Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The day after the death of Kinshiro Morooka, Jun walked into the man's classroom and nearly cursed as he felt four different Persona resonances.

This new job was supposed to be good, despite the tragic circumstances. After over a year working as a substitute teacher for the different schools in Inaba and even some schools in Okina City, he had been hired to replace Morooka and teach philosophy. But now his homeroom was full of Persona users. Again.

It wasn't as much of a shock as it could have been at least. He knew weird stuff had started happening in Inaba.

After a quiet year settling in, the murders at the start of the school year had sent the town into a tizzy. Jun had kept Akira close for a bit, worried about what might happen, but eventually let him keep to his usual explorations, with promises to update him via the mobile phone he bought the kid and to never go somewhere completely alone, even if he just brought Morgana.

But Morgana had informed him that he sensed the Velvet Room had come to town. Which meant something was happening that required Persona users.

Jun had started feeling resonances while at Junes or out in the town, and carefully didn't pay attention to them. Morgana had, after some investigation of his own, claimed that he was pretty sure the dangers this time were well contained. He promised to let Jun know if the danger increased, but for now Jun was decidedly staying out of it.

Or he was trying to. It didn't help that Akira had definitely befriended one of the Persona users. He'd seen Yu Narukami on his class list, so he'd expected one, but not more. A mistake, clearly.

Feeling the resonances of his students, his heart ached. He remembered his class in Iwatodai and the Persona users there. Especially Arisato.

(None of the others ever reached out to him after the funeral. He hoped they were okay.)

This time, he would keep a professional distance. He'd keep an eye out, but he'd try not to get involved. Hopefully these Persona users could handle whatever they were facing. Besides, Jun never saw the Velvet Room, despite its presence. Surely that meant he wasn't needed.

All of this ran through his head as he organized his papers and looked over his new students. He forced himself to look over the ones without Personas, too. He had a duty to them all, to teach them, and to ease the transition after the death of their previous teacher.

(Based on the gossip he could hear, Morooka had not been well liked. But his death would still have an impact on these people.)

Once he had himself under control, he spoke up.

“Good morning, class!” he said, putting on a smile. “My name is Jun Kashihara and I will be your homeroom teacher for the rest of the year, after Mr. Morooka's passing. Until summer break, I will be focusing on finishing up any course material you need to know for your coming exams, as well as some review. I look forward to getting to know you all.”

The class broke into whispers, and Jun let them get their energy out for a few moments before he called their attention back to him and started his class.

Hopefully he could just stay their teacher. He really didn't want to get involved beyond that. Not right now.

—

Almost two weeks after the murder of Morooka, Ryotaro Dojima sighed as he looked at the new paperwork. They were getting sent another detective from another precinct. Apparently he was being sent to help them catch the new murder suspect. A few days ago, they almost had him, but he'd disappeared.

But Ryotaro was used to reading between the lines in this kind of paperwork. He got a distinct sense that this was a situation similar to when Adachi had been sent here. Why city cops thought Inaba was the best place to drop their junk detectives, he had no idea.

He knew he wasn't being fair, either to Adachi or to this newcomer. He shouldn't judge before he met the guy, and Adachi did try sometimes. He meant well, at least. But with that kid detective running around, not to mention the way his nephew kept popping up in this case, he could feel a headache brewing already. He just hoped this Tatsuya Suou would be more help than hindrance.

—

Tatsuya Suou looked up at the entrance to Junes and sighed. How had things ended up this way?

He knew the answer to that question, really. He was getting too nosy, getting a reputation for being a snitch against his fellow cops. It burned inside him, the idea that he was supposed to overlook wrongdoing just because the wrongdoer was another cop. They had to be held to a higher standard, given their power, not a lower one.

But he'd reported another rotten apple, and now he was transferred to a small town. He'd been told he was being sent to help with a manhunt for a murder suspect, but everyone knew the truth. It was only a small mercy that he got transferred instead of fired. No one had arranged an “accident” for him either yet, so that was good.

He pulled out the lighter he'd started carrying in high school, flipping the top idly as he tried to bring his mind back from dark thoughts. He was at the store to pick up groceries for his new little apartment. He should go in and grab those. But the injustice of it all dragged at him. What was the point of trying to deal with corruption in the police if doing so got him sent away?

No. Focus. One thing at a time. Later there would be time to see if he could still work on corruption in Sumaru. In the short term, he had to prove himself as reliable to this new force and hope they were less corrupt.

When he'd introduced himself earlier today, he saw the way most of the detectives looked at him with weary eyes.

There had been two main differences. Naoto Shirogane had greeted him very professionally, so he'd done his best to respond the same. The kid was obviously trying hard to be taken seriously, although Shirogane had ignored him after that point.

And then Tohru Adachi had slung an arm around his shoulder in a quiet moment.

“Heyy! Welcome! And my condolences,” the man said with a goofy grin.

“Condolences?” Tatsuya asked.

“You got kicked out to the boonies, just like me, probably for only making one little mistake,” he explained.

Tatsuya managed to withdraw from the overly familiar arm. His eyebrows shot up as he considered how to answer. He wasn't wrong, exactly. But there were a lot of things that would be considered a “mistake.” And he would turn in those dirty cops every time.

He decided to shrug. “I'm here now,” he said. “I'll do my job, whether it's here or home.”

Adachi chuckled. “Aw man, you're a stick in the mud, aren't you? I thought I might finally have someone to liven the place up!”

Tatsuya shrugged again, the corner of his mouth ticking up. “I wouldn't call myself boring. But I've gotta get to know you better first.”

Adachi nodded. “That's fair, I guess. Well, don't be a stranger. And I should probably get back to work before Dojima catches me slacking off again.”

Adachi was a slacker, looking for chances to escape work, it seemed. That was probably why he'd been sent to Inaba. He seemed harmless enough, but Tatsuya planned to get a sense of how this department functioned before he told anyone why he'd been sent away or opened up too much.

Tatsuya let out a groan and pocketed his lighter, shaking his head to pull himself back. Junes. Groceries. Food.

He made himself walk forward, through the automatic doors, only to crash into someone. They both lost their balance with twin grunts as they fell back.

Tatsuya looked at the stranger. He had one grocery bag clutched to his chest, his free hand keeping him on his butt instead of his back. Another bag had fallen and spilled cans and boxed goods to the floor.

The part of him that was a cop assessed him like he'd do for a suspect. Late twenties to early thirties, same as him. Black hair cut to swoop over his face, brown eyes. A flower pinned to his shirt, a watch on one wrist, clothing unremarkable, no distinguishing marks visible.

The rest of him thought this was the most beautiful man he'd ever seen.

“I'm sorry,” the man said as he scrambled to gather his things. Tatsuya couldn't bring himself to speak yet, but he shifted to his knees and helped gather the various foodstuff. “I wasn't looking where I was going,” the man continued. His voice was beautiful too.

Their hands met over the last can and the man finally looked at him. His eyes flew open wide as his voice choked off. He almost looked… scared.

“Are you okay?” Tatsuya finally asked.

The man opened and closed his mouth a few times, before he forced a smile. “Yes, Ta- sir. I'm just fine. No damage done.”

The man stood up and Tatsuya matched him, his chest tight. “I… I'm new in town,” he said, the words awkward in his mouth. “Trying to get to know people. I'm Tatsuya Suou. What's your name?”

—

Jun's internal monologue was currently a litany of curses. What luck was this? He knew Inaba was a small town, but to run into Tacchi- into Suou this soon after he'd moved to town?

Maya had warned him as soon as she heard about Suou's move. He'd planned to avoid the man. Interacting with him would likely bring only pain. And what if he somehow triggered his memories?

But now Tatsuya was looking at him like he was some sort of miracle. It was almost like he used to look, back after they'd gotten together, before the world ended. Awe and wonder and trepidation and maybe even yearning. What was missing was the familiarity and gratitude.

It wasn't fair. Jun wanted him back. Chronos called out for his other half. And if he was reading Suou right, then Suou was at least attracted to him. If he didn't have his memories, maybe they could have built something new.

But, as it was, it would be supremely unfair to get that close to Tatsuya. Not when he had to keep such a big secret from him. Not when he'd keep seeing how he used to be and never even be able to explain.

He couldn't ice him out, not completely. He wasn't strong enough. And maybe he could put in some damage control, establish a history before he started to get suspicious.

“I'm Jun Kashihara.” he said after a far too long pause as he examined the ground. “You said your name was Suou? You wouldn't happen to know a Katsuya Suou, would you?”

Suou pulled a lighter out of his pocket and Jun's mouth grew dry. He knew it couldn't be the lighter he still kept with other keepsakes. But the familiar flip-click of the lid hit him like a physical blow.

“Katsuya is my brother. You know him?” Suou replied.

Jun nodded. “I met him through another friend of mine, a few years ago. That's an odd coincidence.”

Suou gave a small smile. “I'll have to mention you to him. Do you… need any help with the bags?”

Jun immediately shook his head. “No, I'm alright. I should head home before my son misses me.”

His heart twisted as he saw Tatsuya's expression fall a bit. Disappointed at the response, or possibly assuming a kid meant he already had a partner.

Jun gave another smile. “It was nice to meet you, Suou-san,” he said, before heading out the doors.

Suou waved, his smile back. “See you around, Kashihara,” he called.

Jun didn't turn around. He didn't want anyone to see the tears burning in his eyes.

Chapter Text

Akira had noticed that Jun had been… off, since a little before classes ended for break. And when he asked, Jun had admitted that he ran into someone he used to know, but who didn't remember him. There was old grief in his eyes and Akira didn't know how to help.

He mostly just nudged Morgana at Jun. Both Jun and Morgana definitely knew what he was doing, but they seemed okay with it. Jun had been making a lot more phone calls to his grown up friends, too. Akira wanted to help more, but it was clear from the way Jun spoke that this was related to when Akira had been a baby. Both that time and the idea of lost memories made him nervous, almost scared. Thinking about it made his neck itch.

Maybe that desire to help was what had him give in so easily about the yukatas.

It was the first Sunday of summer break when Jun brought it up. “So, Akira. The summer festival is about 3 weeks away,” he began over breakfast.

Akira tilted his head, urging the man to go on.

“I know last year you said no to a yukata, but I thought I'd ask again if you want one this year. I was planning to go to Tatsumi Textiles today. I want a new one for myself. You can come with, if you want. You could choose a pattern for the fabric, and an obi to go with. Or a hakama and haori if you prefer that.”

Akira thought about it, putting aside his chopsticks so he could sign once he knew what he wanted to say.

Jun always took the opportunity to wear a yukata or a kimono, Akira had learned over the years. Whether it was for festivals or the new year or anything else, the man loved to dress up. Up until this point, Akira had always refused any offers to get him one of his own. At first, he hadn't wanted to be too indebted to Jun, or have too much tying him to the man. Besides, he'd been convinced he would have to leave him eventually, and he didn't know if he could keep fancy clothes safe wherever he might end up.

Some of those feelings faded with time. Akira was as convinced as he could make himself that he wouldn't be leaving Jun any time soon. But new feelings cropped up. Fancy clothes were expensive, and he was starting to hit big growth spurts. A yukata wouldn't be usable for long. Besides, next to Jun, he worried he'd look silly in comparison. And at festivals, he tended to run around and play in ways that would get a yukata dirty.

A look at Jun showed poorly hidden yearning. Jun wanted to give him this. And, despite it all, the idea of matching with Jun in that way sounded nice.

