(Untitled)
Oh gracious, I turn a blind eye for just a sexond and the second post fills up! Darlings, sweetpeas, do please forgive my tardiness. I bring you now our third installment of the fantasticousity, and would indeed love to, ah, beg your pardon in being so late about it.
SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI: PERSONA 4 KINK MEME
PART THREE
In this scintillating post ( Read more... )
SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI: PERSONA 4 KINK MEME
PART THREE
In this scintillating post ( Read more... )
The grateful smile Eri gave him once she had accepted herself - “You’re not alone”, he’d said - and had Sarasvati open up her mind to her new power only made it hurt a little more.
27/04
[After School]
“Oh, didn’t I tell you, Sensei? Those butterflies let you go right back to the top! You could’ve gone home and rested and saved Mina-chan completely refreshed!”
“…”
“…you hold him, I’ll hit him, dude.”
30/04
[Morning]
“Um, excuse me…”
Souji was surprised to see Minami-san waiting for the three of them at the school gates, looking rather nervous. She had given them a grateful smile when she saw them, one that spread across her whole face, even as her son - Yuuta, if he recalled right - stood a few feet away, looking up at the school.
“I just wanted to say thank you again…for the other day.” Eri said. “You really helped me out in there. I…can’t say too much in front of Yuu-kun, but…”
She took a fortifying breath; Souji found himself expecting what was to come.
“Even though I’m not sure what’s happening yet, if there’s anything I can do to help, please…I’ll be happy to do whatever you need.”
Souji smiled; the whole group made plans to meet at the school gates after school - Ai derisively called it their ‘rendevous point’ - until Eri suggested using her house. Apparently, it was only her and Yuu-kun in there, so they could speak freely.
“It’s a lot better than paying Junes prices for food, after all.” Eri smiled.
Souji could swear he saw hearts floating above Daisuke’s head at the mention of a free meal.
[After School]
Minami-san - no, no, Souji. She wanted you to call her Eri - only strengthened her resolve once Ai and him had explained the full situation for her. She might not be able to do much on the battlefield, she said, but the steel in her voice told Souji she’d be a valuable asset to the team.
The Fool and Temperance Arcanae sang in unison inside his head as Daisuke talked excitedly about Featherman R to Yuuta, swelling him with power.
04/05
[Daytime]
Seeing Nanako smile again after Dojima-san had abandoned their plans for Golden Week was like a ray of sunshine to him; he must have been smiling pretty widely as Daisuke introduced him to Yosuke Hanamura, the son of the guy that ran Junes.
Izanagi murmured in his mind that this boy was a classic example of the Magician Arcana; as outspoken and as eager to please as he seemed to be, Souji couldn’t help liking him.
He even tried not to laugh as Satonaka-san finally caught up to him in the food court - apparently he’d broken one of her DVDs a month before and been in hiding since then? - and given him the most vicious kick he’d even seen anyone give, soccer team or no soccer team.
05/05
[Daytime]
He decided to explore today. Inaba was a small town, certainly, but that didn’t mean there weren’t secret places. There were always secret places.
Secret places didn’t often include a fox offering healing services in a shrine in the middle of the shopping district, though. Perhaps he’d been looking in the wrong places beforehand.
He ran into Satonaka-san outside of Aiya and passed some time, helping himself float back down to normalcy. She seemed like a very nice girl - Chariot Arcana, Izanagi whispered, always there even when he had another Persona in his mind - but he picked his words carefully, just in case that kick he’d seen the other day was on a hair trigger.
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[After School]
He must have double booked himself at some point, Souji realised, Ai sitting on one side of him and Chie on the other as they all studied together. They got a lot of work done between the three of them, yes, but Ai seemed very easily exasperated as Chie struggled to work out certain problems.
The fact that she was glaring daggers at the other girl’s head every time she looked away certainly wasn’t helping.
14/05
[Afternoon]
You could hear the thud as Daisuke finished the last question of the last exam, his head dropping soundly onto the desk with an elongated groan. Souji bit back a chuckle as their homeroom teacher glared out at them. That wouldn’t be polite at all.
