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systematicallycapricious · 1 year

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[AoN] PxDN Lore Snippet: R-00 + R-01 Reactivation

Yep, I read Persona x Detective Naoto, and yep, I'm incorporating it into this story. Why? ‘Cause it’s not a bad read, and more importantly it’s got a lot of feasible world lore I can use to enrich the setting, of which I can do all sorts of fun stuff with. Also, Sousei and Sho share a lot of similarities in terms of circumstances and behaviors, so any chance for him and Sholar to cross paths has lots of fun potential as well, even if it's only once.

Anyway, this is just a little snippet from the full AoN-PxDN lore doc that I'm getting straightened-up, 'cause I'm excited about how nicely I got it to fit together. \o/

Spoilers for: Persona x Detective Naoto, Persona 3, Persona 4 Arena/Ultimax, and my fic "Apropos of Nothing" (very mildly though, otherwise I wouldn't be posting it xP)

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(For quick reference, the R-series ASSW project spanned from roughly 2006 to 2009, with Sousei's run being from 2007-2008, Ai's spanning 2008-2009, and their endings being Yūri's death and Aigis's reactivation respectively. SEES is first founded in Spring 2006 (being Mit/Aki/Shinji), and P3 happens as normal from 2009-2010. The 7th Gen ASSW project also ended with the explosion & creation of the Dark Hour on Sept 10th, 1999.)

So, several times throughout 2011, Minazuki accesses Ikutsuki's isolated server + the Ergo database server in general, with the first instance of the latter catching the ShadOps/KJG's attention. A bit spooked by the unauthorized access, everything related to Ergo (both current and old) is given a thorough security check, resulting in the discovery of 3 ASSWs sitting around in storage, among other things.

(Note: the database server access happens differently in this AU, so up until now, Minazuki had been accessing the isolated server legitimately via Ikutsuki's whitelisted computer with admin credentials, and then attempted to access the general server with an unregistered device. I still have to learn how databases work though, so I might have to adjust that in the future.)

Pretty much no one seems to know much about this mysterious 5th Gen and two R-series androids, despite there actually being a decent bit on information on-file for the latter once they decrypted it, and so, alongside a bunch of other old Ergo artifacts, the three are shipped out to the Yakushima Ergo quarantine facility for inspection and threat assessment. Some of the staff who were cited to work on the R-series are also contacted by Mitsuru to get further information.

(Note: unlike OG, the transport goes smoothly, because canon-divergence. /o/)

Mr. Tsuge Tetsuma has been employed as a researcher in the Kirijo Ergonomics Robotics Division for a long time now, but more importantly since the R-Series project was abruptly halted and its products stuffed away into storage. Now, he was nowhere near happy about having to leave Sousei and Ai in there for all this time, mind you, but he didn't have the authority nor the opportunity to get them back out of storage on his own, and so it was all he could do to stick with the company until an opportunity might arise. Getting a phone call from Mitsuru provided one such opportunity.

With the aid of Tsuge, the three ASSWs are reactivated and inspected, and once Mitsuru learns that they're not threats and are sentient beings with "hearts" of their own, they're given official rank as auxiliary members in the ShadOps to keep Public Safety from trying to confiscate them on the grounds of being "highly dangerous weapons". And… I guess I haven't figured out the specifics beyond that point yet, like if they actually help out the ShadOps or not. I feel like they might given Sousei’s determination to prove his usefulness and Ai’s desire to help out overall, but Sousei’s determination to have a combat-type Persona might also undermine that? Anyway, Tsuge is also brought into the fold as an official ShadOps researcher and tasked with being the supervisor of the Kurogamis due to his past experiences and relations with them and their creator.

(Fun fact: the reactivation order goes Ai, Sousei, Labrys because they have more information on, and familiarity with, the R-series units than the 5th Gen unit, so there's less risk involved with activating the Kurogamis than there is with Labrys. (Plus, in the event that Labrys ends up being hostile or out of control, the Kurogamis could be called in to help suppress her.) Also, Tsuge knows that Sousei will be rowdier than Ai, so as one of the chief specialists on the team, he's making the executive decision to give the team the ‘easier’ one to start with, lol.)

A year passes (which is what makes up a lot of Sousei's impression of "smoldering away at a lab, not yet fulfilling his mission as a suppression weapon"), and in late 2012 the National Police Agency entreats the KJG for technological aid in civilian safety and law enforcement measures. With the Kurogamis’ robotic physique and Sousei’s Past Reading in mind, this opportunity gets presented to Tsuge and the Kurogamis, of which Tsuge eventually gets Sousei on board with when he learns that they can be stationed at Yagokoro's PD, where Aoi Touko works. Ai didn't really need a ton of convincing, being content to be wherever Tsuge and Sousei are and determined to help out where she can.

(Note: part of the "last year's brutal crimes" is influenced by the Inaba kidnapping and murder cases, as it caused quite a stir across the nation, though the other part is probably more mundane, non-magical crime. Also, other technology and robotics were implemented in other PD's across Japan, but Yagokoro was the only one to make use of ASSWs specifically.)

And from there, PxDN happens more-or-less as normal, although certain events may or may not have Naoto meet the Kurogamis and/or Tsuge before PxDN occurs. It depends on if they end up staying on Yakushima for the whole time or if they go to an Ergo or ShadOps facility on mainland Japan, and furthermore if it happens to be the one Naoto visits or not. Most likely, if they do cross paths at all, it'll be brief, or else an off-handed mention of them by someone else, but I'll have to see as I solidify more of that part of the timeline. P:

Also, Tsuge’s employment with the ShadOps lets him distribute Evokers to Touko and Naoto during PxDN’s events, perhaps special models more recently designed for use outside of the Dark Hour/CoUn, because they really shouldn’t be able to summon their Personas so casually in the conscious world. It’s somewhat believable for when Naoto Awakens to Amatsu Mikaboshi and when she’s trying to save Touko, given the circumstances, but outside of that. :P

#Sholar System AU #Persona x Detective Naoto #Persona series #Lorecrafting: Capricious Style #if something doesn't make sense or is hard to read lmk and I'll see what I can do #The past year solid of research is finally actualizing into cool stuff #I went through so many Persona IPs because there's like no substantial info on Ergo #At least that I can find/access #But at least I can do interesting stuff with all of that info now #Also I guess to clarify; the reason this 'nicely fits' is because the general events were already going to happen to Labby #Of the server discovery and resulting security inspection; plus some other Ergo timeline factors unrelated to Labby #And then I realized that I could apply it to the Kurogamis too given it's not well-clarified what happened to them post-Yuri death #(Or like how Ai was made and fits into this at all...)#And the ShadOps are meant to work with the legal police so the Yagokoro collab could be right up their alley?#So then I started connecting it to other given canon details and hence //gestures #Labby has her own arc to undergo so that'd be why she stopped being mentioned after a certain point #She does work with the ShadOps though but it's in a more passive position?#She's (planned to be - still working on it) stationed in Inaba to keep an eye on things after the lv4 Shadow Activity reading #But it's also kinda Mitsuru being sneaky in giving her a job that lets her live a somewhat more human-style life #Especially because Labby has only been reactivated for a few months #And then later down the line she might take on a more active role but that's super-WIP

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stupid-sloot-headcanons · 2 years

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those yandere adachi scenarios you wrote were absolutely fucking based. could i trouble you to try and write some more but with reader and him absolutely getting black out drunk and him maybe losing all restraint he has not to fuck her but he does end up fucking her and maybe ends up impregnating her 🥴

Adachi/F!Darling: Blackout

TW: noncon/dubcon, alcohol, unprotected sex, accidental creampie, potential pregnancy/pregnancy mention

Dojima-san was right: Adachi never knew when to keep his mouth shut, especially when he was drinking.

The night had started out just fine, sharing a few drinks with his neighbor--and subject of quite a few of his jerkoff fantasies after she'd moved to Inaba a few months ago--at Shiroku's pub. He'd bumped into her after his shift at the station and when she'd asked if he wanted to spend the start of the weekend with her. Not having anything else to do, he agreed.

As the night went on and one drink became two, then three, then one more for the road, Adachi could feel his thoughts blurring together while the two of them stumbled from the pub and swayed shoulder-to-shoulder. ____ was giggling at Adachi while he drunkenly complained about the old lady that refused to leave him alone whenever she saw him. "Augghh," he groaned. "It's not like I'm even her stupid son...I'm someone ELSE'S stupid son!"

____ laughed and patted his shoulder. "Nooo, you're not stupid," she insisted. "You're just...I'unno, you're funny! Like, what's a word that means 'smart, but also kinda goofy n' absent-minded sometimes'?" She nodded to herself as they made their way through the empty streets of Inaba. "That's you."