Maybe, he finally replied, and grinned a little when Jun lit up. But won't I grow out of it fast?

Jun shrugged. “We can ask Tatsumi-san to make it so it can be let out as you grow,” he replied happily. “You'd probably need a new one eventually, but if the seams can be let out, then it will last a lot longer.”

Akira nodded along. I want to be able to run around at the festival, too, though.

Jun's smile widened. “Well, there's two days for the festival. You could wear the yukata one day and more casual clothes the other. Anyway…” He trailed off for a moment, before coming back. “I've had some discussions with my friends. Some of them might come to visit for the festival. You've been making some friends lately. You should ask them if they want to hang out with you one of the days. Then you won't get bored by my friends.” His tone took on a teasing lilt.

Akira considered this. Yu was…

A whistle sounded in his mind. Another quiet teen at a shrine. It hurt too much to look at just then.

Not Yu. He was probably busy, anyway. He had lots of friends.

Maybe if he ran into Nanako they could hang out, but if Yu showed up, Akira had no explanations to give her.

Yoshitaka might want to hang out. Maybe he was going with friends from his class, but maybe Akira could tag along. Yoshitaka was slowly learning JSL, too, which would be helpful after the sun went down. And Akira would probably peel off so it was just him and Morgana at some point, too.

It was a decent plan.

I'll ask Yoshitaka, Akira signed, a small smile on his lips. And… I'll come with you to look at yukata.

Jun grinned outright. “Fantastic.”

Morgana perked up from his spot on the table, rubbing against Akira's arm with a meow. Akira didn't need a translation or the AAC device to know that Morgana was proud of him.

—

Morgana claimed a spot on Akira's shoulder for the walk to the shopping district. He knew it might mean he got sent outside when they went into the shop. The Tatsumis wouldn't want cat hair on their nice fabrics, and they wouldn't know that Morgana didn't shed. But he hoped that, by now, he'd have enough of a reputation for being “well-behaved” and smart that he could watch. He wanted to be able to be more active with this. Maybe help Akira pick a fabric if he was having trouble deciding.

Besides, this felt like a family thing. And Morgana was part of this family, even if most only thought he was a pet! Akira and Jun knew he wasn't.

The thought of Jun and Akira dressed up in yukata was a nice one, too. It brought back memories of the Thieves and that rained-out fireworks show. And now it showed Akira was letting down more of his walls, letting Jun buy this for him.

Wearing the yukatas felt like a family thing, too. In a way, it'd make Jun and Akira match.

Morgana let out a sigh as the three headed for the shopping district. Jun had explained as they walked how measuring would go, promising that he'd warn Tatsumi-san not to touch his neck or arm scars. He'd just brought up that he knew there was symbolism for most of the traditional patterns, although he wasn't an expert. Akira had raised his hands, probably for a question, but he stilled and looked back at Morgana at the sigh. Jun was looking at him too.

What's up? Akira asked.

Morgana shifted, feeling a bit nervous. “It's nothing important,” he said. “I just… sort of wish I could participate too.”

Jun automatically translated for him to Akira. It had been nearly 2 years since they'd started that practice, and it had become much more normal the more Jun translated. When they were in private, Morgana usually used the AAC device, but they'd grown comfortable with this form of communication too. After translating, Jun replied. “You mean, wear a yukata of your own?”

Akira perked up at the idea, even as Morgana nodded. “But they don't make yukata for cats,” he said, trying not to sound bitter.

Jun fiddled with his watch after he translated, eyes going distant in thought, although he focused back when Akira began to sign.

Why can't they make a yukata for a cat, though? he asked, his chin rising stubbornly.

Jun tapped his lips with a finger. “We can ask about it. We probably have a better shot at a textile shop like this that regularly does custom work than we would at somewhere more corporate.”

Morgana felt hope surge. He tried to temper it, but it would be really cool to be able to dress up like the rest of his family.

At Tatsumi Textiles, Tatsumi-san adjusted her glasses as she looked over Morgana. “A cat yukata…” she repeated thoughtfully. “Well, I can definitely bring out my fabrics for the two of you to choose for your own yukata, but… Well, I'll ask my son while I'm at it. He should still be here.”

With that, the stately woman glided back from the shop into her house.

After a few minutes, during which Jun, Akira and Morgana looked over some of the wares on display, Tatsumi returned holding a thick book, accompanied by a teen with bleached hair and a black tank top. His expression was intense, and Morgana immediately locked eyes with him, even as he heard Jun suck in a breath to the side.

“Is that the cat?” the boy asked, something almost excited in his tone.

Jun nodded. “This is Morgana. Do you think you could fit a yukata and obi for him?”

The teen sauntered up, tilting his head. “Probably, yeah. If he'll hold still enough for measurements.”

Akira nodded, and Jun added, “He's very intelligent, and knows when to behave, so you shouldn't have problems.”

The elder Tatsumi cut in, her elegance a stark contrast with her son's punk appearance. “This is Kanji Tatsumi, my son,” she introduced. “We can get to measurements soon, but first you'll want to pick out patterns, yes?” She placed the thick book down. It had tabs dividing it up. “This has a number of my fabrics in it. You'll want to look at the first section, for more general patterns, and the third for summer appropriate patterns.”

Akira approached, pulling out his notepad. They'd been around town for long enough that Tatsumi didn't bat an eye at it.

Jun said that fabric patterns have symbolism. Do you know about that? he wrote.

Tatsumi took the notebook, her son leaning in to read it. Both of them smiled, and suddenly it was a bit more obvious that they were related. “That's right, young man. We can go through the traditional patterns and their meanings, if you'd like.”

Akira nodded fiercely, eyes shining.

And so they spent a while, Morgana's little family and Tatsumi crowded around the book as Tatsumi waxed poetical about the symbolism of each pattern. Morgana watched as Akira turned over the options. Uroko, a pattern of triangles, to protect and bring good luck? Koi, for perseverance, courage, triumph and virility? He almost picked the Hagi pattern just because it looked like coffee beans, but Tatsumi said it was associated with fall.

Jun wasn't as intensely interested as Akira, although he perked up for any floral patterns. That was fair. Jun already owned several yukata and kimono. This would be Akira's first. (Or at least the first he could remember. Morgana didn't know if Akira had ever worn a yukata in his previous life, just that he hadn't brought any to Tokyo.)

Morgana kept an eye out for what he wanted. He knew he didn't want anything cutesy. Although the meanings of devotion and intelligence appealed to him, he would refuse any rabbit themed fabric for instance.

Then the page turned to a stylized cloud pattern, white on blue. “Clouds on cloth can be part of a design,” Tatsumi began. “Or just on their own. They stand for hope and change, and proximity of gods.”

Morgana straightened, leaning a bit closer. It wasn't overly cutesy. And the meaning made sense for him. “This one.” he declared.

Tatsumi looked at him the way most people did, like he was just a cute kitten. “Looks like Morgana-chan likes that one,” she commented with a smile.

Jun nodded, staying serious, although giving him a smile. “Yes. I think this cloud pattern would work well for his yukata. With a white obi, I think.”

Akira shot him a look, and Morgana gave a small nod. Akira grinned in return, before diving back into the book to choose his own pattern.

It took a while to both decide and measure both Akira and Morgana. Kanji was careful and practiced when he measured Morgana, although he kept muttering things about how cute Morgana was, how cute the yukata would look on him. Tatsumi measured Akira after he finally picked his own pattern. Stylized birds, called chidori, flying over mountains, for the ability to overcome life's difficulties, in gold on black.

Jun didn't need measurements since he'd bought from this shop before, but he still picked a new design. He’d chosen something in navy, with purple and red campanula bell flowers. It symbolized obedience, but more importantly for Jun unchangeable love and honesty.

Eventually they were done in the shop. Jun would be coming back in 2 weeks to pick up the yukata. The week after that would be the summer festival, and Morgana was excited to be able to dress up with Jun and Akira for the first time. Even though he knew he'd have to deal with a lot of comments about how cute he was.

Chapter Text

Two weeks later, a week before the summer festival started, Jun went back to Tatsumi Textiles. Morgana was with him, wanting to make sure his yukata looked right, but Akira had gone off on his own.

(The day before, the police had announced that they had caught the killer who had eluded the police since April. Morgana said the Velvet Room was still in town, so there may have still been some dangers, but Jun figured things had to be a lot safer and lifted some of the restrictions he'd asked Akira to follow, like not going somewhere completely alone. So Akira was taking advantage of the increased freedom, probably to climb trees or hunt bugs or something.)

It was a hot, sunny day, right in the middle of August. It took some time in the Tatsumi’s traditional shopfront to get the yukata and obi all packed up, mostly because Morgana tried on his yukata as soon as he could. The deep blue brought out his eyes and made him look refined, although the teenage son, Kanji, definitely thought he was adorable.

(And Jun was doing his absolute best to ignore the boy's Persona and its resonance. It wasn't his problem, or his business.)

Finally, with a bundle of cloth carefully wrapped in tissue paper in his arms, and Morgana having left ahead of him, Jun stepped back to the main street. He planned to go straight home and put the clothes away, when heard someone call.

“Jun-kun! Oh, I've been looking for you!” a woman's voice called.

Jun looked and saw Noriko Kashiwagi, her top as low-cut as usual, walking up to him with a sway in her step, something he struggled to describe as anything but “predatory” in her eyes. The woman was in the usual rotation of substitute teachers, so he'd met her and firmly didn't like her.

“Kashiwagi-san,” he said, carefully polite. “Was there something you needed?”

She shot him a smile and fluttered her lashes. “I've been wanting to get to know you better, especially since you got the new job,” she said. Was that a hint of jealousy he detected?

She walked up to him, getting into his space. Jun bit back a grimace. His hands were full. He tried to back up to keep an appropriate distance, but she walked faster than him. She plucked off the flower on his breast, the stem dragging free from the metal pinning it there, and held it to her nose, before holding it near her cleavage, an obvious attempt to make him look at her breasts. Jun wanted to roll his eyes, but he held back.

“Well, I'm fairly busy at the moment,” he said, his politeness straining. “Maybe we can talk again some other time.” Or never.

“Jun-kun,” Kashiwagi purred, seeming completely assured of her own charms even as she lowered her voice. “I'd say we're probably the two most attractive people in this town. It's natural to feel a pull towards me. There's no need to be shy.”

Jun took a deep breath. She was his senior, technically, and he didn't want to cause any problems at work, especially not when he’d just gained the new role at Yasogami. He had to be polite. But he couldn't stop a bit of venom sneaking its way in. “Kashiwagi-san, I am afraid you must have misunderstood. I do not think of you in that way. In fact, I do not think of you at all.”

The flash of hurt in her eyes quickly shifted to anger, but Jun kept talking. “I am much too busy looking after my son for such matters.”

The anger in her eyes was shoved back for the moment. “Well, that's why you have to get to know me, silly! You need a break from all that responsibility. You should come with me to the festival next weekend!” she tried to chirp, but the mask was cracked.

“I already have plans,” Jun said coolly.

The anger flared up. She surged forward, grabbing him by the upper arms. Jun held on tighter to the yukatas, unable to push her away without dropping them, and felt a bit of fear thrill through him. “What sort of plans could you possibly have? Focusing on babying that little-”

The word she used was one Jun had heard before. Students used it sometimes. And it was a word he knew Akira had heard before. A word he'd had thrown at him for his lack of speech. It was a nasty, mean word. With students, when he could, he'd try to discuss it with them, help them realize how hurtful it could be.