[Evening]
Souji squinted as the Midnight Channel swam into what could technically be called focus; this time, the victim seemed to be an older man, his arms folded, facing away from the TV…he looked oddly familiar. Who was that, anyway?
15/05
[Evening]
“…”
Pi pi pi pi pi pi…
“…hello?”
“Yo, it’s Daisuke! Was that…was that seriously old man Daidara on the screen?”
“…yeah. I think it was.”
“…”
“…”
“…hey, while I’ve got you…gotta question.”
“Mm?”
“Well, uh…you don’t hafta answer if you don’t want to. Just noticed recently you’ve been hangin’ out with Ai and Chie a lot…”
“…yes?”
“Haha! C’mon, dude! Which one are you diggin’ on? Don’t worry, I ain’t gonna tell ‘em.”
Souji considered.
“…”
17/05
[Daytime]
Ai seemed to staring at him more than the metalworks as they lingered in front of the bookstore; Chie had stopped in a few minutes earlier, and was already in an animated conversation with the redheaded man.
“…hey! Why do you keep looking at Satonaka, Souji-kun? Does she have food on her face or something?”
...oh, boy. Daisuke had told her.
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[After School]
They’d been too late, again. Souji bit down on his disappointment - in himself, largely, he should’ve been quicker, should’ve done more - as he walked around the school, asking if anyone knew anything about Daidara. Aside from one very enthusiastic girl hanging around near the faculty office, his search seemed fruitless.
One girl looked like she wanted to ask him something; he’d seen her around, her brown hair always pulled up into a bun. He nodded for her to go on almost automatically when she asked; he might not have been able to save Daidara in time, but he could at least do this. It could be a way to forgive himself.
The board she asked for would be relatively easy to get - he’d seen a few of them on the tables around the lower reaches of Eri’s Mountain, now he thought of it - so he agreed. The girl’s face lit up with gratitude, and Souji couldn’t help but smile back.
Apparently, her name was Makoto Yamada.
19/05
[Lunchtime]
Souji ran into Makoto again when he went down to check his scores, flanked by Ai and Daisuke. Her confidence in him almost seemed to grow as she found his name first, towards the upper reaches of his grade.
“Congratulations, senpai!” she beamed, chipping in with the congratulations of the rest of the people. Souji nodded, thanked everyone, and hung around long enough for the others to find their scores - Ai dismissive of her average marks, Chie and Daisuke groaning in unison at being so low, Kou chuckling and patting Daisuke on the back in consolation.
Souji found himself surprised, wondering how he made so many friends in so short a time.
[After School]
Souji glanced behind him as the door to the Velvet Limo clicked shut, his cheeks still burning a faint red.
If that was how Margaret acted when she was alone, gave those sorts of smiles…he was almost too intimidated to tighten the bonds that whispered in his head.
Oh, the joys of being a teenager.
21/05
[After School]
Souji sunk onto the park bench, exhaling slowly as Eri sat beside him, giving a light chuckle.
“Are you sure you’re up to going inside the TV today, Souji-kun…?” she asked, all calm refinement. “You seem worn out.”
He shook his head, hoping she couldn’t see the sheen of sweat laying there; his feet ached already from being tugged in all directions for the whole afternoon. And then there was the sore spots from soccer practice yesterday…
He glanced up when Eri patted his arm, speaking calmy but firmly, wearing that peaceful smile that seemed a lot more sincere than it used to be.
“You shouldn’t over do it, Souji-kun. We’ll go tomorrow.”
He paused, internally debating, before nodding.
“Yeah. Tomorrow.” he said. There was a few moments of silence as Yuuta ran up, mumbling about how he’d forgotten something, then ran away again. Souji watched Eri tense up as she tried to talk to him, her voice faltering as the boy ran away. He cleared his throat before her disappointed expression could gain too much ground.
“I know we don’t have Daidara’s anymore, Eri-san, but…do you have anything in mind for your weapon?”