Adachi felt his cock stir a bit when she'd rubbed his shoulder and tried his best to ignore it. When the two of them turned onto their homes' street, she'd stumbled forward and the side of her thigh brushed against his pelvis; immediately he got a little more erect. He hadn't been this close with her for this long before, and the longer they leaned against him the harder it was to walk and hide his erection at the same time.

"Hey, your house's closer, right?" ____ looked up at Adachi as the two of them stumbled closer to his place. "Can I spend the night? Pleeease?"

"Huh?"

____ pouted and looked at him with pleading eyes. "I don't wanna walk home alone," she replied. "I mean...there IS a killer around here, y'know. And my door lock still doesn't work." She let out a small "hmph" and made her way to Adachi's front door, taking his hand. "Stupid locksmith n' his stupid-ass schedule. 'Oh, I don't have an open spot until next month...' Asshole probably just doesn't wanna drive out here from Okina just for one job."

Adachi stared at her hand squeezing his and then up at her as she waited for him to unlock his door. She was swaying a little bit, eager to get inside and sleep off their night of fun. He tried to remember if he still had a spare futon in the closet or if he'd tossed it after finding a hole or two. It'd be a pain in the ass to roll it out in the living room though.

He glanced down at her hand again, and soon an idea managed to form in the primordial ooze of beer that was his mind at the moment. When was he going to get the chance to have her spend the night at his place like this? Hell, maybe she wanted him too and this was her plan all along to avoid outright admitting it. And even if he was wrong about that, it's not like she'd be able to push him away in this state. If worse came to worst, he could always shove her head in the TV, pull her out, and threaten to dump her inside if she didn't let him do what he wanted. He smiled to himself as he fumbled with his house keys and let her inside; maybe it was because he was drunk, but he didn't see any way this could go wrong for him.

____ kicked off her shoes, dropped her purse by the door, and ceremoniously flopped onto his couch. "Ahhh, thanks Adachiiii," she sighed. "You're the best."

Adachi locked the door from the inside and dropped his shoes off at the entrance before joining her. "C'mon, you're not sleeping on this cheap piece of crap," he insisted. "I've got a bed for ya."

____ crawled off the couch and yawned. "Oh thank God, I was secretly hoping y'had a spare futon or something," she muttered. "Seriously, when are you gonna get a new couch? Junes has some that are pretty cheap, I bet." She smirked. "And they probably don't have a spring that drills into your ass on one of the cushions, either."

The two of them laughed as Adachi led the way to his bedroom. Much like the rest of the apartment, it was only a little messy with clothes on the floor here and there and an unmade bed. By lone bachelor standards, it could definitely be worse. ____ leaned against one of the nearby walls and waited for him to open up a spare closet or something with a futon inside. Instead, Adachi took off his suit jacket and tossed it haphazardly into a laundry basket. He didn't even give his closet a second look. When he sat on his bed and started to undo his tie, ____ decided to take the initiative and take a few steps towards the sliding panel. "Is it in here? I can take it out and bring it into the living room on my own, I think. It's not one of those heavy winter ones, is it?"

Adachi frowned. "Huh?"

"The...the futon," ____ replied, just as confused as him. "Is it in here?"

"I don't have one." He slipped the tie out from his shirt collar and held it between his fingers.

____ cocked her head and tried to find out what she was misunderstanding. "But...you said you had a bed for me," she said slowly.

Adachi smiled and patted the mattress a few times with his hand. "Yeah," he replied. "Mine."

There was a brief period of silence. ____ stood awkwardly and stared at Adachi waiting expectantly on his bed. "Um..." She bit the inside of her cheek as she tried to think of what to say. He had to know this was weird, right? But Adachi's always been a nice guy, and it's not like he's ever been creepy towards her before. He just didn't get why this was an awkward situation for her, that's all. Yeah, that's right. She relaxed her shoulders and stopped chewing on the inside of her cheek. Thinking things through wasn't really Adachi's strong suit, after all; he was always accidentally revealing information on cases and then sheepishly asking her not to mention it to Dojima-san, forgetting to fill out some important paperwork for an investigation. What was that old phrase: "Never attribute to malice what can be explained by..." Well, he wasn't stupid. And she would be lying if she said she didn't find that absent-mindedness and his doofy moments kind of cute.

"I just thought you might feel more...um, secure," he explained with a sheepish smile. Even while shit-faced drunk and with his words fumbling together as he tried to talk, he was still the same good-hearted guy when he was sober. ____ couldn't keep herself from smiling a little to as he talked. "Since you said you were worried about the killer or someone else going after you. I mean, if someone broke in you'd be the first thing they saw if you were sleeping on the couch." He crossed his arms and nodded firmly with bright red cheeks. "If you're in here, nobody's gonna come after ya. 'Cause I'm here!"

____ couldn't help but grin at just how earnest (and drunk) he sounded as he slurred and rocked a bit on his bed. She definitely had no reason to think this dork-with-a-heart-of-gold was being anything but protective and friendly, albeit in such a dumb roundabout way. She snorted and patted his shoulder again before climbing onto the bed. "Awww, my knight in wrinkled cotton," she said dryly. "Feel free to kick me out if I snore or hog the blankets though, ok?"

Adachi got up to turn out the light while ____ settled in his bed. Holy shit. Holy shit. She'd bought his lame little excuse and she was sleeping there. He unbuckled his belt and slipped it off of his pants, and then stripped down until he was dressed in a white tank top underneath his work shirt and a pair of boxers. When he pulled the chain to turn out the only light in the room, he stood over his bed for a moment to look down at her already fast asleep. He could tell by the faint slivers of moonlight from the window that her lips were slightly parted, and some of her hair was fanned out against his pillow while she was sprawled out face-up. He could smell the beer on her breath, even from here; or maybe that was coming from him instead. Probably both of them.

The top of the blanket rested just above her chest, and Adachi leered at her exposed cleavage. He had to see more while he had the chance. He peeled back the covers and crawled on top of her, resting his knees on either side of her thighs in case she woke up and tried to get away. Now that her shirt was exposed, he pulled the bottom up and stared at her tits--and the lace bra that covered up just enough to send another twitch to his cock. "Fuckin' tease," he muttered, smirking and shoving the front of the bra down to finally see her nipples. The cold nighttime air (and, he assumed, her own drunken arousal) immediately made them harden; when he placed one hand over her left breast to give an experimental squeeze, she let out a soft gasp in her sleep. Adachi chuckled and quickly unbuttoned her jeans, lifting his hips a bit to shove them off her completely before tug her panties down to her ankles. Fuck, he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen a woman like this in-person.

He kept one hand on her breast, kneading and pinching her pert little button between two fingers while he whipped his half-hard cock out to rub against her slit. He caught another glimpse of her panties and finally noticed they were the same kind of lacy material as her bra, now resting just above her stomach while the straps loosely hung off her bare shoulders. She must've picked out a matching pair just for him--a nice little surprise for when she finally stopped hiding what she really wanted and spread her legs for him. As nice as it would've been for her to do it herself, he couldn't blame her for dozing off after so many drinks before she could; hopefully she wouldn't be too disappointed that she wasn't awake to enjoy it. Eh, there'd always be next time.

He stroked his shaft and rubbed the tip back and forth against her clit, sighing as he felt it stiffen from his stimulation. ____ murmured in her sleep and Adachi felt her cunt clench around his balls just for a moment. "Y'want me that bad, huh," he muttered, still slurring his words a bit while he leaned down and flicked his tongue over her nipple. "Wish y'had a cock to fill up that twitchy lil' pussy?" He felt her entrance pucker up again and leave a quick kiss to his cock, making them both shiver. Immediately he shifted his hips back a bit and lined himself up with her, biting his lip with a bit of precum trickled off of the tip and brushed against her already-wet cunt.

He muffled the moan that came from him as he eased himself inside, drooling a bit as he buried his face in between her neck and the pillow underneath. Fucking hell, he couldn't remember fucking anything this tight; granted, his experience was limited to one or two "hostesses" he'd paid for in the city once and a pocket pussy he'd bought shortly before moving to the sticks. Maybe he was just too drunk to really notice if she was actually loose or not. Still, in his current state he'd've believed she was a virgin if it weren't for the fact he couldn't feel any kind of barrier where her hymen should've been. With how little foreplay he'd given her, there definitely should've been some blood if that were the case...Wait, shit, was there?

Adachi narrowed his eyes and tried to focus on where they were lined up, and then sighed in frustration when he realized it was too dark to see anything. He grabbed the leg of his pants hanging off the bed and fumbled for his cell phone in one of the pockets. After flipping it open, he turned the brightness up a bit and turned it to face him and ____'s bodies. He breathed a sigh of relief: no blood, just the shine of arousal from where they were joined and a slight damp spot underneath. He stared at the phone for a moment and an idea creeped into his drunk and horny brain. If he already had his phone out, maybe he could take a few pictures...