Some part of him recognized this wouldn't be the last time someone used that slur for his kid. But it was the first time Jun heard someone call Akira that word.

His heart pounded in his ears and his mind went blank. His hands shook around the paper-wrapped cloth. He could hardly hear Kashiwagi over his own heart. What he could hear didn't ease the fury pounding through him. She was ranting, speculating about Akira being a throwaway child. Shifting into speculating on why Jun wasn't interested in her. Was he gay? Did he think she was too old?

The ice in Jun's veins worked slowly as he stared at the woman in his face. He felt himself ready to do something, although he couldn't have said what if asked later. Yell? Insult her? Attack her physically?

Whatever he would have done, it never came to pass. Before he could act, rough hands tore Kashiwagi off of him.

She shrieked. “Let me go!” she cried, crocodile tears brimming suddenly in her eyes. “You're hurting me!”

Jun looked past her, to the man holding her. Tatsuya scowled at the woman. “You were hurting him.”

“Someone help me! Call the cops!” the snake of a woman cried.

Tatsuya scoffed. “I am a police officer. I was stopping a disturbance,” he said, before letting her go, positioning himself so he was between her and Jun.

She stared at him, mouth opening and closing like a fish. Jun took a deep breath as the ice trickled back out of his veins.

“Move along, ma'am, before I write you up,” Tatsuya warned.

Kashiwagi closed her mouth and sniffed, offended, before turning around and stomping off, dropping Jun's flower as she went.

Jun watched the iris, half-crushed, fall to the ground, before he turned back to Tatsuya. A smile tugged at his lips and he almost opened his mouth to speak before he remembered.

This wasn't his Tacchi. This was Suou, who he had met once and then spent a couple weeks avoiding, the brother of a friend but practically a stranger.

Suou gave him a look over. “Are you alright, Kashihara-san?”

Jun adjusted the cloth in his arms, checking it over to make sure it was undamaged by the situation. (He pushed aside bemusement at hearing Tatsuya call him Kashihara-san. He expected the family name, but the Tacchi he remembered hardly ever used honorifics. Was this a fundamental difference between them, or a function of growing older and becoming a cop?)

“Yes, thank you, Officer Suou,” he said with a small bow. “At worst I might bruise on my arms, but I doubt it. It was more shocking than anything.”

Suou frowned, looking back towards where she'd left. “Could you tell me what happened? I mostly heard her being… mean.”

Jun huffed a laugh at the lame descriptor. “She must have lost her temper,” he explained. “She was trying to ask me on a date to the summer festival. I was not interested. Unfortunately, she caught me with my arms full or I could have kept her at a greater distance.”

Suou nodded and subtly relaxed, bringing more of his focus to Jun. “That's this weekend, right?”

Jun nodded.

Suou pulled out his lighter, and Jun swallowed back grief. “Do you think she'll give you any more trouble, leading up to or during the festival?” the man asked.

Jun frowned. “I… don't know,” he said, looking out at the street. “She strikes me as the sort more likely to spread rumors if she has time to think, but I don't know her very well. One of the days of the festival, I'll have some friends with me who should be able to hold her off if needed, but the other I plan to spend with my son, and I really don't want her to interact with him.”

Suou nodded. For a long moment, they were both silent, before Suou dredged up the words to speak. “You have other worries about her.”

Jun turned back and met his eyes, surprised to be read so well. “Well… it isn't my place to say…” he tried to demure.

Suou shook his head. “She's… a concerning person. I want to know how much of an eye I need to keep on her.”

Jun bit his lip, then sighed. “Then let's find somewhere a little quieter to talk.”

They ended up walking, heading out towards the flood plain until they found a bench to sit on. Jun found himself being far more honest than he would normally be, but he told himself he needed to share what he knew. Kashiwagi worried him, more than just for himself. As a substitute teacher, she hopefully didn't have much opportunity to do harm, but if she got a full time position and therefore more consistent contact with the same group of kids…

He'd tried to speak to some of his coworkers about her when he first realized what kind of person she was. But everyone brushed it off. It was frustrating, but he knew most people didn't consider that kind of behavior a big deal. When it was a female teacher targeting male students, it was even less of a concern to most.

Maybe it was because of his parents. His father had been his mother's high school teacher. They hadn't gotten together until after she graduated, but he'd had some uncomfortable conversations with both of them about it, especially once he decided to be a teacher himself. His parents worked together despite the way they'd met, not because of it. And in the early stages of their relationship, there had been a lot of conversations, with his father making sure he wasn't taking any advantage of his mother.

(Part of him wondered if that had been the same in the other timeline, or if that had been part of what made them so different.)

So when Suou gave him that serious look and asked what his concerns were, he was truthful. He didn't know much, just jokes and gossip. They'd hardly spoken until today.

He went over the interaction with Kashiwagi in more detail, generally keeping his eyes on his lap so the sight of his old best friend wouldn't throw him. Although he looked from time to time, to see his reactions. How did Suou react when he heard how angry Jun had gotten? How did he react to mention of Akira's disabilities and adopted status, or the fact that Kashiwagi had accused him of being gay?

Tatsuya had been hard to read, but Jun had been able to do it, once, easily. That practice helped him here to some degree, but there was always an edge of uncertainty. This wasn't the same man he once knew.

Finally, Tatsuya rolled his neck, looking out towards the river. “I'll definitely look into her on my own, to see if anything comes up. I'll have the time, now that the manhunt for that murderer is done. As for the festival…”

He turned to Jun finally. “One of the friends you're meeting up with is my brother, right?”

Jun nodded. “I heard he planned to spend one of the festival days with you,” he commented.

Tatsuya shoved a hand in his pocket. “Mm-hm. You know he's an ex-cop, right? Maybe we can shadow you and your kid in case she shows up. Hopefully, we'll all enjoy the festival, just vaguely near each other, but if she tries to make problems then we can step in.”

Jun shook his head. “I don't want to take away from your time with your brother,” he protested. But one look at Suou's stubborn expression made him bite back a curse.

“You're going to do this no matter what I say, aren't you?” he asked hopelessly.

Suou looked surprised for a moment, before nodding. “You're right,” he said. “Your kid shouldn't have to hear Kashiwagi if she decides to throw a tantrum.”

Jun fiddled with his watch as he thought. “Fine,” he said. “What had you been planning to do on the other festival day?”

Tatsuya shrugged. “Aniki is hanging out with you and your friends. I was planning to explore on my own.”

Jun nodded, then stood up suddenly. He'd need to talk to the others, but maybe he could help the Suous get a little more time together.

Chapter Text

When Jun got home, Morgana and Akira were both waiting for him. The sight, and the sound of Akira's hum of greeting and Morgana's clear excitement as he tapped away on the AAC device, had him grinning and putting his worries aside. Akira tried to hide some of his excitement, but he kept grinning. Jun helped Akira try on the new yukata, since Morgana had tried his own at the shop, and was rewarded with one of the largest honest smiles he'd ever seen from Akira. Then, at Morgana’s urging, they both helped Morgana into his own yukata before Jun slipped into the one he’d chosen.

The black and gold of Akira's outfit made him look a little more mature, even as the cartoony birds kept him from looking like he was trying too hard. Morgana still looked distinguished. He was almost unearthly, the blue of his yukata making his eyes pop. And Jun knew he looked good, of course. The more feminine design and colors were one of the few ways he could get close to crossdressing these days, and he loved to indulge when he could.

Looking at his family in the mirror, Jun couldn't stop his smile either. It was a strange family, and Jun sometimes struggled with the labels. Akira was his son, legally, and for simplicity's sake that was what he called him. But he remembered thinking of him like a baby brother long ago. Morgana was more complicated. They couldn't acknowledge his true importance to anyone but those in the know. Sometimes he felt like another one of Jun's children, like an older sibling. Jun even caught himself referring to “his kids” when talking to Maya and the other Persona Users. Sometimes, Morgana felt like another adult helping care for Akira. Mostly, though, it was easier to just not label things. Just appreciate the not-cat for everything he brought to their lives.

They only wore the clothes long enough to make sure they fit and for Jun to snap some pics. Once the other two were changed back to normal wear, they dashed out of the house before Jun could say anything.

Jun let out a sigh. He'd need to talk to them, to give them a heads up before the festival. He'd told Morgana that Tatsuya was moving to town so he wouldn't be caught off guard, but he hadn't mentioned the meetings they'd had.

But if Tatsuya would be shadowing them, he had to let them both know. He knew Akira was nervous about cops, and Morgana had his own thoughts on the police. And he wanted to warn them both about Kashiwagi.

First, though, he had to talk to Maya and her friends. His friends too at this point?

It took a bit to hear back from everyone, but all of them were okay with Tatsuya coming along. As Serizawa put it, “it's not like we were planning to talk about Personas. Especially if there's other Persona-users in town.” It was put to Katsuya to give the news to his brother, and Katsuya seemed quietly pleased about the whole thing.

Everyone expressed concern and outrage when Jun explained what had happened with Kashiwagi. He had to spend most of the conversation talking them all down from stalking the woman or doing other inadvisable things. Yes, really, the Suous would be enough. No, he didn't want Serizawa to punch her or Maya-nee to try to write an article to ruin her name. He didn't want anything to blow back on him or his family. Although he did accept Saga’s offer to find a photo of Kashiwagi, both so Katsuya could recognize her and so he could show his kids.

Despite what everyone said, though, he had a sense that he'd have more than two shadows following him on the second day of the festival.

—

“Akira, Morgana, there's something I should show you,” Jun said a few days before the festival, right after breakfast.

Akira shrugged and nodded as Morgana meowed something that probably meant “okay.” Akira grabbed the AAC device Morgana used for more complicated communication and followed Jun to his computer.

“This is all just to be cautious,” Jun started to explain as he booted up the computer. “I don't think there will actually be a problem, but I want to warn you two, just in case.”

What's going on? Akira asked.

Jun sighed, half turned so he could watch Akira even as he pulled up a program. “I had a run-in with a woman who wanted to go with me to the festival, and she got mad when I turned her down,” he explained. “I don't think she'll do anything, but if she does, she might try to insult you, Akira. I don't think she knows what you look like, but she knows you exist, so when we're together…”

Akira tilted his head in thought, even as Morgana started typing. He could handle insults. He'd been insulted enough. It hurt a little, but he could push through it. Jun's expression said it was worse, though.

What else did she do?

Jun gave a rueful smile. “She grabbed me. I don't know her very well, so I don't know how far she'd go. I really do hope she wouldn't try to make a scene at the festival, but I wanted to warn you.”

The AAC device sounded, speaking for Morgana. “What's the plan to deal with her?”

Akira nodded, straightening a little. Even if nothing happened, a plan sounded good.

Jun smiled a little wider, then turned his computer monitor to show a photo of a brunette woman. “Well, this is her. Her name is Noriko Kashiwagi. Generally, the plan is to avoid her if we can. The first day, I'll be with my friends and they can deal with her if needed. The second day, I think some of my friends are planning to shadow us as guards, but I know specifically Katsuya Suou and his brother will be lingering nearby.”

Akira nodded. He'd met Katsuya. The man clearly had a lot of feelings about the past Akira didn't remember, but he was a good baker and had learned not to bring up the past to him. Plus he and that whole friend group had learned JSL.

But before he could sign anything, Morgana went stiff, yowling out something in shock.