Eri blinked, the question tugging her out of her thoughts. She hummed thoughtful for a few moments before turning to Souji with a small smile.
“…you know, I think I just might.”
~~
And now I stop because I...have no idea what would be a good weapon for Eri. ANY THOUGHTS, AUDIENCE?
Also many apologies for being so slow with this, writing's been hard lately. Sorryyyy. D:
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BOOM SHAKA LAKA
...nnno but seriously, how 'bout a spear or something? They're pretty 'ladylike', plus nobody in Persona 4 used lances.
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Suddenly, Umineko flashbacks.
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Alternately, she could have a handgun for protection, or some kind of polearm like another Anon suggested. Or gloves, Akihiko-style. Though now I want to see her with an axe...
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~~
22/05
[Daytime]
Eri twirled the baseball bat in her hands, humming softly as the small group made their way towards Junes. Souji wasn’t sure why, but something about the way she smiled as she watched the metallic edge of the bat glint in the sun seemed…a little unnerving.
They ran into Chie and Yukiko on their way to the electronics department; it felt easy to slip into conversation with the two girls, even with Ai staying resolutely silent on one side and Daisuke chatting away on the other.
“Hey, how about you join the soccer team, Chie?” Daisuke quipped, bringing Souji’s attention back to the present. “We could use someone with a kick like yours!”
“H-huh…?” Chie replied, eyes widening. “I dunno…I’ve never really played before. Would it be alright?”
“Sure!” Daisuke grinned. “Ain’t like we care if you’re a girl or a guy, right Souji?”
Souji felt Ai stiffen beside him, but nodded anyway, smiling. “We could use your help.”
Chie’s smile spread, wide and expressive, only brightening as Yukiko gave the idea her approval as well. She’d come by next time they had practice, she promised, and see what she could do!
The team said their goodbyes and headed onwards, Eri re-joining them, perfectly aware of how children couldn’t speak freely around adults. Souji glanced to the side briefly as he placed his hand on the TV screen, checking for passers-by.
…Ai certainly seemed to be gripping the hidden hilt of her crossbow tightly.
~~
The small nuggets of information they’d managed to find was more than enough for Teddie to pinpoint Daidara, the bear yelling for them to follow him as he plunged down one of the foggy passageways. Eri straightened her new glasses as she ran, frowning to herself.
“Is it always this hot in here…?” she asked. Souji couldn’t come up with a proper answer. The question was answered soon enough, however, the doorway of a giant metalworks rising up in front of them. A sign above the entrance read The Heat of Passion! Daidara’s Artistic Endeavour of Solitude!
Souji motioned for the team to lose their jackets here. The last thing they’d need in a place like this would be more clothing…
“Alright.” he said, pushing his glasses back into place. “This time, let’s hurry.”
Eri’s new repertoire of Bufu spells were like a small slice of heaven as they charged through the hallways, passing furnace after furnace, the walls lined with weapons far larger than any of them could possibly lift. The Shadows seemed to be getting stronger, too; more than once Souji felt himself being thrown backwards as Daisuke tackled him away from a mortal blow, felt Ai’s surprising strength lift him up when he got struck with a spell that made his Persona scream. He had been right; Eri was a valuable asset, her heels scraping against the floor as she swung the bat with vicious enthusiasm, sending the Shadows sprawling.
“Damn, dude.” Daisuke muttered, as they stopped at the third-floor stairwell. “Wouldn’t wanna get on the wrong side of Minami-san, yeah?”
Souji agreed.
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He managed to read the kanji imprinted on their chests - ‘Art’ and ‘Passion’ once again - before they ground into life. Souji silently asked himself why some of these things couldn’t be made of something weaker than stone before the battle began.
The heat seemed to slow them down, sweat rolling off their blows as they rained blow after blow on the towering titans, barely avoiding the blades of their axes. Clothes billowed as Ai cast Garula after Garula, knocking the things backward, the team taking the opportunity to close the distance, barely cracking the stony hides. They were beaten back to the last, the whole team bruised and panting, Teddie screaming warnings of how low their health was. Souji wiped some blood off his mouth and decided to risk it, sending Virtue back into the sea of his soul and calling forth Mithra.