Deep down he felt a nagging thought that this might be a bad idea. Pictures are evidence, and evidence can be used to fuck you over. The last thing he needed was for her to cry rape and have something like that on his phone; even if he deleted them, there might still be a way to restore them, right? Not that Inaba's department had any cutting edge forensic tech.

If he had been sober, he would've thought more about it. But the alcohol and his dick managed to win out against his brain, and so he quickly turned on his phone's camera and set the light to it's lowest setting to avoid waking her up as he filmed her. The soft light over her revealed just how wet she was for him as her cunt glistened around his cock, and he noticed that there was a little bit of saliva in the corner of her mouth. Was she just drooling in her sleep? Adachi grinned and wiped it off of her cheek with his thumb. Maybe she was literally craving a good dicking from him.

He started off with some shallow thrusts in and out of her, panting as he recorded her body bouncing a little underneath him. He kept his other hand on her breast and rolled the pad of his thumb over her nipple to keep it nice and stiff. She occasionally let out little sighs and half-formed whimpers every time he hit a sweet spot inside of her, but her eyes never opened once. In fact, sometimes he caught her squeezing them shut and wincing whenever he went a little too fast or rough for her. Maybe she was hoping he'd be a gentle and romantic prince for her tonight. She probably figured he'd be so happy and eager to please her now that she was finally offering her pussy up to him; hell, maybe she thought he'd be fine just eating her out without even expecting her to really put out. He glared for a moment as he fucked her a bit faster, pinching her nipple and groping her while she let out a little whine. It wouldn't be the first time a woman had tried to treat him like a doormat. "Proud lil'...fuckin' bitch," he spat. "Take it, take it..."

He snapped his phone shut and put both hands on ____'s hips for support while he fucked her harder and harder. Her moans and whimpers became louder and more frequent, and soon she was panting just as much as he was. He moved his hands to her thighs and slowly pushed them up to reach even further inside; he was going to give her exactly what she wanted, what she deserved, and then some. Who cares if she woke up? She'd go from having a nice and pleasant wet dream to having it come true. If anything, she'd be happy and probably beg for him to fuck her again so she could be awake for it this time.

Their new position gave him full access to her warm tight walls, and every stroke left him bottoming out inside of her and brushing against a spongy little part of her cunt that left Adachi's eyes rolling back. He heard her let out a cute little squeal and then sigh in her sleep. He could make out the slightest hint of a smile as she panted underneath him. "Good girl," he sighed, squeezing her thighs and leaning his head down to kiss and suck her neck. "Good lil' whore." She instinctively tilted her head to the side for him and moaned whenever his lips grazed a sensitive spot by her jaw, and he chuckled darkly. "I was wrong, huh? You weren't trying to blueball me and fuck with me, were ya? This is what you wanted."

____'s breathing was more and more labored as Adachi fucked her deeper into the mattress with her legs in the air as he held them up. "Mmm...Ah, Ada--haah..." She finally mumbled something semi-coherent, and it was all Adachi needed to hear to finally go over the edge. He gripped her hips and shoved her against his cock over and over, cumming with a sharp gasp and a muffled groan against her skin.

He started to nod off once that post-orgasm high had started to fade, letting her legs rest on the bed again as he relaxed and lay on top of her with a drunk and lazy smile. He might have a hangover in the morning, but if he got to spend the night inside of her warm and accommodating pussy it'd be worth it.

Inside...Inside. Inside.

His eyes snapped open. "Fuck," he whispered. He came inside of her. "Fuck, fuck, goddammit!" He propped himself up and hastily pulled out of her, causing her to gasp in her sleep at his sudden departure and then murmur softly when his cum and her own arousal seeped out from her entrance. Adachi desperately tried to think of what to do now that reality was starting to set into his head after it had been fogged up with booze and pussy. What the fuck was he thinking!? No condom, no way of knowing of she was on the pill, and so lost in the moment that he didn't even think to pull out.

He ran his fingers through his hair and sat at the edge of the bed trying to figure out what to do. What COULD he do? Throw her into the TV? No, no, you fucking idiot, your cum's inside her! Once her body's found, it'd only be a matter of time until the coroner did a DNA test and it matched to his records from when he joined the force.

He stumbled out of the room in his boxers and made his way to the living room, searching for where she'd taken off her shoes and set her purse down. "Come on, come on," he muttered. "You better have some pills in here!" He unzipped her bag and frantically searched inside for any kind of birth control pills. The contents spilled out onto the tatami floor: lip gloss, her cell phone, makeup, wallet, coins...

Adachi threw the now-empty purse against the door and cursed under his breath as his voice grew louder. "Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!" He looked around the room for something, some kind of sign or a way to get out of this. If he really managed to knock her up, he didn't know what to do. He held his head in his hands and bit his tongue as he tried to keep from screaming at the top of his lungs.

He tried his best to think things through as well as he could in his current state. "Okay," he murmured. "Okay. No birth control, no spermicide. What else is there?" He tried to think of other ways to prevent a woman from getting pregnant: she might have one of the ones you put in the arm or womb or something. But there wasn't a way of knowing for sure until she woke up. And she didn't have any pills in her purse, so--

His eyes widened in realization as another option came into his head. She didn't have birth control, but that wasn't the only kind of pill she could take. He remembered seeing a few shelves at Junes by their pharmacy counter during one of his walks a while back; some brats in Yasogami uniforms had been snickering at the boxes of condoms in the section labeled "Intimate Health". On the other end of the aisle there were a few small bottles of pills with English labels. Adachi tried to remember what the name had been. Normally you couldn't get a morning-after pill without a prescription, but Junes imported a lot of their company's products overseas. Some of the store owners in Inaba had griped about it, complaining that it was the reason Junes was running them out of business. If there was anywhere you could get some kind of emergency contraceptive in this shithole, especially at this time of night, it would be there.

Adachi ran into his bedroom, picked his clothes up off the floor, threw them on, and sprinted out the front door without even thinking to put on a pair of shoes. He could figure out what to do with ____ later if he was wrong, but right now he was focused on getting to Junes's pharmacy and back with those pills and absolutely nothing else.

#.adachi #.persona #.persona 4 #tw: noncon #tw: unprotected sex #tw: pregnancy mention #.myshit #leaving this too open ended kinda squicked me out so ill add a bonus section in a reblog lol #fem darling

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forkanna · 3 years

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[AO3] [WATTPAD]

NOTE: Most Japanese schools run Monday through Saturday. Also, thanks for keeping up with this story, despite my choppy update schedule!

Saturday slipped by awkwardly. That really was the best description for it, terrible as that reality was; the whole situation felt awkward.

The night before, they had parted ways at the train station. A tacit agreement had been reached that too much had happened in a single day, and they both needed time to process. They texted a few things about being glad they hung out that day, or what they were eating for dinner, but mostly they kept to themselves.

Rise had been hoping the next day would find them magically falling back together and not having to worry about how intense things had been in Shinjuku. Alas, they avoided each other. Neither seemed to want to be the one to reach out and initiate contact. Maybe they had told themselves that they were over it but clearly it was another matter to put so much raw emotion on display, then face the consequences. Plus, Ai had been very wasted and probably felt embarrassed she let it lead to so many things she definitely had not been planning for their outing. Rise could completely understand that.

But when school let out, she tried to screw her courage to the sticking-place and go find her maybe-girlfriend. Boyfriend? The whole thing still confused her, but she knew enough now to accept that said confusion did not at all mean she was disinterested. Far from it. She just had to figure out how deep her interest lay.

Ai was gone already. Probably to Shinjuku, or Okina, or Okinawa for all she knew. No new texts, either; she finally summoned her courage and sent a simple 'What are you doing?' but got no reply.

"Figures," she muttered as she stared at the screen, walking slowly toward Marukyu. "Why does she have to disappear on meeeee?"

"Who?"

"AAAH!" she gasped out, jumping into Chie's arms. The startled girl staggered and yelped as she tried to support Rise's weight, and of course, in the end they went down like a ton of bricks.

"HEY!" Hissing in pain, she shoved at Rise and said, "Get off! What are you DOING?!"

Rise hissed as well as she picked herself up. "Oww, my knee! I'm- oh God, where's my phone? What happened to my phone?!"

The two of them scrambled around on the side of the road, trying to figure out where the piece of vital technology had disappeared to. Once or twice, they even rolled down the riverside hill thanks to how slippery the light rain had made it earlier. Eventually, Chie turned up with it, and they sat panting with relief on the slope for a little while, trying to recover from the unexpected flurry of activity.

"You were… totally off in your own world, dude!" Chie panted, staring up at the clouds. "What the hell? You didn't even… hear me calling to you!"

"Ahh… hahh… I… sorry…" Chie was definitely in better shape than her. But she did finally manage to swallow and roll over to face the other girl, trying to prop her head up on her arm. "I've been… hoping Ai would text me back, and… my brain is…" She made a vague motion off into the distance.

