poorly stocked cupboards. Then she dragged Chris from where she slept like the dead and moved them both out of the apartment. Besides the missing food and blankets that carried a bit of their scent, they left no evidence behind; the apartment owner (who thankfully hadn’t been a dead body in a corner) probably wouldn’t even notice they’d been there.

“All things considered,” Chris said as they made their way back to their hotel room—disguised of course—“it’s pretty unlikely that they found where we were staying. We didn’t check in as ourselves or wear our faces on the job.”

“But they know our methods by this point, so better safe than sorry.” An empty hotel hallway, a swipe of the keycard to get in their empty room. Chikage checked for traps or signs that the room was bugged. All she found was their own surveillance equipment and a phone charger someone must have forgotten shoved between the wall and the mattress.  

“I’d say you’re paranoid, but I’m also paranoid,” Chris said. Her wounds didn’t seem to bother her much, but they never did.

Chikage thought it was another side effect of the experiments; her own bruises were settling into the deep purple phase where even moving sent twinges of discomfort shooting through her. As Chris moved to her laptop to start going through the data they’d stolen, Chikage went for her phone.

There were four messages there and one voicemail. None of the messages were from Kaito. Chikage closed her eyes. A part of her that felt like it had been battered too many times braced for the worst. She’d lost her husband. She’d lost friends and her parents. That deep part of her wavered, unsure if losing her son would finally make her break.

She listened to the voicemail first.

“Chikage-basan,” Aoko’s voice said, sounding exhausted and strained. “There was an accident at the heist. Accident... Well. Attack. A bomb went off at the museum and according to eye witness reports, Kid’s glider went down during his escape. I don’t think it was a dummy, but I was stuck dealing with the bomb aftermath and a panicked crowd so I don’t know yet what happened... Shit. Sorry.” Her voice broke on the other end. “I’m heading home but I had to call. I’ll message or call when I learn more.”

The line beeped, asking what she wanted to do with the message. Chikage hung up. The call was from four hours ago. The most recent text was...two hours ago. There were several from Aoko, the first essentially the same as her phone message, the second a panicked one about Takumi not being home, and a third stating that Takumi was with Hakuba and the two of them had seen Kid shot down and helped him. Kaito was alive—Chikage’s knees went weak reading the words—but injured.

She closed her eyes and breathed. She didn’t break.

The last message was from Hakuba, strictly to the point. It gave a list of Kaito’s injuries and assurance that he was being cared for, though outside of a hospital. He didn’t say where Kaito was at—understandable; texting was possible to track—but she could probably narrow it down. All she had to do was get back to Japan, then figure out where Kaito was, and then see him face to face to assure herself that yes, her son wasn’t dead. No, he hadn’t been taken like Toichi and Jii.  Her hands gripped her phone so tight she half thought she’d shatter her screen.

“`Kage?” Chris asked, the usually lighthearted nickname sharp with concern.

“Kaito’s still alive, but he was hurt bad. Badly enough he didn’t send his post-heist text and if he was anyone else he’d probably have a broken neck or be a smear on the pavement.” Her legs did give out then, and she crouched on the floor, lungs tight, as Chris abandoned her laptop in favor of taking Chikage’s hands in hers. “Shit, Chris.” There’d been dozens of close calls over the years. Dozens. It didn’t get easier. It didn’t feel any less like she’d missed a step going down the stairs, heart still catching up with the fact that she didn’t fall. “I should have been there. I could have done something.”

“Or they could have done the exact same thing and you could both be hurt,” Chris said, voice even and blank. No emotion, while Chikage was too full of it right now.  “If you went it would have been me going alone into New York, and then I’d be worse off or dead, and we might have had nothing.”

“I know.” She did know, rationally, that her presence wasn’t likely to have changed much. Or maybe they’d have both been targets. Or maybe not. But she could have been there, perhaps could have helped Kaito get to safety firsthand. She took another breath. No, there was no point to what ifs since it wasn’t what was. She’d learned that with Toichi, and learned it again when she found out Jii had been killed. The dead were past helping and so she’d just have to focus on the positive fact that Kaito was still alive. “I have to get back to Japan.”

Chris gave her hands a squeeze. “You sit here and breathe. I can take care of the details for that.”

“I can’t just sit here, I need to do something!”

“Then breathe and get your shit together. Literal and metaphorical.”

“Fuck you, Chris,” Chikage said, but there was no bite in it.

Chris smirked and headed back to her laptop. “Shoo. I’ve got this.”

“Ugh. This had to happen while I was in New York. Why couldn’t it be Vegas? Or San Diego?” That was hours and hours of time that would be lost in layovers and flight transfers and getting across a continent before she could even consider getting across the ocean.

“Breathe,” Chris reminded her, typing rapidly. “I’m glad your kid didn’t die.”

“I’m too old for this shit,” Chikage said. She made her legs work and walked over to her suitcase. It was mostly still packed, but she started tossing every item that was hers within an arm’s reach into it.

“You’re not even sixty yet.”

“Too. Old.” There was no age that losing her son wouldn’t be devastating. They might only spend time together sporadically, but he was Kaito, her Kaito, and he always would be.

“You have a flight in three hours to Chicago and a connecting flight to California. It’s a hop to Hawaii, then Japan. That’s the best I could do for short notice.”

Chikage scrunched a shirt in her fists. Breathe. “Thanks, Chris.”

“Any time,” Chris said. “Always.”

Someday maybe Chikage would be able to believe in an always. Chris, with her unchanging nature and appearance was about as close to a constant as Chikage had. Chikage breathed and finished packing her bags. She had a plane to catch.