Jun opened his mouth, a faint blush, growing on his cheeks, then closed it and offered a sheepish shrug.

Akira rolled his eyes. What did he say? he demanded.

Morgana's tail lashed anxiously as Jun explained, eyes continually flicking away before glancing back. “He… knows Katsuya's brother, Tatsuya. Tatsuya moved to Inaba a couple weeks ago. I didn't mention it to you, Akira, because I knew him from the other timeline, and I'd intended to avoid him…”

His blush was growing. It made Akira feel antsy. But they'd long established that Akira never wanted to hear about weird things or the old timeline. It was fine. He was a little curious what was causing all these reactions, and why Jun failed to avoid this man, but he knew any talk about the old timeline would get him upset.

Fine, you two can talk about that yourselves, he signed, huffing a breath.

Jun nodded and Morgana brushed against him in a silent apology. Akira gave a jerky shrug and attempted a smile. Anything else important?

Jun nodded, turning serious again. “First of all, Kashiwagi said some very cruel things about you. My main goal is to make sure you don't have to hear that. If you see her, or if trouble starts with her, I want you to run away, Akira. I'll leave with you if possible.”

Akira rolled his eyes. I've been insulted before, he pointed out. I'm not a baby.

Jun gave a fond half-smile. “I know. I know you could handle it. But the festival is supposed to be fun. You shouldn't have to handle it. Besides, I figure if we all avoid her or get away from her, it'll cut down on how bad things can get.”

Morgana gave a mrrp clearly asking them to wait for him to type, before replying, “Keeping her away from her targets is mission success.”

Akira considered this for a moment, before nodding.

Jun turned to face the two of them fully. “I also wanted to give you a heads up, Akira. Tatsuya is a police officer.”

Akira felt himself stiffen, even as Jun kept talking.

“I trust him for this, and you shouldn't have to interact with him directly. He stepped in when Kashiwagi grabbed me before, and offered to keep watch for us again. I don't think he'll be in uniform, but his job will give him the authority to make Kashiwagi stop if she causes problems.”

Akira tugged his bangs nervously as he thought that over. If I can avoid him, it's fine, he eventually decided.

Jun gave a smile. “Alright. Finally, I really don't want this to impact our time at the festival. This is all for the worst case scenario, but I want us all to have fun, okay?”

Akira nodded. She doesn't get to ruin our fun, he agreed, lifting his chin.

Morgana meowed his assent, sitting up straight. Jun just smiled. “Well, that's all.”

Akira gave a weak smile. I'll let you two talk about that other stuff. I should work on my homework, he signed.

And so he went, doing his best to ignore the itching on the back of his neck.

—

The moment Akira had left, Morgana pinned Jun with a hard look. “Are you sure about this, Jun?” he asked.

Jun's smile fell as his shoulders slumped. “No,” he admitted. “Not entirely. But Tacchi was going to guard us no matter what I said.”

Morgana hopped to the computer table, looking over Jun in concern. “Was he showing any signs of remembering?”

Jun shook his head, although he began to blush again. “No signs of deja vu. But I can tell he's still attracted to me. And I can't ever explain why it wouldn't work…”

Morgana leaned against Jun's arm in silent support. “Then I guess you'll go back to avoiding him after this?”

Jun blushed even brighter. “Actually…”

“Oh, great…” Morgana muttered, earning a glare.

“Well, he was supposed to spend that day with his brother!” Jun protested. “He's using that time to protect us. So I… I offered for him to spend the first day of the festival with my group.”

“And everyone's okay with that?”

Jun nodded. “I checked with them first. It should be fine. Maya-nee thinks it would be nice to see what this Tatsuya is like, and Katsuya-san doesn't think it would pose any danger, since we shouldn't be talking about Personas anyway.”

Morgana's tail twitched. “And what about you? Will you be able to handle it?”

Jun shrugged. “I hope so. Maybe if I can see the differences more clearly, it'll make things easier for me.”

“Hmmph. I still can't believe Tatsuya became a cop,” Morgana muttered.

Jun gave an attempt at a smile. “I think he's been trying to change things. Katsuya implied something like that. You should ask him.”

Morgana nodded. “Sounds like a plan. Plus, Katsuya always gives me treats.” He started to smirk. “He knows how to properly treat a cat-shaped-being.”

—

“Alright, you have your money? Your phone? You know where you're meeting your friend?” Jun asked at the edge of the festival.

Akira nodded, his black Featherman mask positioned on the side of his head for the moment. While Jun wore one of his older yukatas, something dark gray with scattered dragonflies, Akira was in shorts and a light long-sleeved shirt, ready to play. Morgana perched on his shoulder, eyeing the stalls and the thin crowds with interest.

“Alright, have fun. I'll meet you back here in a couple hours,” Jun said, patting Akira on the head. Akira gave a quick grin, slipped the mask on fully, and ran off.

For some time, he ran around the fair, playing games and trying out fair food. He spent a while with Yoshitaka, competing at various games. Akira tended to win the ones that required aiming, but Yoshitaka was more dextrous. He was good at patiently scooping up superballs with paper cups or carving out the candy molds for katanuki.

Competing scratched an itch and made Akira think about Goro. He hoped Goro got a chance to enjoy a festival near him. And maybe someday they could go to the same festival. Akira made sure to not get too competitive with Yoshitaka, though. And when the two split off, the younger boy gave him a big smile, so he was pretty sure he'd played well.

After that, Akira focused more on Morgana and finding things the two of them could do together. He got a water yoyo and figured out a game in the corner where they tried to hit the yoyo past each other. With the mask on, JSL was harder. Any signs that required mouthing or other facial movement were impossible unless he lifted the mask. But in a way, it felt better to have limited communication with Morgana. They didn't want to use the AAC device with so many people around, but they both knew each other so well. It was easy to read each other. And it felt like a fun secret. The mask only helped the feeling.

The water yoyo game continued until Akira hit the ball a little too hard and the balloon popped, spraying both him and Morgana with water. Akira burst out laughing, even as Morgana yowled in complaint.

It was nearly full dark, the lanterns casting dreamy shadows in the dusk, when Akira returned to the stalls. He'd helped Morgana dry off, but he wanted to play the festival games again, maybe win a new water yoyo.

Soon, this found Akira and Morgana at the shooting stall. Yoshitaka and him had passed on the stall before, finding it far too crowded, but the crowd was more manageable now. Various kids and teens shot at prizes with wooden air guns. Akira stepped into line.

He was almost at the front, his mask temporarily tilted up so he could see better when he shot. Then he heard a young voice cry out, “Akira!” When he looked, Nanako Dojima had dipped out from the line, looking very cute and a little unbalanced in her pink yukata and geta sandals.

Akira adjusted his mask so it wouldn't cover his face at all, and grinned at the girl. Hi, Nanako-chan, he signed carefully, making sure she'd be able to read him with the poor lighting.

Her grin grew. “I'm so glad I saw you!” she said. “Big bro and his friends are around somewhere, but it's getting late and Dad said we have to go home soon.”

At her words, Akira scanned the area. No sign of Yu, like she said. But that was her dad, the cop, slipping out of the line and coming up with a smile on his face.

Akira felt himself tense up, and felt Morgana grow alert on his shoulder. He kept up a smile for Nanako, but he started glancing about for escape routes. Well, it's good to see you, but I have to meet up with someone, he said.

Nanako's expression immediately fell. “Oh, you've gotta go?” she replied forlornly.

“You have to go?” her dad repeated, clearly only getting half the conversation. “Akira-kun, right? It's almost your turn for the shooting range. Don’t you want to wait for that?”

Akira nodded, even as Nanako started rambling. “Yeah, he's friends with Big Bro! And he's got an awesome cat, and is why I'm learning JSL!”

“I remember, Nanako,” her dad said with a smile.

The whole time, Akira stayed frozen. Nanako's expression pricked at him. She shouldn't care that one kid had to leave, but she did, clearly. And she was nice, and he'd hoped to hang out with her. But he'd forgotten her dad would probably be there.

Katsuya's brother was a cop too, and he'd be nearby tomorrow. Akira hadn't actually stolen anything in over a year (Jun had convinced him that it wasn’t worth it in a small town where he could get a reputation), and there was no reason why a cop would have that kind of interest in him. He didn't want to ruin his fun tomorrow with fear. And he didn't want to ruin his fun right now. But looking up at Dojima made his chest grow tight.

Through the cloth of his shirt, Akira felt the faintest prick of Morgana's claws. A glance at him showed understanding, and a willingness to follow his lead. Morgana would be willing to make a scene right now to help him get away, if he wanted it.

Suddenly, he felt his mask, the sensation and weight of it clear. He didn't want to let Nanako down or ruin his own fun. And he could push through this.

All this happened as Nanako explained what Akira had said to her dad. It gave him enough time to square his shoulders and raise his chin. I don't have to leave quite yet, he signed. Do you want to play together, Nanako-chan?

The beaming smile the girl gave him was almost enough to override the constant awareness of her dad's presence.

Akira ended up joining the Dojimas a little further back in line, where a kind soul had saved their spot while they talked to Akira. As he interacted with Nanako and her dad, mostly listening to her chatter about all the fun things she'd done, he forced himself to relax over and over. Dojima asked him questions, but they were similar to the kinds of questions Yoshitaka's parents asked him when they met, or the kinds of questions Jun had asked his own friends. There were some little things that put Akira on edge. Dojima continually called the shooting stall a practice range before correcting himself. There was an alertness to him that made him read as more dangerous than most parents. And there were times when he didn't know things about Nanako, or little awkward moments between them, that made Akira worry. But over time Dojima felt more and more like a dad, and less like a cop. By the time they could take positions with the wooden guns and shoot for prizes, Akira was able to almost entirely ignore Dojima to focus on his own shooting.

“Wow, you’re really good!” Nanako exclaimed as they collected their prizes. “You’re almost as good as dad!”

Akira ducked his head, but signed a quick “thank you”, before handing over a little plush radish. For you. Because you’re vegetables girl, he signed.

“Oh, thanks! Um…” Nanako started looking among her small stash of prizes, but Akira shook his head.

I don’t need anything, he signed.

“Um, if you say so…” she replied, before looking back at her dad. “How did you do, dad?”

“Pretty good, Nanako. Though I don’t have much use for this stuff, so would you mind holding onto it for me?” He had a gently teasing smile as he handed over a collection of things obviously chosen to appeal to the girl, before giving her a one-armed hug.

Meanwhile, Akira carefully stored his winnings in his pockets and bag, and Morgana hopped in the bag to investigate the new things.

Akira ended up spending a little more time with the Dojimas, until they had to leave for Nanako’s bedtime. And he was pretty proud of himself. He never fully relaxed around the elder Dojima, but he had genuine fun. Morgana let both of the Dojimas pet him, and Nanako got very excited when she learned Morgana would be wearing a yukata the next day.

Eventually, the two headed out, but Akira and Morgana continued to wander the festival for another hour or so. They ate festival food and watched the other people around, with plenty more games in between. The end of the night found them at the same spot they started. Jun came over, his grown up friends following behind him.

Chapter Text

Katsuya showed up to Tatsuya's new apartment the Saturday of the festival, his arms piled high with pastry boxes. Tatsuya couldn't stop the small grin at the sight, even as he rushed to take some of the boxes and invite him in.

“C'mon, Aniki, put it down in the kitchen,” he urged. “You know you don't need to bake me things every time you visit, right?”