"Yeah! Yeah, I get that one. For sure, believe me."

"Really? Because… you and Yukiko?"

"That's…" She did grimace, but finally just said, "Whatever."

"HAH! I knew it!"

"What's your problem, if you don't mind me asking? With Ai. Did you have a fight or something?"

"N-no, not really… a fight." Another deep breath to brace herself, and because she was still a little dizzy. "She told me something yesterday that… I mean, it has me really confused, and I just kinda wish somebody would tell me what to do and how to feel."

Chie snorted. "Thought Ai was really good at that. But okay, what happened?"

Rise told her, as briefly as she could. Which didn't end up being very brief. By the time she had explained the whole situation, they were stuffed into the back corner of Aiya, a couple of bowls of noodles and some sodas in front of them. The hot food would help them dry off after rolling around on a damp hill. Chie had plowed through a lot more of hers considering she was mostly listening and could let her mouth focus on that sweet sweet beef she coveted so much.

"Lembge geddiz straig."

"How about I let you swallow first?" Rise said with a wince. "I'm sorry, I just really can't understand you."

Chie nodded, chewed hard a few times, and gulped. "Ah! DAMN, do I love meat! Okay… what were we talking about?" When Rise let out an exasperated noise, she chuckled and said, "Just kidding. But yeah… I guess Ai's a guy. Weird."

"Right? Because I mean, look at her. How can she be a boy?!"

"Yeah! Like, I get what you were saying, about like… crossdressers on TV and junk. Some of them look like hell and some of them are really cute, but you can still tell. But Ai is like… he's a chick! Really, really a chick, like us! I'd never think…"

"Yeah," she agreed with a dejected sigh. "And at first I thought she was lying, Chie-chan, or trying to play a really mean joke on me, but now I don't think so. She was dead serious. And the way she talked about how hard it was for her to be herself when she was being told by everyone else she had to 'be manly'? I get that. Not that exactly but I know what it's like for everybody to be looking at you one way and wishing they could just… listen."

The tomboyish senior frowned down at her bowl as she stirred its contents with her chopsticks. "Pretty rotten. I mean, you weren't there for me having to confront my Shadow, but I used to have a lot more issues with that, too. I was jealous of Yukiko. That's stupid, she's my best friend! But she's so beautiful; I mean, you know, you've seen her. And I'm this fugly pile of dog doo."

"Aww, you are not," Rise said with a frown. "Don't say that."

"Nah, it's okay now. I mean, I know I'm not hideous but I'm not jealous because Yukiko is prettier anymore. That's just, like… I'm lucky to know her, and happy she gets attention. She deserves it." When she looked over and saw Rise's frown had completely turned upside down, she ducked her head. "Sh-shut up, I'm just happy for my friend!"

"Uh huh. But yeah… we've all been through a lot, and seen some really crazy stuff. I don't know why I freaked out so much about Ebihara now; so what if she is a boy? She's still a hotter girl than any of the rest of us will ever be, regardless."

Chie pointed her chopsticks at the idol. "Hey, watch it! You're lumping Yukiko in with the rest of us, and I know you're not trying to say she isn't the prettiest girl in Inaba!"

"Hey, hey, easy, Bruce Lee! Oh — right, did you get it?"

"Get what?"

"N-nothing." That was close; Yukiko would have had every right to be angry with her if she spilled the secret before its time.

"Riiight. Anyway, I… man, I'm really sorry for getting so cheesed off."

"You should be. I mean, you know I wasn't trying to diss anyone, I was just commenting on how pretty my girlfriend is. Boyfriend. Whatever."

"Yeah, that's gonna be a mind-fuck for a little while," Chie snickered as she took another huge bite. Where she put it all, Rise would never know. "So you didn't see it?"

"See what?" When Chie just stuck her pinky out and waggled it back and forth, eyebrows moving in much the same manner suggestively, Rise felt her face flush. "N-no, I did not."

"Awwwww, I was gonna ask about the size."

"CHIE!"

"Well, what else am I supposed to ask?!" she burst out in exasperation. "Like, clearly the rest of him looks like a chick, so that seems like the biggest difference! I just wanted to know how big that difference was!"

Pinching the bridge of her nose, she finally simply sighed, "I'll let you know. If I ever find out, I mean… since she's not talking to me today."

"Aww… yeah." Growing more serious, she stuck her chopsticks in the bowl and put an arm around Rise. "Listen… all dumb jokes aside, that sucks. But he's probably just trying to sort things out, like you are. I mean, you said he can't even figure out if he's a girl or a boy, so like, on top of having the hots for his new best friend? That's a lot."

Something about the way Chie kept saying "he" and "his" was bothering Rise. She knew it was technically accurate — again, assuming this was all true, which she had decided to believe for the time being — but it didn't sit right. Didn't Ai say she had known all along she was a woman, even when the world saw her as male? But she didn't want to get too bogged down by worrying about that niggling little detail just now.

"Okay, so I'm an idol, she's a fashionista. If she is a boy, maybe it's not as weird that we hook up — like, she could be my fashion designer when I make my comeback. Right? Or… if she's not a boy, then she can be, anyway, and… we could… date secretly."

"Secretly? I thought you said you would be Japan's first gay idol."

"I'd love to be, but I also don't know if that'll work. My management might not like that I'm throwing them a curveball. And… I guess…" Rise felt her eyes watering. That was stupid. "I don't want to stop being Risette."

Chie snorted. "Pretty sure you're going to be Risette forever, even if you don't like it. Which I thought you didn't, but like, you did say you're accepting it again."

"No, I meant that… if I really am interested in women, and I come out, I won't be 'Risette the idol'. I'll be 'Risette the gay icon', or 'that lesbian singer'. Dumb stuff like that. I've been thinking about it a lot, and that could be really cool, but it also means I have to give up having fans who just like me because I'm cute and I can sing. It'll get super political."

"Oh… yeesh, I hadn't thought about any of that junk at all. That sounds like a big pain."

Whimpering, she flopped down on her arms. "But it's important. Like, I've never thought it was right that queers in Japan don't have any representation really. Y'know?"

"But they do! Well… not a lot, I mean… Ikko, like you said, and that one drag queen, Matsuko Deluxe… and I thought I heard Utada might be? Or her teddy bear was…" When Rise just cracked an eye in her direction, she wilted. "Yeah, okay, so not that many. Seems like everybody's gay in the West, and over here it's like, five people."

"That we know about."

"Yeah. I never really thought that hard about it… but I guess… I should have."

A slight smirk tugged at the corner of Rise's mouth. "Why should you have? Hmmmm?"

"Well… you know."

"See? You can't even tell me! I'm right here telling you I made out with either a girl, or a guy who wears girl clothes better than me, and you still don't feel like you can tell me the truth! That's exactly it — we just don't wanna talk about it!"

Chie was poking the tips of her index fingers into each other as she stared down at her bowl, face glowing like a stoplight. Rise knew she was being a little mean, but she also had a decent reason to press this subject.

"Alright, forget it. I'm sorry."

"No, you're right, Rise-chan. I'm…" She took a deep breath, looked around the diner to make sure nobody was sneaking up on them. Still not that brave, it seemed. "I'm with Yukiko. We're together. And I don't just mean cool for the summer because we're trying stuff out; I mean forever. She's all mine, and she loves b-being mine, a-and… and I've never…"

Oh. Chie Satonaka, badass kung fu afficionado who helped save Inaba without anyone ever finding out what they did to protect the town… was crying. Rise sat up, brow furrowing hard as she watched this unprecedented phenomenon for a moment. Fat droplets of shame were rolling down to be absorbed by the collar of her ever-present green jacket as she gripped the skirt covering her thighs. How sad that trying to force herself to admit something like this was so difficult she couldn't do it without tears.

"Shhh," Rise soothed her as she pulled her into a warm embrace. And Chie clung as if she were a life raft. "It's okay. I'm on your side, okay? Remember? Investigation Team forever. Everything's gonna be fine."

That was all they could accomplish for a little while. Even though she was hiccuping and trying to keep her voice down, it seemed now that Chie had let down her ever-present shields it was all tumbling free in a rush. So Rise just held her, trying not to add to the mess by breaking down herself. Poor thing.

She only hoped time wouldn't make a liar out of her. Because if everything wasn't fine for Chie and Yukiko… then what chance did she and her boy-girlfriend have?

~ o ~

Ai did eventually get back into contact with her later that evening, via text. Her first order of business was a heartfelt apology for blowing her off all day. They both did the dance of trying to reassure the other person that it was no big deal, and they both just needed some space to figure things out.

AI: But I really threw you for a loop and we both know it

RISE: Definitely

RISE: I'm sorry I just don't have a gentle way to agree you really fucked me up

AI: Wow do you have to put it like THAT?!