“Mahama!” he yelled, the beast giving a mighty roar as the light enveloped the titans.
Souji barely heard the telltale sound of the Shadows bursting into nothingness as he stumbled backwards, landing heavily onto the hard, heated concrete. He attempted to get up once, twice, before needing to lean on Daisuke, breathing heavily even as Ai strained to cast another Media. As much as he wanted to go on…
“I think that’s enough for today.” Eri ventured, voice soft but firm.
Souji nodded, allowing himself to be led away.
23/05
[Morning]
The trilling of his mobile phone woke Souji up, every part of his body screaming protest as he sat up, rubbing his eyes with the flat of his palm.
“…hello?”
“Souji! Where the hell are you?” snapped Ai’s voice, over the phone. “It’s noon!”
Souji bolted out of bed, biting back a curse at his aching muscles. He’d never overslept before in his life.
“Sorry.” he murmured, swinging his wardrobe door open. No time for a shower, just have to get to school as quick as you can. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Ai gave an annoyed huff on the other end of the line; Souji could practically see her glancing away, glaring at whatever was in her path. “I’ll make something up for the teacher. You just hurry up, got it?”
Souji smiled, sandwiching the phone between ear and shoulder as he hopped into his pants. “Got it. Thanks, Ai.”
“And after I’d gotten this surprise ready and everything…” Ai mumbled.
“Huh?” Souji said.
“O-oh, nothing!” she added, a little too quickly. “Just hurry up!”
Souji felt an odd dread settle into his stomach as the line went dead. Something wasn’t right here, and the worst part was, he wasn’t entirely sure what…
[After School]
“…she became the team manager?”
“Yeah, dude.” Daisuke mumbled, keeping his eyes averted. “Just up and decided it this morning. Right on the same day when Chie was joinin’, too…got any ideas why? I mean, it ain’t like she even likes soccer.”
Souji glanced over at where Chie, already ready in her soccer uniform, was being taught how to bounce the ball on her knees by one of the other team members. Ai stood off to the side, smirking confidently, watching with arms folded lightly over one another.
“…I think I have one.” Souji replied.
24/05
[Morning]
“Yo, Souji-kun!”
“Hm…? Oh, hello, Satonaka-san.”
“Haha, hey, none of that! It’s just Chie, okay?”
“If you say so. What’s up?”
“Oh, nothing…I just wanted to ask you about Ebihara-san.”
“…what about her?”
“She seemed kinda…angry, yesterday. She was glaring daggers at me the whole time at practice before you got there. Do you know if I messed anything up?”
“…”
“…Souji-kun?”
“You did fine, Chie. It’s not your fault.”
“…well, okay…if you say so. She was kinda scary, honestly.”
“…yeah. She really was.”
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Also I think I utterly failed at Daidara. Sorry. ;;
~~
[After School]
The heat only got worse as the team descended lower and lower into the metalworks; the furnaces seemed to be blazing even hotter, causing their hands to sting if they so much as brushed against the metal edges of their weapons. Souji gritted his teeth against the pain, switching between Personae as the onslaught grew ever worse. Daisuke was soaked in sweat by the sixth floor, the others visibly flagging. Eri leaned forward every time he called for a break, resting heavily against a wall, gasping for breath. She wasn’t nearly as fit as the rest of them, of course. But Souji wouldn’t let another day pass.
The last three floors seemed like an endless torture, the team straining to sling out spell after spell, striking down the increasingly powerful enemies with deadly efficiency. He could hear Daisuke groan in protest every time they hurried down another staircase, presented with another floor of winding pathways, the heat only growing more oppressive the lower they went. Ai stumbled on the ninth floor and took far too long to get up. Even Teddie couldn’t muster up the energy to call the heat unbearable. Souji had never felt more tired in his life, the heat sapping away all his energy, barely able to put one foot in front of the other as they descended the next staircase...