His brother grinned back, expression so much more carefree than it used to be. Katsuya's career change, while disappointing at the time when Tatsuya was in the midst of his own police training, had clearly been good for him. Every year, he seemed lighter. The change in dynamics when Tatsuya became the Suou still in the police had taken getting used to, but now that they were both firmly adults, Tatsuya found he liked it. There was less pressure to live up to the example, even as Katsuya remained willing to support him.

“Only one of those boxes is yours,” Katsuya warned. “And I like making things for people. Now. Let me look at you.”

With the boxes to the side, Katsuya placed his hands on Tatsuya's shoulders, looking him over, his expression growing more serious. “Father and I are both trying to reach out to what contacts we still have to bring you home, little brother. You're holding up here?”

Tatsuya ducked his head, stepping back to get his space. “It is what it is,” he replied. “We all know this transfer isn't the worst thing that could happen to me. But… since, on paper, it isn't a punishment, I know it's harder to fight.”

He walked to the couch and gestured for his brother to join him. Katsuya gave a quick smile. “You're right on all of that. I guess there isn't much else to say on getting you home. Suou determination can get us far but…”

“But it doesn't guarantee anything,” Tatsuya finished, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling. He knew that. Something in the pit of his stomach worried that he'd be forced to become another Suou ex-cop. Until and unless that happened, he just had to try to make what change he could.

Katsuya hummed in agreement. “So,” he said after a long pause. “How have things been going here?”

Tatsuya let himself smile briefly. “Not all bad,” he shared. “Haven't run into any corruption yet, but everything's been a mess with the high-profile murders. I don't get the sense any of the higher-ups are trying to cover for anyone, though they definitely want the case closed more than anything else.”

“And what about outside the job?” Katsuya pushed.

Tatsuya felt himself blush. “Is this about Kashihara?” he asked, turning away. “I know you know him.”

Katsuya shrugged and eased back a little. “A little,” he replied, voice deceptively bland. “You're going to bat for him pretty quickly, with this Kashiwagi woman.”

Tatsuya covered his face and groaned.

“Mostly, I just want to know how you're adjusting,” Katsuya offered, easing back more.

Face still in his hands, Tatsuya shrugged, before lifting his head to speak. “I'm getting by,” he commented. “People are friendly enough. Kashihara seems… nice, but I don't plan to stay here long.”

The conversation eased into more regular catching up. Katsuya managed to get Tatsuya to share about how different things felt in a small town, and the people he stayed in contact with back in Sumaru. Anna Yoshizaka especially had become something of a lifeline. Katsuya in turn updated him on how things were going on his end. He shared well wishes from their parents and admonishments to call them more often, and funny stories from his pastry shop.

Throughout it all, they danced around the matter of Jun Kashihara. Katsuya nudged at the topic, testing and probing, but Tatsuya was reluctant to open up. Kashihara felt like a soap bubble. Shimmering, beautiful, but getting too close could ruin everything. There were definitely some mixed signals, but it felt more negative than positive.

Eventually, he pushed back. “Aniki, what do you know about Kashihara?” he asked. “You know him better than I do. I've only really run into him twice.”

Katsuya looked sad for a moment, before sighing. “You know he met me through Maya Amano, right?” he asked.

Tatsuya nodded.

“They were childhood friends and got back in contact a couple years ago,” Katsuya began to explain, gaze going distant. “Honestly, a lot of the reason why she introduced us is because of his son, though…”

Tatsuya nodded, brows together, not sure what the boy had to do with it.

“You remember, your last year of high school,” Katsuya began. “There was a baby who I was trying to adopt.”

Tatsuya couldn't help the way he tensed and his breath caught, but Katsuya kept talking. “We lost him in the system. Jun adopted him a year or so ago. When Maya-san realized who Akira-kun was, she told me.”

Tatsuya dug out his lighter and started to fidget with it. “He's the baby you tried to adopt?” he asked.

He felt unsteady. Katsuya barely ever talked about anything that happened in 1999. Tatsuya had woken up one day in the hospital, the news in an uproar, with no memory of the past several months. He'd run away from home, according to his parents. He'd started acting strange, Anna told him. Katsuya at first had tried to claim he knew nothing more than anyone else. But he was never the best liar.

That had led to fights. Tatsuya bursting into shouts so he wouldn't let himself beg to know what Katsuya was hiding from him. In the end, they reached a stalemate. Katsuya admitted he knew some things, but that he couldn't and wouldn't tell Tatsuya. He asked that Tatsuya stop looking for the truth himself. And, eventually, Tatsuya stopped looking. Some part of him whispered to trust his brother and let this go. Some part of him would always wonder, but he had to believe that if there was anything about that time that he needed to know, Katsuya would tell him.

Throughout that all had been the baby his brother had begun to care for, and the strange new friends who dropped by his place over and over, helping out. The same friends who'd come to meet Kashihara for the summer festival.

“So, Amano introduced your friend group to Kashihara because you'd all known his son, Akira?” Tatsuya confirmed.

“Right,” Katsuya said, relief and something almost like evasion on his face.. “Though Akira-kun doesn't remember any of us, obviously. He was a baby at the time. He went through some traumas back then that still affect him, so he doesn't like to talk about it. And he doesn't like it when any of the rest of us get too familiar. Which…” Katsuya sighed, a little wistful. “It's fair. There's a lot of emotion on our side, on my side. But he doesn't feel anything like that in return, so it gets weird for him. I think I've gotten better at not overwhelming him…”

Tatsuya nudged his brother with his shoulder, a little expression of comfort, and got a smile in return. The whole matter of that baby had been strange for him, since the baby had been orphaned by the crisis Tatsuya couldn't remember, but the grief his brother went through had been clear, and even as a punkass teen, Tatsuya had seen it and tried to help.

“Trauma…” he brought back. “He… had a brain injury, right? I remember you saying that. And Kashihara said he's mute.”

Katsuya nodded. “That's exactly right,” he said. “Overall, he's mostly recovered from that brain injury, but the muteness stuck. Actually… if you want to be friends with Kashihara, learning JSL so Akira-kun can communicate with you easier would help.”

Tatsuya couldn't stop the blush this time, and gritted his teeth as his brother's smile grew. “I… I'm not sure if Kashihara wants to be… friends with me in return,” he replied. “I've been getting mixed signals.”

Katsuya's expression shifted into something Tatsuya struggled to read. “That's fair. You may have to actually ask him directly, or have a conversation about it.” The suggestion,which easily could have been teasing, was completely serious, something Tatsuya was grateful for. “Even if he's not interested, I doubt he would be cruel.”

Tatsuya flipped his lighter closed one more time, before shoving it in his pocket. “You might be right,” he admitted, before blatantly changing the subject. “So, what did you bake for me this time?”

Katsuya smiled and grabbed one of the boxes from the kitchen, handing it over. When Tatsuya opened it, he smiled at the sight of a simple slice of castella cake. It was still his favorite desert from his brother's kitchen. “Thanks, as always,” he said, before he quickly dug in, savoring the sweet honey taste.

Later, the two brothers headed to the local shrine. Tatsuya led the way at first more familiar with these streets, but when they reached the sparse crowds, he hung back.

Finally, Katsuya lit up, raising a hand as he approached a group of men and women in yukatas. They turned and Tatsuya felt their eyes on him, even as they smiled at his brother.

Tatsuya scanned over the three friends he could somewhat recognize. Ulala Serizawa and Maya Amano were in floral prints, the first in purples and the second in yellows. Kaoru Saga had his long hair tied back and had a brown yukata with geometric patterns.

And then there was Jun Kashihara. The sight of him in his dark yukata took his breath away. The man met his eyes and gave a small smile, and it felt like Tatsuya's heart stopped for a moment.

He hung back as the others welcomed Katsuya into their group and Katsuya handed out treats. Saga and Kashihara both got delicate little traditional desserts, while Amano got a green tea mochi and Serizawa a small slice of cheesecake. Saga immediately popped his mizumanju into his mouth as the others admired their treats.

“Where are Akira-kun and Morgana-kun?” Katsuya asked Kashihara. “I have treats for them too.”

Kashihara looked up from admiring the delicate floral scene depicted in his kingokyu-kan and smiled. “Oh, they already took off. They'll say hi towards the end of the night,” he said.

Tatsuya dug out his lighter. At the first click, he felt Kashihara's eyes on him. “Who's Morgana?” he asked. The name sounded somewhat familiar, but he couldn't place it.

“Oh, that's Akira's cat,” Kashihara explained. “They're practically inseparable.”

Tatsuya cut a glance at his brother, a small smirk on his lips. “A cat? Aniki, I thought you'd finally accepted your allergies,” he teased.

Katsuya rolled his eyes, smirking in return. “Morgana-kun's special,” he retorted. “We don't know why exactly, but he's never triggered my allergies.”

Tatsuya couldn't stop the grin, even as the others joined in on teasing his brother for his love of cats. For a moment, he felt like part of the group.

That feeling didn't last long, but it also wasn't the only time it happened. That evening was… strange. Tatsuya kept to the edges of the group, mostly, only occasionally joining the conversations. They discussed their lives and their favorite festival foods. Funny office stories and old stories from past meet-ups. He learned that the Inaba festival last year was more crowded, and that Serizawa had helped Amano pick her yukata. And sometimes it felt like things clicked. Like it was perfectly natural to trail behind this group, occasionally joining in the conversation when he had something to say or someone asked him something. Sometimes, Kashihara joined him on the edges of the conversations, and sometimes that felt natural too. Even though he couldn't figure out what the look Kashihara kept giving him meant, it felt normal when he didn't think about it.

But, those moments didn't always last. Sometimes, it was just the awkwardness of talking to people he barely knew. Everyone did their best to include him, but it was normal for that to feel awkward.

And then sometimes, Tatsuya felt like an outsider. Sometimes someone would start to say something and cut off, and all the others would exchange glances. Once, they passed by a group of teens and every single one of his group tensed at the same time. It reminded him of when he was younger, after those months of lost memory. The feeling of things not being said. He tried to tell himself it made sense. These were friends Katsuya had made during the crisis. It was the same hidden thing as always, and he wanted to be able to let it go.

But Kashihara was part of it, too. Maybe it was because of his son? Akira's parents had died during the crisis, so maybe he knew something about it.

He did his best to ignore it. He knew the answer he'd get if he asked. But, somehow, Kashihara being in on whatever this secret was hurt. He at first thought it might be because a total stranger was trusted with information Tatsuya couldn't have. But that didn't feel right. There was something more visceral about it. He couldn't figure out what it was. Just that it felt wrong.

On top of all that, he never let himself fully relax. He kept an eye out for that Kashiwagi woman, just in case.

Despite all of that, he did have a good time. He munched on festival food and enjoyed watching so many people have fun. No one pulled him too far out of his comfort zone, but they didn't let him stay out of everything. He ended up having good, simple conversations with all of his brother's friends.

Amano, as a journalist, was looking into police corruption in Sumaru, and they shared some understanding. They both understood what it felt like to be unwilling to step away from a fight they could never fully win. Serizawa on the other hand brought him into a conversation about music, and Saga chatted with him about how to keep up with changing technology. Kashihara told him about how the festival was last year and started pointing out people he recognized from town, sharing gossip. And his brother ended up back in his orbit over and over, where they fell into easy talk about sports or the food around them or other things.

By the end of the evening, Tatsuya felt drained, though. He trailed behind the group as Kashihara led them towards a kid with messy black hair wearing a Featherman Black mask, a black and white cat on his shoulder.