AI: Sounds like I was doing it on purpose!

RISE: I know you weren't!

RISE: Seriously… I'm sorry I just needed to figure things out

AI: Yeah… me too

AI: Look can I just call

RISE: Oh uhhhhh I guess?

No answering text. Just her phone ringing, and the poor idol dropping it and leaning away on her bed. Feeling silly that it had startled her so badly, she scooped up the phone and answered. "Hello?"

"Do you hate me?"

Rise's blood froze in her veins as she sat up straighter. Ai sounded bad. Not just unhappy, or like she had been crying, but she sounded as if she were completely out of energy. Swallowing hard, she whispered, "Ai-chan? Are you okay? What's…"

"No." A little sniffle. "I… I fucked up."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm… so I've had this… I…" Rise didn't interrupt; just gave her time to collect her thoughts. "I'm bulimic. I've been purging on a regular basis since before junior high, and I thought I had it under control, but… today wasn't good."

"Oh…" Wincing at the notion, she went on, "Oh, that's terrible, I'm sorry. I mean, I get why you would, you… thought you needed to."

Silence. Then in a quiet whisper, "It's been worse lately. And I'm not stupid, I know it's because of you and me; I'm… messed up about it, and instead of confronting my feelings, I binge and purge. And it's disgusting, and I'm disgusting, and I haven't been able to keep anything down since… Shinjuku."

"Oh. The beer. That got you started again, didn't it?"

"Like I ever really stopped," she snorted harshly. "But you're not wrong. I've been pretty good about just sticking to my diet the past few months, and now I'm stress-eating all the time, and then I have to purge because my system can't handle it, a-and…"

When her words devolved into unintelligible noises, Rise just soothed her, "Wait, wait, it's okay. It's okay! I mean, I might not get all the, um… boy-girl stuff, and whether or not we should be… u-uh… whatever we should be." Wow, eloquent; pull it together, Rise! "But I'm used to bulimic girls."

"What? I mean, you are?"

"Sure. There's a ton of them in the entertainment industry; we're all supposed to look like adorable little stick figures who are always happy. It's hard. I'm just lucky that I'm naturally kind of lean, but I still do have to watch what I eat. Other girls aren't so lucky — like you. Just like that. So…"

Ai sounded so desperate for affirmation when she pleaded, "So I'm not broken?"

"No way! I mean, maybe you shouldn't do it anymore, but like, it happens all the time. You're not crazy, and you're not 'broken'. I mean it."

"That's… that's the most I've believed anyone when they told me that in a long time." A long sigh. She still sounded weak but Rise was trying to suppress slamming the panic button. "Dad tells me that, too, but he isn't very convincing. I mean, he's my dad, he has to say that shit."

Giggling softly, she laid back on her bed and picked at a fray in the comforter with her painted nails. "Yeah, I get that. Well, with my grandma. My parents don't even call."

"Bitches." They both laughed. "Um… I think I'm gonna make myself go get some juice… but um… before I go…"

"Yes?"

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you so nice to me? I don't deserve it. No," she cut her off, and Rise almost laughed that her friend had predicted she was going to protest. "Don't argue, you know I'm a hot fucking mess. And I boss people around, and I… but you pushed until I let you befriend me. And I don't get it. I thought you were a nerd and a glutton for punishment, and you still showed me all this gross love until I caught it. Why would you? Why waste all that time on a gender-bending jerk like me when you could have picked any-"

"You're not a jerk. You're not a mess. And you are not alone."

The next word was a sob, but she was reasonably sure what she said was "Rise". So she just waited, curling up on her sheets more tightly with the phone pressed to her ear. Waiting, until finally… "Thank you."

"Hey, no big deal. Just… don't give up, okay? I'm in your corner, and I'm always going to be. You got a friend in me."

"Why does that sound so familiar?" she half-laughed.

Curling up with a warm smile on her face, Rise purred into the phone, "I have no idea, Ebi-chan. But I mean each and every word."

To Be Continued…

#we'll face ourselves #persona 4 fanfiction #saphir de lune #p4 fanfic #rise x ai #forkanna writes #jess the writer

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angevon · 7 years

Text

Souyo Nov Writing Challenge (prompt list)

Day 12: Holding Hands

Links

AO3

ffnet

Souji won't let go of Yosuke's hand.

[spoilers for P4′s true ending below!]

Yosuke waited after school at the Yaso-Inaba station. Tomorrow was the first day of Golden Week, and Souji was returning to Inaba this evening for the short holiday. He'd only been away for about a month and a half, but to Yosuke it'd felt like twice as long. He really missed his boyfriend.

He waited alone—he'd planned it that way. He wanted to be the first to see Souji. Maybe it was a little selfish, but everyone would see him tomorrow. Yosuke reasoned that he should get some time alone with Souji since they were dating and all.

After a long wait, a boarding announcement blared out over the speakers. Yosuke blinked up from where he'd been messing with his phone to find the train pulling up. The doors opened and a single passenger came out. Souji was wearing his casual winter clothes, the one with the black jacket. He carried a duffel bag under his arm, probably full of his clothes for the holiday. He looked around and his expression brightened when he saw Yosuke waiting for him.

Yosuke wasted no time in pulling him into a big hug.

Souji hummed softly against his shoulder. "Missed you," he said.

"Yeah, I missed you too," Yosuke said, patting him on the back in the hug.

When they separated, Yosuke found that Souji had taken hold of his right hand with his left. He felt Souji's playfully thumb caress the side of his hand. Souji's hand was softer than he remembered, with fewer callouses now that they weren't fighting in the TV World. Some of those scars would always be there, though.

"What do you want to do?" Souji asked, squeezing his hand.

"Well, we should probably drop your bag off at Dojima's, right?"

Souji shrugged. Yosuke felt it all the way through his arm since their hands were linked. "I can carry it. Maybe we can go eat?"

They headed to Aiya's, for although the big city had plenty of ramen joints, none of them had a meat generator. Souji sat on a stool at the bar. He didn't let go of Yosuke's hand, though, so Yosuke was forced to sit at his left. Yosuke didn't mind. It was reassuring, having him there in his hand, knowing that Souji wanted to touch him. The distance had been hard on both of them, after all.

You were supposed to use chopsticks in your right hand, though. When the bowls of steaming ramen arrived, he tried to pull his hand back, but Souji wouldn't let go. "Uh, partner?"

"Yeah?"

Yosuke tugged his hand. "Can you let go so I can eat?"

Souji glanced down at their hands. "Oh," he said, as if the idea didn't appeal to him at all. There was a long pause. Then his expression suddenly brightened. "Maybe I can feed you?"

"Uhh..." Yosuke began, but Souji was already bringing his free hand over and sticking his chopsticks into Yosuke's ramen bowl. It was a little embarrassing—Yosuke caught Aika-chan raising an eyebrow at him behind the bar—but he couldn't refuse his boyfriend.

"Do you want the tofu?" Souji asked.

"You already know the answer to that," Yosuke said. With an impish little smile, Souji grabbed Yosuke's tofu in the chopsticks and ate it himself.

"How about the egg?"

"I'll take that," Yosuke said, and soon Souji told him to open wide and half of a boiled egg was coming right for his mouth.

Eating the noodles required some coordination. Souji had to hold up the noodles and Yosuke had to angle his mouth just right for him to get them in. The ramen juice ended up running down his chin. Souji dabbed his chin with a napkin, which was even more embarrassing, but Yosuke reasoned it was a small price to pay to keep Souji happy.

At one point, Souji put the empty tips of the chopsticks right in Yosuke's mouth, pressing them against his tongue. Puzzled, Yosuke tried to say something, but then Souji leaned in for a surprise kiss.

"S-Souji!" Yosuke protested. Behind the bar, Aika-chan was raising her other eyebrow at him.

"Missed you," Souji said.

Yosuke mumbled something incoherent, his cheeks pinker than the spirals in the naruto.

As usual, neither of them could finish their meat-heavy meal. "I'll pay," Yosuke said, but when he made to pull his hand towards the pocket with his wallet, still Souji refused to let go.

Instead, Souji shook his head and took out his own wallet. "It's all right."

Yosuke decided not to fight it. Besides, it was really amusing to see him try and get his money out of his wallet with one hand.

"Is this some sort of challenge?" Yosuke asked when they left the shop.

"Hmm?"

"This," Yosuke said. He tugged on their interlocked hands.

"Oh," Souji said. "I just want to hold your hand. Is that a problem?"

When he put it that way, of course Yosuke couldn't refuse. With a mental shrug he just left it at that. Hand in hand, they walked down the shopping district, talking about whatever came to mind. After a bit, Yosuke figured that it had to be tiring for Souji to carry the duffel bag over his other arm, so he suggested they head to the Dojima residence.