That made it all the more surprising when a blast of cold night air hit them, buffeting their clothes backwards and sending a chill through Souji as his sweat cooled rapidly on his body. Two men, both looking very much like Daidara, stood at the edge of a cliff-face, their backs facing them as they surveyed the valleys below. The team squinted through the moonlight as the two turned in unison, facing one another.
“What the...” Ai breathed, hair splayed flat across her forehead. “He doesn’t look worn out at all!”
The Shadow Daidara folded his arms, mirroring the real man, but for the eerie yellow eyes. The mountainside gale seemed to pick up again, their aprons whipping in the wind as the Shadow cleared his throat to speak.
“Art.” the Shadow said.
“Passion.” Daidara said.
“The two have to meet, but should I use all of one on the other?”
“Hmph...of course. I have to create art.”
“But that’s not all there is...you want more.”
Daidara turned to his Shadow, his brow furrowed.
“Why would I want more? I have my art.”
The Shadow laughed, mockingly, tipping back his head.
“A man cannot live on art alone. You want more...you need more.” The Shadow grinned, teeth showing. “I know what you want. You want...”
“No!” Daidara shouted; Ai jolted beside him. “I refuse to accept this!”
“You refuse?” his Shadow chuckled, dark and low. “Every artist needs his muse...”
“I refuse.” Daidara growled, his hand moving to his side; for the first time, Souji noticed that he was bleeding, the fluid soaking through the side of his apron. “I am my own muse, and you do not know my mind.”
The Shadow shrugged as the wind picked up again, dark essence swirling around him as he started to morph and change. Souji glanced at Daisuke out of the corner of his eye as Daidara fell, the Shadow rising up into a gargantuan wolf, his eyes red orbs. A pillar of flame exploded upwards from the wolf’s back, giving an unearthly howl as a giant set of shogun armour materialised on his back, drawing its sword. The fire coalesced into reins, wrapping around the wolf’s jaws, the armour holding onto the flames without a hint of pain as the wolf reared back, howling again.
“Man, I got no idea what the hell’s going on...but we’ve gotta stop this thing!” Daisuke shouted.
Souji nodded, calling Ganga forth in his mind as they charged in, the screaming mountainside wind billowing their clothes behind them.
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Great work so far. You took this idea and made it grow into some unstoppable beast and I love it. Ai especially is characterized pretty awesomely, and it's interesting to see a Chie that's...well, unburdened, so to speak.
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~ ~
Souji's vision closed in as they fought, squinting out the screaming wind. Hit it, summon Ganga, everyone attack, throat hoarse from shouting commands but just keep going, keep going, we can't lose here...
Daisuke had to rest a sweaty hand on Souji's shoulder to make him stop, breathing hard as the armour let out an unearthly scream, clattering into pieces as the wolf tumbled downwards. The team's hearing was filled with the pieces of armour clattering down the mountainside, dissolving as they struck the sides, the wind slowly dying as the Shadow fizzled back into human form.
Daidara pulled himself to his feet again, standing in front of his Shadow with his arms sternly folded.
"On your feet." he commanded. "A man does not fall to such things."
The Shadow rose, looking Daidara squarely in the eye. Silence held for a long minute, Souji and the others catching their breath as they watched. Eventually, Daidara made a small noise, tilting his head back, regarding his Shadow.
"...perhaps my muse could stand some expansion. An artist cannot limit themselves."
The Shadow nodded, started to shine; Yatsufusa hovered in the air for a few moments before shimmering away into Daidara's mind.
"Man, what the hell was that?" Daisuke muttered. Souji could only shrug.
All three teenagers jolted as Daidara turned towards them, steel in his gaze.
"Now, you three." he said. "You've been using my art..."
Ai swallowed, drew closer to Souji. "Oh, shit."
25/05
[After School]
Souji stopped by the metalworks on his way to the bulletin board, following a rumour of new jobs.
It appeared that, after another stern lecture about the misuse of art, that Daidara would be joining them.