The cat meowed loudly when he noticed them. The boy raised a hand in a wave, though his expression was hidden by the mask. Katsuya immediately came up, Kashihara right behind him, the others following behind. “That's Akira Kashihara, and his cat Morgana,” Saga explained briefly. Tatsuya nodded, shifting a little to the side so he could watch the interactions better.

“Hello, you two,” Katsuya said once he reached them, pulling out two food boxes and offering them to Akira. “The top one is for Morgana, the bottom for Akira.”

Akira moved his hands in what had to be sign language and the cat let out another meow. Then the kid crouched down, placing the boxes on the ground and opening them up. Akira finally pushed his mask out of the way, revealing intense gray eyes, although he grinned at the offerings. He signed something to Katsuya, even as Morgana hopped off his shoulder and dragged what looked like taiyaki out of the box.

“Coffee for you, and though it isn't usual, I put tuna in Morgana's,” Katsuya replied.

Akira signed something as his cat meowed, before Morgana dug into his taikayi and Akira pulled out a light brown roll cake, hummed happily, and began to eat.

“Surprised you like coffee at your age,” Tatsuya commented, ambling up.

Both the boy and the cat froze, eyes snapping to him. They both seemed to look him over. Morgana immediately went back to eating, but Akira wiped cream from his chin and gave a smile that… didn't seem quite sincere. He glanced over at the others—at Kashihara? Probably, since the man stepped forward.

“Suou-san, this is Akira Kashihara, my son,” Kashihara said. “Since it's too dark for writing, I can translate anything he signs. Akira, Tatsuya Suou is Katsuya-san's brother and plans to help us out tomorrow.”

The boy's eyes flicked between his father and Tatsuya, clearly nervous behind the smile. Maybe a little annoyed? He signed something to Kashihara, movements jerky.

Kashihara bit his lip. Surprisingly, Katsuya stepped forward. “I… should probably talk to you more privately about that,” Katsuya said, looking both at Akira and… was he seriously getting distracted by the cat?

“What's going on, Aniki?” Tatsuya asked, feeling more and more like this kid didn't trust him.

“It's…” Katsuya started, before trailing off. Kashihara signed something at Akira, and soon they were having a whole conversation, while Tatsuya watched awkwardly.

Finally, Akira turned towards him, that nervous smile still in place but something challenging in his eyes. He signed, and Kashihara translated.

“‘I like coffee,’” Kashihara said for his son, smiling a bit. “‘It's nice to meet you.’”

“It's, uh, nice to meet you too,” Tatsuya said in return, bringing out his lighter to fidget with it.

A long moment of silence.

Kashihara gave Akira a questioning look, and the boy shook his head, intentionally turning away and focusing on his cake again.

Kashihara stepped between Tatsuya and the kid, an apologetic smile on his face. “Sorry, Suou-san, he gets shy around new people,” he explained.

Somehow, Tatsuya was pretty sure that wasn't the full truth.

After that, they all split off their different ways. After some whispers among the others, Katsuya said he wanted to spend some time at the Inn the others were staying at, but he'd head over to Tatsuya's place early tomorrow.

Which left Tatsuya going home, alone, feeling out of place.

Chapter Text

Although Katsuya Suou said he'd go to the Amagi Inn with Maya and the others, Morgana wasn't surprised when he came back with the Kashiharas. Morgana had questions about Tatsuya, and Akira, although he hadn't shut down and had recovered quickly, was clearly uncomfortable to the point of hostility.

Akira, meanwhile, tilted his head at Katsuya and signed, Why are you following us? when the man split off from the others.

Katsuya rubbed the back of his neck. “I wanted to explain to you two some things about Tatsuya. Maybe if you understand him, you'll be less nervous?”

Akira tensed up. I know he has to be around for safety, he justified. I hung out with a friend and her dad is a cop and it was fine. I'll be fine.

Jun smiled a little. “I'm happy you got to hang out with your friend. Did you refuse to talk to her dad?” he asked.

Akira paused, then shook his head. Morgana nudged his cheek comfortingly. Akira had had to be coaxed to say anything to Tatsuya, and he only did because the alternative was explaining to the cop that cops made him nervous.

“Okay, then do you know what the difference was between your friend's dad and Suou-san?” Jun prodded.

Akira tugged his hair fringe as he thought. I didn't want to make Nanako-chan sad, he replied finally. And by the end he felt more like a dad than a cop.

Jun nodded, and Katsuya cut in. “I don't want you scared when you should be having fun,” he started. Akira made a face, but he kept going. “Hopefully what I say can help recontextualize Tatsuya like you did with your friend's dad.”

Akira rolled his eyes. Fine. But I wasn't scared. I was just… His hands stalled.

“Hostile,” Morgana suggested. Jun automatically translated for him, and Akira turned to give Morgana a grin.

Yeah, hostile is good. he replied. I don't see why I have to interact with him anyway.

Jun sighed. “I think it's more about being able to if something comes up. Like if he tries to talk to you.”

Akira huffed a breath, clearly unconvinced, but Jun gracefully shifted the conversation to the festival itself. All four of them got to talk about what they'd done at the festival. Akira showed off his small stash of winnings, and Katsuya commented on how skilled some of the cooks at food stalls were. Morgana shared some funny stories of people he'd observed while Akira had been focusing on games, and teased Akira about splashing him with water, with Jun's help translating.

By the time they reached their house, they'd started planning things they wanted to do together tomorrow. However, when they headed in, Jun headed towards his room. “I'd like to change into something more comfortable. Akira, Morgana, are you okay starting this conversation without me, or do you want me here?”

Akira considered it for a moment, and Morgana couldn't help being proud. At the start, he would have tried hard to not be a burden and immediately let Jun head off. But now, Morgana felt like if he did need Jun here he'd say so.

This time, he shook his head, though. It'll be awkward either way. Let's get it over with, he signed, pulling out Morgana's AAC device.

Morgana nodded, typing out his reply. “Same here.”

Which led to Katsuya sitting across from Akira and Morgana in their living room. There was a long pause, before Akira broke it, signing, What did you want to say?

Katsuya took a deep breath, before getting started. “First of all, I want to say I completely understand why cops make you nervous, or hostile, or whatever. It's a lot of why I stopped being a cop. Some people join with good intentions. But plenty don't. And even with good intentions, it's hard to actually do good. Powerful people get protected while vulnerable people get worse treatment, and it's very rare that any one person in the system can change any of that. Most often, you end up a cog in the machine. And that machine hurts people.

“Tatsuya… he wanted to be a cop because I had been one, and our father had been one. Both my father and I left the force because of the corruption within it, in varying ways. I warned him about it and he… well, he's decided that nothing will change if no one does anything about it. So he's spent most of his career turning in dirty cops and trying to untangle that corruption. That's how he ended up in Inaba.”

Morgana and Akira both gave questioning looks, and Katsuya continued. “It's nothing explicit, but it's clear to basically everyone involved in Sumaru that his transfer here was a punishment for snitching too much. Honestly, he's lucky he hasn't been fired or framed for something instead.”

Akira considered this, and Morgana stayed still for the moment. He had his own questions, but Akira's response was more important right now.

Finally, Akira replied. So what is he planning now? he asked.

Katsuya shrugged. “He's been trying to get transferred back to Sumaru. I've been helping with that. But… it might not work. I think he's coming to terms with that right now, while trying to do what good he can with his position here.”

Akira frowned, and Morgana nudged against him. He tapped at his AAC device. “Does that help?”

Akira shrugged. I guess. But he's still… you called it like being a cog? He's still a cog. Even if he means good, he could have to do something bad. I won't ever trust him all the way, not while he's a cop. But I'll try not to ignore him like that.

Morgana let out a purr. “I hope he gets a different job too,” he typed out. “He was too cool to turn into a cop.”

Katsuya huffed a quiet laugh as Jun came back in.

Katsuya left soon after to head for the Inn. Akira headed to bed, and Morgana followed. He was tired but happy from the big day. Akira still seemed happy too, despite the awkwardness at the end. And hopefully tomorrow would be just as good.

—

The next afternoon, Jun pulled out the three yukata. Akira and Jun were both in light tank tops and shorts to go under. It was weird to have his arm and the scar there exposed, but the yukata sleeves would cover it soon.

Akira was happy to help put Morgana's yukata on. Then Jun helped him with his own.

He considered protesting that he could do it on his own. But something about the ritual feel of it was… nice. Jun adjusting the cloth to make sure it hung correctly, before tying a butterfly knot in his obi. It was something done for family.

Jun even let Akira help with his own yukata, even though he clearly could do it all himself. Akira did his best to make sure that Jun looked good, that everything was even. He didn't help much, he knew. Jun did most of it. But he still helped.

Finally, once they were all dressed, Jun pulled out two folding fans. “For if it gets too hot,” Jun explained, handing over one in black and red and keeping a purple one for himself.

Akira opened the hand fan, smiling as he saw the red poppies scattered across the black background. Jun opened his own to show irises, then snapped it closed and slipped it in his obi.

“The bauble on the end helps counterweight so it stays in the obi,” Jun explained.

Akira nodded, slipping his own fan in his obi, before signing Red poppies are for fun, right?

Jun nodded. “It seemed fitting for a festival.”

Then he glanced over. Morgana was walking back and forth in front of a mirror, admiring himself. Jun and Akira shared a smile before Jun called, “Morgana, stop preening for a moment. I want to get a family picture.”

Morgana perked up and hurried over with a meow.

After that, it didn't take them that long to reach the festival. And it was a lot of fun! Jun let Akira and Morgana pull him from stall to stall as they tried fair food and played games. Jun translated softly for Morgana whenever needed.

Akira did notice the shadows they had. Throughout their time together, Akira spotted all of Jun's grown up friends, plus the cop brother, at least once. It was kind of annoying, but he supposed it was to protect Jun so he could deal with it.

Eventually, they decided to make wishes at the shrine. Jun wrote his quickly, and was helping write one for Morgana. Akira thought for a long moment, before writing down, “I wish to come to more festivals with my family.”

When he showed his ema to Jun and Morgana, Jun smiled and gave him a hug, his eyes suspiciously shiny. Morgana headbutted him, purring loudly. And then Jun showed their own wishes. “I wish to protect my family,” from Morgana. “I wish to keep my family close,” from Jun.

Akira couldn't stop the wide smile on his face.

“Shall we hang them up?” Jun asked.

Akira nodded. Carefully, they put their three emas up on the pegs.

Then, a voice from behind them. “Jun-kun, you look wonderful!”

From the way Jun tensed next to him, Akira wasn't shocked when he glanced back to see Noriko Kashiwagi.

“Go,” Jun whispered, still facing the shrine. “I'll deal with her.”

Akira shook his head. This was his family. He wasn't going to abandon them, even if it got him hurt.

Jun frowned, frustration and anger on his face. Akira wasn't scared of him, though. He knew it was because Jun wanted to protect him too.

“Jun-kun, did you hear me?” Kashiwagi called, and Jun turned around.

Akira did too, to see Suou striding over, Katsuya behind him. Kashiwagi was wearing a yukata too, the opening in front pulled down way too much. The colors and patterns were garish and overdone.

“Ma'am,” he called. “I'm going to have to ask you to leave this gentleman be.”

Kashiwagi glanced back, taking in the brothers, before stepping in towards Jun. “I'm just paying a compliment. Just trying to talk. Is there something wrong with that?” she said sweetly.