When they arrived, Souji rang the doorbell. Nanako answered. "Big bro!" she squealed. She tackled him in a hug, not unlike Yosuke at the train station. Yosuke patted her on the head with his free hand since Souji couldn't.

Inside, Souji dropped the duffel bag right there in the entryway. Yosuke gave him an odd look, but supposed he could bring it upstairs to his room later. He and Souji slipped off their shoes, though it felt really weird not to have his hand free to steady himself. He leaned against Souji instead.

They followed Nanako into the living room, where they sat at the low table. She excitedly told Souji about everything he'd missed since he'd left. It was absolutely adorable to see how intently Souji listened to her. He was such a good big bro.

"And the big cat outside is a mommy now!" Nanako said. "Dad won't let me have a kitty, but... Don't tell him that I give the mommy cat milk every morning!"

"I'm sure she thanks you, Nanako," Souji said. "And her kittens too."

"Did you name any of the kittens, Nanako-chan?" Yosuke asked.

Nanako looked away, blushing. "W-well, there's... Princess, and Kitty-chan, and Blackie..."

"I think Dojima-san is going to have a problem," Yosuke said, nudging Souji. "She adopted them anyway."

"Good job, Nanako," Souji said, completely serious.

She beamed up at him with the force of several suns. If she used that grin on her dad, Yosuke thought, there was no way he could refuse her anything. And definitely not a pet!

They talked about a bunch of other things after that. Nanako's classmates, one of her school projects, the family plans for Golden Week...

Eventually, she asked, "Big bro?" in a subdued voice.

"Hmm?" Souji asked. "What's the matter?"

"You really like him, huh?" Nanako was pointing to their hands. "You haven't let go all this time."

Souji looked down at their hands as if seeing them for the first time. He lifted them up and appraised them. "I guess so," he said, giving Yosuke a somewhat sad smile.

"You missed him..." Nanako said. "Big bro, that's cute!"

"N-Nanako-chan!" Embarrassed, Yosuke reflexively tried to pull his hand away. Souji didn't let go, and as a result he was pulled right into him. Souji pretended that he intended that and took the opportunity to settle into his lap. "S-Souji!" Yosuke scolded.

"That's even more cute," Nanako said, blushing about as deeply as Yosuke.

"Imagine if Dojima-san came in right now," Yosuke said. "what would he think?"

"That we should be in my room for this," Souji murmured so that only Yosuke could hear. "Nanako-chan," he said aloud, "is it all right if we go upstairs for a bit? I have to unpack."

She nodded at them. Souji dragged Yosuke to the entryway, where Souji awkwardly picked up the duffel bag in his free hand, and then tugged him upstairs and into his room. He dropped the bag unceremoniously onto his work table and sat on the couch, pulling Yosuke down next to him.

They sat there for a bit, enjoying a quiet moment with each other's company. It was obvious to Yosuke that Souji needed some time to process the fact that he was back home in Inaba, even if only for a few days.

By now, though, Yosuke's hand was sweaty and cramped from being held so long. It wasn't comfortable at all for him anymore, and he suspected it wasn't much better for Souji. Besides that, his leg was starting to bounce. Something urgent was demanding his attention. "Hey, uh, partner?" he asked, breaking the quiet.

Souji blinked out of his daydream. "Yosuke?"

"Could you let go? Sorry, I've really gotta go."

Souji glanced down at their hands. He didn't let go, and his expression could only be described as reluctant. He met Yosuke's eyes with a desperate look. "Maybe I could…" he began.

"Look," Yosuke said frankly, "I know we're a couple, but I don't really need you to hold my hand when I take a leak."

"S-sorry," Souji said. "You're right."

He let go of Yosuke's hand then. Yosuke took it back and rubbed it. Souji hadn't held it too tightly or anything, but it was a little red just from the constant pressure on it. It was nice for it to finally breathe. "I'll be right back," Yosuke said.

"Y-yeah..."

He went to the bathroom, trying not to imagine what it might be like to have Souji hold his hand while he peed. It felt like a forbidden thought, so he quickly pushed it out of his head while he took care of his business. Soon he was washing his hands at the sink. He dried them with a towel, feeling good about how clean his hands felt now.

When he came back to the room, it looked like Souji hadn't moved. His duffel bag was still sitting there on the table. Souji was staring up at the ceiling. When he noticed Yosuke was back, he held out his hand expectantly.

Without thinking, Yosuke reached out, but when their fingers touched, Yosuke pulled his hand back, and Souji's hand closed on air.

"Souji," Yosuke said, trying to ignore the crushing disappointment now present on his boyfriend's face. "What is going on?"

Souji opened his mouth, but no words came out. He looked like he was about to cry. Worried, Yosuke sat down next to him and put an arm around him, drawing him close.

"Sorry partner," Yosuke murmured. "I like it, I really do, but... moderation."

"Yosuke," Souji said, choking up. "I keep having nightmares. That I'm going to lose you."

Yosuke stared at him, then saw that he was shaking and pulled him into a hug, cradling his head against his chest. "Souji, geez... I had no idea. It's all right. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."

"Do you remember Izanami?" Souji asked quietly.

Yosuke didn't want to remember. That terrible visage, the stench of rotting flesh, and the casual indifference to their fate...

"I keep thinking of how she pulled you down into Yomi," Souji said.

"Ah," Yosuke said, not knowing what to say. They never did talk about that experience. Even if they'd wanted to, there'd been no time. The next day Souji was already leaving Inaba.

"S-scared," Souji said. "I was so scared... of losing all of you. I knew you all followed me because I was the leader, but... I wasn't ready for that responsibility."

"I don't think anything could have prepared you for that."

"Probably not," Souji admitted. "I was so scared, but worse might've been how angry it'd made me."

"Like a 'how dare you touch my friends'?" Yosuke said. "You got that way sometimes when we were fighting regular Shadows. Your Personas... definitely got more and more powerful as time went on. And frightening, not going to lie."

"I don't usually get angry," Souji murmured.

"You're the calmest dude I know," Yosuke agreed. "It's a good thing, because... you know, I'm not so calm. Makes us a good pair."

"Yeah," Souji said.

He sat up now, breaking from Yosuke's hug so that they could face each other. He reached up to Yosuke's face to brush away some stray hair, then let his hands drop along with his gaze. He sighed. "The way Izanami had pulled you down like that. I... I keep thinking... what if I could've pulled you back out?"

"With your own hands?" Yosuke guessed.

Souji nodded.

"Dude," Yosuke said. "It's okay. You did pull us back. I don't know how you did it—I probably don't want to know—but I'm here. That's proof enough."

Souji lifted his head. His eyes looked so vulnerable. Yosuke couldn't help but put his arms around him again.

"We're all okay," Yosuke said. He gave Souji a quick kiss. "Moving away probably hasn't helped, huh? You haven't been able to see us, to see the proof that we're okay."

"Yeah..."

"You'll see everyone tomorrow," Yosuke said. "I promise, we're all fine."

"I know," Souji said. "And Nanako's fine too, but..."

At his heavy sigh, Yosuke took his hands and held them in his own. "If you want to hold my hand a little longer, then... it's all right. Heck, you can hold both of them."

"Thanks, Yosuke."

'A little longer' turned into 'the rest of the night', but Souji's grateful smile made it worth enduring sweaty hands.

#souyowrimo 2017 #souyo #slash bl #my fic #p4 #the longest one so far #i was wondering if i should post it as a one shot on its own haha #this is cute but gets kinda dark near the end just to warn you!

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individuationfic · 5 years

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Seeking to Seize Chapter 21

AO3

The fog is gone.

That’s all Chie can think, staring at the clear blue sky. She didn't’ realize how much she missed it.

She, Yukiko, and Rise have been tasked with escorting Yu home while Kanji, Yosuke, Naoto, and Teddie take Adachi to the police station. Yukiko managed to stop the bleeding and Yu is awake again, but he’s still weak, and he still needs to be patched up. “No cooking!” was Yosuke’s only demand as they dragged him away. “You can help him with anything else but all of you stay out of the kitchen! He’ll never feel better if he eats your food!”

The girls manage to get Yu upstairs and into his bed with only a little difficulty (they’ve been getting stronger in the TV, too), and Yukiko, who’s had to deal with drunk and sick guests before, strips him down to his underwear. Chie feels sick to her stomach when she sees his bloodstained shirt and the nasty scratch on his side, but Yukiko is all business. She sends Rise to the bathroom downstairs for the first aid kit and Chie to get washcloths and a bucket of warm water.

They’ve had to do stuff like this before. Magic can’t heal everything, after all, and they can’t risk going to the hospital with their injuries because their parents would find out. Everyone but Rise, who isn’t combative, and Teddie, who can’t manifest his human form in the TV, will have scars for the rest of their lives.