26/05
[After School]
"So." Ai asked, swallowing her mouthful of food; they'd stopped at a small restaurant after their Okina shopping spree, Souji silently bidding farewell to his bank balance as he looked over the prices. "Do you think old man Daidara's going to give us a discount now?"
Souji's hand drifted down, touched his wallet.
"I really hope so."
28/05
[Evening]
Pi pi pi pi pi pi pi pi...
“Yo, dude! You free tomorrow? Kou and I were gonna go hit up the arcade in Okina.”
“Uh...y-yeah. I think I'm free.”
“You alright, man? You sound like someone just told you your dog died.”
“...it's nothing. I'm just a little tired.”
“Tired?”
“...I started a new job last night. At the hospital.”
“Another one? Man, how do you find time for all this stuff?”
“...”
“Alright, Souji. I'll see you tomorrow?”
“...yeah.”
The line went dead. Souji set it neatly aside and went back to holding his head underneath the pillow. Since when did nurses do that to janitors, anyway?
31/05
[Morning]
Souji slammed the book down on Daisuke's desk as soon as the tracksuited boy sat down, causing him to jump. Daisuke looked up to see a stern expression on his leader's face.
“Uh...'sup, Souji?” he ventured.
“What is this, Daisuke?” Souji asked.
“This...? Oh hey, it's that Witch Detective book I gave ya! What'd you think?”
Ai snorted in amusement from two desks back; Souji looked up to see her, arms folded, watching with a big smirk on her face. He returned his attention to Daisuke, eyes narrowing.
“I will never be able to get back the brain cells that this book took from me, Daisuke. This book is...it's an affront to literature. Just look at this part!”
Ai bit her lip as Souji started rattling off a laundry list of complaints to a stunned Daisuke. Sure, she could've told Souji that it was a terrible vampire comedy, but where would the fun have been in that?
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[Morning]
Ai raised an eyebrow as Souji let out another small groan, face-down on the desk. Boy, he must really be sick...she folded her arms, flicking her head to push hair out of her face, giving a small, impatient sigh.
“What kind of idiot drinks expired milk, anyway?”
Souji groaned again. It was going to be a long day.
04/06
[Evening]
Nothing on the Midnight Channel; Souji heaved a sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxing as he turned away from the screen, settling himself into bed. Hopefully, this was the last one...hopefully, at the very worst, it'd be awhile until the next one happened. They'd catch the culprit next time. He knew they would.
All they needed was time.
09/06
[After School]
The girl who was so fascinated by Daidara's Metalworks was, apparently, called Akane Tachibana. Souji only knew this when he was suddenly confronted with what could only be called a squeal as he entered the metalworks that afternoon; the girl assaulted him with a string of rapid-fire speech as he slowly got backed up against the counter, Daidara grinning at them as Akane praised the workmanship of a particularly sharp katana. Souji could feel the sheer enthusiasm the girl was giving out, the modest pride that Daidara felt in the girl's admiration. It was an interesting pair.
By the end of the afternoon, the three of them had formed an odd camaderie. The possibilities of the Emperor Arcana unfolded in front of him as he leaned against the counter with a smile, feeling yet another Social Link sink into his soul.
11/06
[Evening]
Pi pi pi pi pi pi pi pi...
“Good evening, Souji-kun.”
“...Minami-san?”
“Yes. Could I ask you a small favour?”
“Sure. What is it?”
“I'm afraid Yuu-kun has come down with a bit of an illness today, and I need to go out for awhile...could you come over and look after him for a little while while I'm out?”
Souji considered, thinking back over what he'd seen at the daycare centre. The two certainly weren't on good terms yet, and something within him told him new power might be unlocked...
“Sure. I'll be over in the morning.”
“Thank you, Souji-kun.” Eri said, a smile in her voice. “I'll repay you, of course...”
“Oh, it's no problem...but thank you.”
“And I invited Ai-san over too.”
“...you did?”
Eri made a noise of agreement, slipping into pleasant conversation. Souji wasn't too sure he felt safe around the knowing tone that had come into her voice...
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