Akira shifted on his feet, seeing Morgana disappear into the shadows from the corner of his eye. She wasn't doing anything wrong, she was right. Many cops would use their position to get what they wanted anyway, but he could see it make Suou falter.

“Kashiwagi-san, thank you for the compliment, but I am currently busy with my family, as you can see,” Jun said, chin held high.

Kashiwagi took another step forward. “That's very nice, I'm sure,” she said. Her tone made it clear she didn't think it was nice at all. “But you're done with your wishes, right? Surely your kid isn't so needy he'd keep you from having… friends your own age.”

She tugged at the opening of her yukata, bringing it a little lower. Akira couldn't keep from making a disgusted face.

Her eyes snapped to him. “Hey, what's that face for?” she demanded.

Akira immediately signed back. You're gross, and trying too hard, and Jun isn't interested in you.

Jun covered a laugh with his hand.

Obviously Kashiwagi didn't know what he said, though. Jun opened his mouth to translate, but she interrupted. “Oh, I forgot for a moment,” she said, poorly hiding her sneer. “He's… special. I suppose I can forgive him for making a face.”

Jun's amusement disappeared immediately. Akira felt anger bubbling up in his chest. She was one of the worst kinds of people.

“He was merely pointing out what I've already told you,” Jun said. “That I'm not interested.”

Her expression shifted to a snarl briefly, but a glance at the crowd had her acting “nice” again. Katsuya stepped forward, hands up. “Ma'am, as one of Kashihara-kun's friends, you're clearly making him uncomfortable,” he said.

“Oh, come on, Jun-kun!” she whined, ignoring Katsuya completely. “It's such a romantic night, can't you give me one chance? I promise you'll be glad you did!”

“No,” Jun said, immediately. “Please let us pass.” He stepped forward, trying to walk around her, but she reached to put her hands on his chest.

Akira snarled silently, leaving his spot from behind Jun. He felt something bubbling up inside him, something that reminded him of the protective looks Jun would give him at the most serious of moments. He wanted to yell for her to stop touching Jun when he was clearly uncomfortable. He could hear some of the watching people calling out for her to leave him alone, and see Katsuya stepping forward too.

He did the best he could to communicate in a way even she would understand. He poked her in the leg so she looked down at him, then blew a raspberry at her.

For some reason, that tipped her over. “You little brat!” she cried out. “Stop getting in the way!” She grabbed him by the shoulder and slapped him across the face. Then, she kicked out at his stomach.

Akira took the hit and lost his balance with a cry. When he fell, it almost felt like slow motion. He heard a yowl from Morgana. He saw Jun reach for him, eyes wide. He saw Suou racing forward and Katsuya shifting to stand between him and Kashiwagi.

At least with how he'd doubled over to grab his stomach, he didn't hit his head. His back still hurt from hitting the hard stones, and his cheek stung. He hoped his yukata was okay.

A glance up saw Morgana clinging to Kashiwagi and scratching wildly, hissing and yowling all the while. Jun knelt by his side, the lanterns putting his face in shadow. Akira tried to give him a smile. Kashiwagi stared down at him with a mixture of smugness and shock. Footsteps rang against the stone as a voice called out, “Noriko Kashiwagi, you are under arrest for assault.”

—

Jun rushed to Akira, his sweet, brave kid, the moment he started to fall. He scanned the boy over for blood, his hands hovering, even as he heard Morgana yelling curses and insults at Kashiwagi. He hesitated to touch, even when Akira tried to give him a smile. But he couldn't devote himself fully to his kid. Kashiwagi was still there. What if she hurt Morgana? What if she got past Katsuya and attacked again?

“Noriko Kashiwagi, you are under arrest for assault.”

Jun couldn't stop the way he focused in on that voice. It was Tacchi's leader voice, the one he'd used to direct them in battle or get them to settle down. The bite of anger burned underneath.

Morgana took a look and hopped off of Kashiwagi, back into the shadows. Her face and hands were littered with scratches.

“You have a right to remain silent,” Tatsuya continued. “You have a right to an attorney at the trial. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed for you.”

She gaped at Tatsuya for a moment, before shaking her head. “But that kid was so disrespectful!” she spluttered. “And-and, aren't you going to do something about that dangerous animal?”

Tatsuya pulled out a pair of handcuffs, bringing Kashiwagi's hands behind her back. She didn't struggle. She continued to try to give excuses, each one lamer than the next. Tatsuya stayed silent.

And Jun couldn't stop watching. Some of it was worry of what would happen if he took his eyes off of Kashiwagi. But mostly it was Tatsuya.

Jun could see the differences. Tatsuya was more sure of himself. He had no expectation of backup. He was less ready to fight. This wasn't quite the same person Jun once knew. Even if it had been his Tacchi, he wouldn't be the same.

He felt his heart breaking as he realized he could love this Tatsuya too. But it still wouldn't be fair. Not while Jun remembered and Tatsuya couldn't even be told about it.

Jun kept staring as Tatsuya led Kashiwagi away, until Akira sitting up drew his attention back.

“Woah, stay there for a minute,” he cautioned. “Did you hit your head at all?”

Akira scowled but laid back down. No, just my back, he signed. Why were you staring at the cop?

Jun opened his mouth, then closed it. “Sorry,” he said instead of explaining.

Katsuya was hovering behind them, looking nervous and guilty. “I'll find the first aid stall,” he said. “Sorry we didn't stop it before this happened.”

“You were trying to avoid a bigger scene,” Jun said. Even if he wished Kashiwagi had been stopped sooner, she might have done something worse if pressed. Something that she could claim innocence for while smearing Jun’s reputation. “Go get more help.”

Katsuya rushed off as Akira looked up at him. Morgana crept back from the shadows. “I'll keep watch until he gets back,” he said, before settling before them.

Jun translated the words for Akira, who nodded. Then, he asked an important question. “Akira, why didn't you go when I told you to?”

Akira's expression grew stubborn. I don't regret it. he signed. She was making you uncomfortable. I didn't want to abandon you.

Jun sighed. It touched his heart but maybe she wouldn't have lashed out if Akira wasn't there. Or at least she wouldn't be able to target Akira.

Akira kept signing. Besides. Now she won't be a problem again.

Jun rolled his eyes, a fond smile on his lips. “I guess that's a silver lining. But you know this means you might have to go to the doctor's?”

Akira groaned in annoyance, before carefully sitting up. He winced a little. She didn't hit me that hard. he replied. Plus she was wearing soft sandals.

Jun saw Katsuya rushing back with someone from the first aid stall, and planted a kiss on Akira's head. “Well, we'll ask the first aid people if they think it's important.”

Akira leaned into Jun as he watched the people come up. I just hope my yukata is okay, he added.

“We can get any rips repaired and any stains cleaned later,” Jun said. “Right now, you're more important. My brave little protector.”

Akira looked stunned for a moment, before giving a bashful smile in return.

In the end, Akira wasn't hurt that badly. He got ice packs for his back, stomach, and cheek, but they didn't have to go to the doctor after all. The incident did pretty much end their night, though. Akira and Morgana were both clearly on edge, looking for danger, and Jun wasn't feeling much better. Besides, Akira's yukata had a rip on the back and some dirt stains, and he wanted to get home and take care of it as soon as possible.

Katsuya had apologized over and over for not preventing the whole thing. Jun did his best to wave him off. Did he wish they had been able to prevent the whole scene? Of course. But it was done now, and if he dwelled on it, that wouldn't help anything. He did ask Katsuya to thank his brother for the help. And then he went home with his family.

Chapter Text

After the festival, there wasn't much time left of summer break. Jun found himself busy, preparing for the term ahead, arranging for Akira's yukata to be cleaned and mended, and making sure Akira had done all his summer homework.

One issue started to loom large in his mind. The high school class trip would begin a week after the start of school, and Jun was supposed to chaperone it. The trip itself would be simple enough. The students were visiting Iwatodai of all places, so Jun was familiar. It was easy enough to find a cheaper hotel that wouldn't give anyone bedbugs to book for the students, and he'd chaperoned school trips in Sumaru so he didn't expect any problems.

The thing that worried him was Akira. Akira had gotten more clingy since the summer festival, and a little more on edge, although he did his best to hide it. And Jun had never been away from Akira for so long. For most kids, this would be when he asked someone to babysit, but Akira wouldn't be comfortable with someone he didn't know well. And Maya and her friends all had work lined up that they couldn't miss.

Morgana would be there. And maybe someone could check in on Akira to make sure he was doing alright? There were a few people around town who might be willing to check in on him…

Jun spent some time asking around before bringing it up to Akira on the day of the fireworks festival.

“So, the high school has their class trip leaving on September 8th,” he said as they finished up breakfast. “As a homeroom teacher, it's my job to chaperone my class.”

Akira frowned. So you have to go away? How long? he asked. Jun could see both the anxiety in his expression and his attempts to control it. He clenched and unclenched his fists and tugged at his bangs.

“The 8th is a Thursday. I'd come back on Saturday evening,” Jun explained.

That's not that long. Morgana and I can handle things on our own here, Akira replied. He glanced nervously at Morgana, who was half-asleep, then tried for a smile.

Jun smiled back. “I know you're good at being independent. And I'm not going to stick you with someone you don't know well watching over you the whole time,” he conceded.

Akira squinted at him. But?

“But I don't want to leave you two completely alone either. How would you feel if we got someone from town to check in on you once or twice? Plus, I'd give you their contact info for if you need immediate help. Of course, you can always text me, and if an emergency happens, just let me know and I'll come back as fast as I can. But it’s several hours by train.”

Akira mulled this over as Morgana stretched and tuned into the conversation. Depends on who it is. I don't want a total stranger, he finally signed. Where are you going anyway?

“The trip is actually to Iwatodai,” Jun said. Both Akira and Morgana perked up at that. “And I'm only asking people you know, although I don't have anyone picked for certain.”

Akira fiddled with his hair again before signing, I guess that would be okay. Maybe the bookshop people?

Jun sighed. “I thought of them, but they'll both be out of town that weekend, visiting family. I'm asking around, and I'll let you know who your options are as soon as I can.”

Morgana padded over to the AAC device and soon the device's robot voice said “I'll keep an eye on Akira too.”

Jun and Akira both shot him smiles. When Akira stood to clear his plate, Jun thought the conversation would be over. But soon Akira had put down his things and turned back to Jun, a serious expression on his face. If you can, can you visit Minato's grave? And say hello from me? he asked.

Jun put a hand on Akira's shoulder. “Of course,” he said warmly. “I was planning to visit him regardless.”

Akira met his eyes, mouth tight with grief. It had been a year and a half. The grief had softened, but it still ached sharply. Grief never fully disappeared, either. The boy nodded, then turned away.

Later that day, as the sun began to sink, Jun, Akira and Morgana were setting up with a blanket to watch the fireworks. They were by the riverbank, and it was pretty crowded. Akira was a little jumpy at first, but when his friend Yoshitaka came up, soon he was racing off to some sort of game, Morgana clinging onto Akira with a plea to “Slow down!”

This meant when Tatsuya Suou noticed Jun and made a beeline for him, Jun had no one to worry about but himself. For a moment, grief flashed through him as he watched the man approach, but he pushed it down. He needed to thank Suou, anyway.

He stood up and met the man as he reached the edge of his blanket, giving a small smile. “Hello, Suou-san. Thank you for helping last week,” he said.