Chie and Rise step out into the hallway while Yukiko works, and Chie sends Yosuke a text to let him know they got Yu home safe. She wishes she could’ve gone with them—seeing Adachi face the music for herself would’ve been cathartic as hell. But they all know Adachi would be harder to control if the girls went; he was angry and hurt and he would be more liable to lash out if they were there due to his rampant misogyny.

To distract herself, Chie turns to Rise and says, “We should wash those clothes for him when Yukiko’s done in there. Could you take that shirt to Kanji after we get that stain out for him to mend? The jacket, too.”

Rise seems to retreat in on herself. “Uh… I…” She can’t finish what she wants to say.

“Hey.” Chie wraps an arm around Rise’s shoulder and squeezes. “What’s up? We should be celebrating. What’s eating at you?”

As if the words have been waiting to escape her throat, Rise says, “Kanji-kun kissed me the night Nanako-chan almost died, and then he told me he likes me and Naoto-san, and now he wants to talk about it and I don’t know what to do.”

Aaaaand now she’s crying. Crap. Chie exerts a little pressure against Rise’s back with her arm. “How about we go downstairs to talk about this? We don’t wanna distract Yukiko, right? Maybe we can do some practice for tomorrow!”

Still shaking, and with tears in her eyes, Rise nods, and Chie leads her down the stairs.

Yu’s still in no shape for visitors, even after Yukiko’s done with them, so the team decides to postpone their debriefing for another day. Yukiko and Chie walk a teary-eyed Rise back to her grandmother’s shop. They make small talk with the older woman to distract her from her granddaughter’s emotional distress and, out of the corner of her eye, Yukiko sees the calendar on the desk.

December 24.

Christmas Eve.

Heart in her throat, Yukiko decides to give Chie her gift.

They leave the tofu shop and head for the bus stop. The shopping district is pretty empty, considering the date and the fog having disappeared, so Yukiko risks slipping her hand into Chie’s. Chie goes red and squeezes back.

The bus won’t be coming for another ten minutes or so, so they settle against the side of a shop facing towards the road to wait. Chie’s phone buzzes with a text and a delighted smile crosses her face when she reads it. “The police arrested Adachi!” she says. “Yosuke showed them a bruise on his neck from the fight and Adachi admitted to hitting him, so he’s getting charged with at least child abuse. Maybe even assault.”

“Do you think he’ll get charged with the murders?”

Chie squints at her phone. “Naoto seems to think so. The courts are aggressive when it comes to multiple murders, they say. He might even—” Chie stops, face suddenly pale. She takes a deep, gulping breath. “He might even get the death penalty.”

“Oh,” says Yukiko.

On one hand, she feels relieved. The man who organized her kidnapping with the intent for her to die is going to be punished for his crimes, and, if found guilty of everything he did, will never be able to hurt people again. No one else would have to suffer like her and her friends have because of Adachi. But on the other hand,s she and the people she loves most in the world have delivered a man to his possible death. An evil man, a man who has done horrible things, a man who chose to do wrong—but also a man who was a child. Once, with parents and friends. Does anyone really have the authority to kill anyone else?

Chie must notice Yukiko’s conflict, because she says, “I’m glad. I hope he hangs. I’d kill him with a rusty spoon and take relish in it.” Yukiko looks at her girlfriend, eyes wide at the bloodthirsty tone in her voice. “He almost took you away from me. I’ll never forgive him for that.”

Yukiko squeezes Chie’s hand. “Oh,” she says again, and decides not to give Chie her Christmas present just yet.

Mama Tatsumi lets Rise into Kanji-kun’s room without much fuss. She’d stuffed Yu-senpai’s shirt and jacket in her bag before she left his house, and had only returned to her grandmother’s shop to wash her face and make herself look presentable. “I’ll send him right up as soon as he gets home!” Mama Tatsumi says, eyes twinkling. “Make yourself at home!”

Rise settles on a cushion near Kanji-kun’s desk to wait and grips at the straps of her bag until her knuckles turn white. Would he even want to see her? She thinks she made him mad yesterday; who could blame him if he tells her to get out?

Stop thinking like that, Himiko says. You will accomplish nothing but making yourself more stressed.

Rise knows better than to argue at this point (Himiko always wins, anyway) so she nods and takes a deep breath. Calm down, she tells herself. It’s Kanji-kun. He deserves an honest conversation about this. The nasty, doubting voice in the back of her head tries to speak up, but she squashes it. I’ve had just about enough of this whole “self-doubt” thing, she thinks, and her anger is justified by Himiko’s pleased hum.

She hears heavy footfalls rushing up the stairs and before her heart has time to accelerate in anticipation, Kanji-kun is throwing open his door, face red. “Rise.”

Rise raises a hand in a weak greeting. “Hi, Kanji-kun.” The tail end of her words lilt up, making it sound more like a question than anything else. God, she feels like an idiot. She just saw him a few hours ago! She has no reason to be acting so shy. When Kanji-kun doesn’t reply, she reaches into her bag to retrieve her excuse. “I, uh, brought Yu-senpai’s clothes for you. To mend, I mean, not to wear. They got pretty beat up during the fight.” She sets the shirt and jacket on his desk. “We did our best to get the blood out before it got too stained, but none of us can sew as well as you can.”

Kanji-kun doesn’t move. Doesn’t blink. He just keeps staring at her. And she’s used to being stared at, but somehow this is different. Because usually the stares are an annoyance, but Kanji-kun’s means something else.

Steeling herself, Rise says, “I like you a lot, Kanji-kun, but I refuse to be someone’s second choice. I’m worth more than that.” Carefully, because her legs are on the verge of falling asleep, she stands. “My agency is pushing. Asking if I’m coming back to idol work. And I love my work, but I think I love you more. I’d give it up for you.” Her throat burns from the truth coming from her lips. “But you have to make a decision.” She moves to leave the room.

His fingers curl in the crook of her elbow and she stops. “Tomorrow,” he says, voice rough. “After the Christmas party at Senpai’s.”

Her breath catches in her throat. Somehow she manages to say, “Okay.”

Yu knows this is stupid of him.

Like, really stupid. It’s almost midnight and he’s still pretty beat up, but here he is, walking through the streets of Inaba towards the Velvet Room.

The others are planning a Christmas party at his uncle’s house for tomorrow. It’s supposed to be a surprise for him, but as much as he loves his friends, none of them are good at sneaking around. Sure, he’s deaf, but that doesn’t stop him from noticing the decorations Chie tries to hide in the linen closet or the dirtied mixing bowls left on the drying rack from the girls’ practice.

He slept for most of the afternoon and, as a result, can’t fall asleep now. This sleeplessness led to irrational thoughts, which has led him here.

Margaret is surprised to see him. ‘It’s late,’ she signs, ‘and you were injured today.’ He doesn’t bother asking how she knows that, because he knows he won’t get a straight answer. ‘You should be resting.’

Yu shrugs. ‘I couldn’t sleep.’ She glances around. ‘Is Igor away again?’

‘His master called to him.’

He feels his eyes widen. ‘Igor has a master? I thought he was the one in charge.’

‘Igor does not have as much power as you think he does. He is little more than a doll his master created.’ She pauses, like she’s giving him time to reply, then continues, ‘I am still loyal to Igor, as he is my master, and I am loyal to you, as you are my guest. I have no such obligation towards Igor’s master. I will stand by you before I stand by him.’

‘That’s… good to know,” Yu signs after a pause, head spinning.

‘Forgive my rambling.’ Margaret looks embarrassed now. She probably hadn’t meant to reveal so much. ‘Was there a reason for your visit aside from insomnia?’

‘I feel restless,’ he admits. ‘It’s hard to believe it’s over. I mean, I’m happy Adachi’s going to answer for his crimes, but something tells me this isn’t over.’

‘Trust your instincts. Wild Cards tend to be more observant than usual. Don’t give up your pursuit of the truth because things seem to be complete.’

He breathes out a sigh of relief. ‘Thank you. I thought I was just being paranoid.’

Margaret’s lips turn up in a smile. ‘I’m happy to help. Was there anything else? You really should go home and get some rest.’

‘My friends and I are having a Christmas party at my uncle’s house tomorrow,’ he signs. ‘You can come by if you want.’

Something flashes in her eyes, too quick for Yu to read. ‘Maybe. Good night.’

‘Good night.’ Yu blinks and he’s back in Inaba, suddenly much more tired than he was before. He yawns and starts the trek back home.

#individuation #ao3fic #persona series #persona 4

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aflirtingaccident · 7 years

Text

Fortune Favors The Bold

Naoto Shirogane, now twenty, is called in to the SIU to help apprehend the Phantom Thieves. Working alongside prosecutor Sae Niijima, Naoto suspects that there's more to the Phantom Thieves than some online popularity and a flashy logo. As the mystery unravels, Naoto's presence threatens the stability of Tokyo's shadowy puppeteers - and certain conspirators are desperate to keep her away from the truth. Contains spoilers for Persona 4, and for Persona 5 past July and up through the true ending.

(Read it on AO3: http://archiveofourown.org/works/10931373/chapters/24317115 )

“They’re sending her?”

The voice on the other end of the line kept talking. With each word, the SIU director’s brows furrowed further down, and any smile he had vanished more and more. Sighing, he rubbed the bridge of his nose, pushing down his glasses. This was turning into a headache. “We already have Akechi-san here. With all due respect, sir, what do you think she could possibly do to help?”

The voice went on. Hiroshi wanted nothing more than to hang up and pretend he’d never had this conversation. His fingers moved from his nose to the top of his desk, drumming the hardwood. “I understand, sir, but I really don’t think this is necessary. We have several promising new leads, an-” More words. More rising annoyance. “Very well, sir. I’ll make the arrangements myself. She’ll have our full cooperation.” He mashed the disconnect button and carelessly dropped his phone onto his desk, taking a moment to think about this hitch.

This was a problem.

He slowly rose from his office chair and stepped out from behind his desk, moving to his window. Gazing out onto the bustling streets of Tokyo far below him, he mulled over his options. Saying no clearly wasn’t available. Neither was pulling some strings to get her sent away - people higher up than him had made it very, very clear that the continued activities of the Phantom Thieves were reflecting poorly on the government. Though his collaborators could do many things, even this was beyond their power - this was the institution they were trying to topple, after all.

There was also the obvious solution, but doing that to a world famous detective would undoubtedly only bring suspicion upon them. Those kind of hits were planned and calculated, and using them to simply get rid of an inconvenience was overkill - and it added more evidence to a subtly growing pile, one that would eventually be impossible to hide.

Burying her in red tape and procedure was possible, but ultimately wouldn’t lead to much. She was famous for a reason, and her connections and reputation often let her fast track most things she needed, when she was able. She knew the system inside and out, so anything he could do could be easily overcome. Still, it was the only option he had available. Hiroshi walked back to his desk and picked up his phone, dialing in a number.. Like or it not, his true employer deserved to know what was going on. He glanced around to make sure no one else was in his office, then he hit the connect button. It rang twice before someone picked up.

“It’s me,” he said when the line connected. He heaved out a small sigh, then continued speaking. “We...may have a problem.”

---

Naoto Shirogane was a long, long way from Inaba.

She was sitting at the desk in the corporate studio apartment that was her home for the next several months. Dossiers of the Phantom Thieves’ ‘victims’ were spread out in front of her, and her laptop was open to her left. She was typing the occasional note as she read through them.

Every victim directly targeted by the Phantom Thieves has experienced a sudden and out-of-character ‘change of heart’. This ‘change of heart’ appears to be an unusual form of brainwashing or mind control, compelling the victims to confess their crimes and experience a massive influx of guilt.

Her mind raced through explanations, each of them as unlikely as the last. Kirijo tech? Some kind of hypnotism? Very well done blackmail? The police were long on questions and very short on answers, or even suspects. To call the situation ‘desperate’ would not be incorrect.

She let out a slow breath and blinked, sending a pain through her eyes as they watered over - she’d been so deep in concentration that she’d forgotten to blink for the past few minutes. Rubbing her eyes with her hands, she saw that sign for what it was.

Ugh...I need to take a break. I can’t overwork myself before I’ve even officially started this case. Rise would’ve dragged me away from this hours ago.

A smile graced her lips as she pictured Rise literally dragging her chair away from her desk, then spinning her around and frowning in that adorable way she does. With a grunt of exertion, and extra motivation from the mental image of her disappointed girlfriend, Naoto rose from her chair and stretched her body out. The grunt made her realize just how dry her throat was, so she walked over to the small kitchen area and poured herself a glass of tap water, sipping as she thought.

Then there’s the mental shutdown cases, which differ in two ways: first, they don’t get calling cards, and second, they actually harm the victim. Are these shutdowns perpetrated by the Phantom Thieves as well? Do they sort their victims into two categories and merit out punishments? Why would they attack seemingly innocent people with shutdowns and genuine criminals with calling cards?

She stopped herself from going too far down this line of thinking - it would do little good now to get so obsessed with it. Hopefully, her first trip to the police station tomorrow would help - there, she could get more evidence, obtain more complete statements, and link up with the SIU’s own investigators.

She made a mental note to get to the station early tomorrow, partially to make a good impression and partially to avoid any media presence - she was fairly certain her arrival had gone unnoticed, but if the news found out that both Detective Princes were working on the same case...

She shook the thought from her mind. The media was more Akechi’s thing, anyway - she had no stomach for interviews and fame. Glancing outside her windows, she saw only the lights of the city - the sun had long since set, and Tokyo’s nightlife had come out to play. She glanced over at her work, considering going back to it. As if on cue, her stomach grumbled, so she instead settled on calling it a night and grabbing some dinner.

---

The cool night air tickled Naoto’s cheeks, and she took in the sights and sounds of Shibuya for a little while, walking up and down the shops near the station and central square. Spotting Toranosuke Yoshida giving a speech in the station intrigued her - she knew his political career had ended in shambles years ago, but he had quite the focused crowd here in front of him. She stopped and listened for a few minutes, his speech invigorating her more than she thought it would.

Her idle wanderings eventually brought her to a late-night beef bowl shop, which seemed as good a place as any to eat at - she didn’t make it a habit to eat out all the time, but she’d been too tired to go grocery shopping when she’d arrived. This would tide her over for now.

She walked in and took a seat at the counter, glancing at the young man taking everyone’s orders. He looked high school age, with short, fluffy black hair and large, round glasses. His work outfit, she noticed, was not too far from the outfit she’d worn for the whole Midnight Stage incident - blue hat, blue shirt, dark pants...all he was missing were suspenders and a yellow tie. I hope I never have to save the world through dancing again. At least it was easy to dance in. And Rise said I looked good with a tie.

“What’ll it be?” She snapped out of her thoughts and glanced up - the boy was standing in front of her, ready to go. “Oh. Uh…” She glanced at the menu in front of her, scanning it quickly. “I’ll have a medium beef bowl, please.” The boy nodded and scurried off, going to enter her order into the computer, but something seemed to catch him mid-stride. He turned back to Naoto and did a small double take. Naoto know that reaction all too well. She’d been recognized, so she gently shook her head, then looked back down at the menu. To his credit, the boy didn’t press, so her mind wandered back to the cases.

There must be a normal explanation, but nothing I know of can make people confess in this manner, overloaded with guilt. Given the apparent lack of one, is it worth considering the possibility of something paranormal, or am I jumping to conclusions?

Her previous experience with events lacking mundane explanations is what was guiding her right to this idea of something normal. The Midnight Channel, Midnight Stage, and A-1 Grand Prix fighting tournament had opened her eyes to an impossible world. The Phantom Thieves sounded like they were performing impossible feats. No one could figure out how they were changing the hearts of their targets, just like no one could figure out where the Midnight Channel’s subjects had gone.

The similarities admittedly could just be coincidental, but Naoto knew instinctively that something wasn’t normal with this case. The mental shutdown incidents only compounded the situation - separately, the Phantom Thieves and the mental shutdowns would’ve flown under her supernatural radar, but so close together? Something’s not right. These confessions are too...poetic.

Justice, as she knew, was rarely so poetic in the real world. The boy brought her dinner over, carefully setting it down in front of her. “Thanks,” she said with a gentle smile as she looked up. The boy merely smiled in return and gave her a short bow, then stepped away to resume his job.

Naoto picked up her chopsticks and was about to dig in when a decoration atop the food caught her eye - a small magnifying glass had been drawn in a light sauce atop the egg yolk.

The addition brought a wide smile to Naoto’s lips, and she glanced up to try and find the kid’s eye. Noticing the movement, he looked up from washing dishes, and there was a moment between them as they saw into each other. Good kid. Perceptive, too, with the way he figured out what I’d laugh at so easily…

An image of Yu came unbidden to her mind as she started to eat.

---

As she took her time getting back, her phone buzzed - a text message from Rise.

> hey u!

Smiling wide, Naoto’s fingers flew across the keyboard.

> HEY U

> im so sry nao-kun, i cant call 2nite as usual. mr mgr is being a butt! >_<

> IT’S OK. PLZ CALL TOMORROW IF FREE.

> ofc! i luv u, naoto-kun!

> LOVE YOU TOO

> \ (^◡^) /

Face flushed, Naoto put her phone back in her pocket and headed back to her apartment at a brisk pace. For one, she didn’t want people to see her blushing, and for two, she had a big day tomorrow. The Phantom Thieves were about to meet their match.

#naoto shirogane #sae niijima #persona 5 #fanfiction

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