He could feel Tatsuya's eyes roving over his face, before the man looked away and shrugged. “I wish I could have done more, or acted before she actually hurt Akira-kun,” he said.

Jun couldn't stop the smile. “Your brother felt the exact same way. And he apologized enough for both of you.”

A long pause. Suou pulled out a lighter. He was trying to build up the nerve to say something. Jun decided to help out. “Was there something specific you came to me about?” he asked.

Suou shuffled his feet and rubbed the back of his neck, unable to look directly at Jun, before finally spitting it out. “I… can't tell how you feel about me,” he started. “Sometimes you push me away or brush me off, but your expression…”

Jun bit the inside of his cheek, waiting for Suou to gather his words. He couldn't bring himself to speak.

“Do you want me to leave you alone?” Suou finally asked.

Jun sighed, hugging himself as he considered the question. At first he had definitely wanted Suou to leave him alone. But was that still the case?

Could he turn away from Tatsuya again? He didn't have to. Tatsuya clearly wanted to be friends, even if Jun could never let it become something more. He was different, but so was Jun. The biggest problem was still that secret that lay between them.

Finally, fiddling idly with his watch, Jun replied. “No, I don't want you to leave me alone, at least not now,” he began. “I… I'd like to be friends, Suou-san. But… I should warn you. It can't be more than friends.”

He met Tatsuya's eyes and couldn't stop himself from reaching out, brushing the back of his fingers against Tatsuya's cheek. Tatsuya gasped, eyes darkening. He leaned in.

And Jun stepped back. “There is something between us. I've seen the way you look at me, too. It's not your fault, Tatsuya. But there's something else. A complication. It means it would be unfair to you if we became more than friends.”

Tatsuya clenched his hand around his lighter, looking down and away. Jun could see him thinking hard. Then he met Jun's eyes again. “Does this have to do with the secrets my brother keeps?” he asked, something resigned in his tone.

Jun swallowed, hating having to hurt him like this. “Yes. Yes, it does.”

Tatsuya slumped, and put his lighter away. “Then, I understand. As much as I can, anyway.”

Jun wanted to reach out and ease away all his worries. But he couldn't. Instead, he stepped back on the blanket. “Come join me. The fireworks should be soon, and I think Akira has run off with a friend.”

Tatsuya eased himself to sit on the blanket, and Jun did as well.

“Speaking of Akira-kun,” Tatsuya began. “Well, for one, I'm curious what the story is between you two. How you met and all. But also, if we're friends, I'd like to get to know him better. And I was wondering… do you have any advice for learning sign language?”

Jun felt himself smile. “I have some books I can lend you,” he said. “Akira might get nervous around you, but if you're patient, I think he'll warm up eventually. Now that I think about it, there's a favor I want to ask you. I'll tell you how we met after…”

—

As the fireworks exploded in the sky, signaling the end of summer, people clung to the warmth and relaxation. Kids played and chattered and bickered. A boy with messy hair and a cat clinging to his shoulder played tag with some younger kids. Adults relaxed in the summer heat, holding onto those close to them and admiring the colors above them. Two men sat and chatted, getting to know each other, feeling out how to make a friendship work.

Chapter Text

It took until the weekend after school started for Jun to present Akira with his options for Replacement Adults during the school trip, and the options… weren’t great. Tatsumi from the shopping district. Their next door neighbor, who Akira barely knew. A few other vague acquaintances. And Tatsuya Suou.

(Apparently, they’d talked at the firework festival and exchanged numbers, and Suou had been up for helping out.)

Akira considered this, and appreciated that Jun let him work it out, discussing it with Morgana. They went over the pros and cons and what they knew about these people. It shouldn’t have been as hard of a choice as it was. Akira had spent years and years being looked after by people he didn’t know well or trust at all. This shouldn’t be any different.

But it was. Akira had gotten used to things with Jun, and having to deal with some other grown up was frustrating at the very least. None of the options knew JSL, though apparently Jun had lent Suou a book to learn it.

That ended up being a big point in his favor, even if Akira was confused why Suou cared enough about him to learn. Morgana vouched that when he knew him last he was trustworthy, but admitted that that had been a long time ago, and people change. He was a cop, but he had acted well at the festival, and Katsuya’s explanations of his motivations painted him more as overly idealistic than a danger himself.

And Akira had spent a while near Dojima, who didn’t even have all that going for him. He could handle this.

When he gave his answer to Jun, he chose Tatsuya Suou.

The next Thursday morning, Jun was clearly as anxious about the separation as Akira felt. But this was a normal thing to deal with. And they could deal with it. So, after Jun said goodbye for the twentieth time and double-triple-quadruple checked that Akira had Suou’s number and everything else he needed, Jun headed to the high school, and Akira headed to the elementary school, Morgana in tow.

And then Akira returned home, and Jun wasn’t there.

It wasn’t the first time he’d been at home while Jun wasn’t there. Sometimes he was running errands or helping out after school or doing other things Akira didn’t care about.

But somehow, knowing Jun was all the way back in Iwatodai, that he wouldn’t be back until Saturday, made it feel… off. Strange.

He tried to pretend it wasn't. He’d been alone before, so this wasn't any harder.

Except actually he'd never really been alone, had he? Sure, there had been years and years where there was no one who cared about him but Morgana, but there had always been people around. It was never quiet like this.

Akira ended up wandering around the house, anxious and unsettled, all throughout that afternoon and evening. He’d step outside to try to distract himself, full of plans to go catch bugs or visit Yoshitaka. But he never got very far before he turned around and headed back to the house. He couldn’t even explain why he didn’t want to leave it be. It was like jiggling a loose tooth. Something was wrong and he couldn’t ignore it.

He talked with Morgana, using the AAC device, but the device was always a little slower than he wanted. Still, Morgana did his best to cheer him up and help him with the baseless anxiety, even if it came with some teasing.

Maybe it was that Jun was going back to Iwatodai. Maybe Akira was still worried for Jun after everything with Kashiwagi. Maybe it was something else.

(Sometimes, throughout his life, thoughts would pop up in his mind, when certain things happened or when he was stressed. Thoughts that didn't make sense. He could always feel how those thoughts were different. Now, he could identify that they were from before. It was easy to push those thoughts down these days. He knew he didn't want to remember or know about the past. It was dangerous and made his neck itch. So when thoughts popped up of waiting for someone to come home, afraid of what they'd do but too helpless to do without them, he smothered them.)

It wasn't all bad, the first day. Sometimes he could forget that Jun wasn't there, when he got distracted. But, even past the unsettling feelings, he missed him. He found himself wanting to tell Jun about something on his mind, or ask for his opinion. When he remembered Jun wasn't there, it felt like a weight dropping on him.

He knew it was just three days. Not even three full days. He knew this anxiety was baseless, that everything would be fine and Jun would be back soon. But before the first day was up, Akira started counting the hours until Jun's return.

Every time Jun texted him to check in, to make sure he and Morgana were doing okay, Akira told him that he was fine. He didn't want to worry him, or make him think he had to come back early, or wouldn't be able to go away again. This was for his job, and Akira wasn't a baby, he was eleven, and he could be left home alone.

When he went to sleep that night, he clutched his flower blanket close. His dreams were anxious and fuzzy.

(When he woke up, overtop the anxiety itching at him to keep his people close, he was mostly annoyed at his brain and how much it was overreacting.)

The next day was more of the same. He still had classes to distract him. After classes, he found himself wandering his house like a ghost once more. The next day was Saturday, though. He'd have to distract himself for much longer, at least until Jun came back Saturday evening. It made him even more nervous.

Tatsuya Suou had texted him a few times to check on him, and Akira assured him he was fine and didn’t need anything each time. But on Friday, he texted that he’d drop in to check on Akira in person Saturday morning. That Saturday, Akira was making himself and Morgana breakfast when the doorbell rang. Akira made a face, but Morgana gave him a look until he sighed and went to answer the door.

He knew Suou was fine, or as fine as a cop could be. He’d chosen Suou to check on him, certain he could handle it. And, if Jun was still here, he could probably handle seeing him easily. But now, with his skin itching, Suou felt like danger. So, when he opened the front door and saw him just standing there in his professional button-up shirt, his eyes too intense, he shied away without really meaning to.

(He'd never noticed before, but with his mind so out of sorts, his walls were weaker. There was something else about Tatsuya Suou, something that dug up thoughts he didn't want to have. He pushed them down before he could even identify what kind of thoughts they were.)

Suou smiled and gave him a friendly hello, which softened his eyes a little, but Akira’s gaze fell away from him, and he sort of just awkwardly gestured for him to come in. He wasn't technically supposed to be using the stove unsupervised (and apparently Morgana didn’t count as supervision), but he was, and he didn’t want to get into more trouble for leaving it alone in the kitchen if Jun ever found out.

“So how are things?” Suou asked, as Akira padded back to the kitchen in his socks. “Have you been okay without Jun here the last couple days?”

Akira shrugged, making sure to grab a pad of paper in case he needed to actually use any words. Briefly, he considered writing something like “You’re making me nervous. Can you just go?”

But his instincts screamed against showing a cop vulnerability like that, even a cop who had been vetted by so many people as a good person.

“How’s school been going?” Suou asked, as Akira turned his attention back to the stove.

Akira clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. Why was that always the thing adults asked about? School was school.

“Yeah…” Suou chuckled self consciously. “I guess that’s probably not something you want to talk about, huh? Plus, I haven’t managed to learn any JSL yet, so…”

Akira shrugged, then shook his head no.

“I guess I didn’t like talking about school when I was your age either,” Suou said.

There was a long, awkward silence. Akira stared at the stove. Morgana meowed next to the AAC device, obviously exasperated by the awkward situation. Akira looked back at him, frowning. He knew he'd said he would try to be friendlier with Suou, and Suou was clearly trying to be friendly with him, but right now he didn't have the energy to try. He was a cop.

Plus… the more he interacted with the man, the more Suou felt subtly off, just… different than it felt like he should be. It was weird. He was weird.

Akira didn't want to think about it. He made faces at Morgana instead.

And then Suou said, “You know, I’m kind of hoping I’ll be around more soon. I want to get to know Jun better. You too.”

Akira’s breath caught, and he started. He did not like the way Suou said that. Kind of wistful, and very… intentional? Too much like the strange way Jun had stared at Suou during the festival. Something sad was there too. Akira grasped onto something he could barely understand, and started thinking that it sounded a lot like Suou liked Jun. Like, he liked Jun. And something Akira had learned from Jun reared up inside him. There were times when he looked at his guardian and saw that Jun would fight for him. Akira still sometimes had a hard time wrapping his mind around how far Jun would go for him. It was a little scary to believe that someone would feel like that, for him.

But today, like that day at the festival, when Kashiwagi tried to touch Jun, Akira felt a fire burn in him, and it was like how he thought Jun might feel when he was getting ready to fight. He did not want someone worming their way into Jun’s life, and stealing him away just when Akira was getting secure in his little family. And he definitely didn't want that someone to be a cop. He whirled on Tatsuya, expression hard, a roaring something in his chest, and slammed an angry hand down on-

Oh.

On the stove.

He jerked his hand off the stove and curled around it, face twisting into a mask of misery, a soft “Ffffff” leaking out of him. He’d put his hand right in the pot, and while he’d snatched his hand back out in time to stop it from really getting hurt, the angry slap had sent hot liquid splashing up his wrist and arm, where it was still sitting and burning. Akira’s whole brain crumbled into a wall of pain so that the thought of getting it off didn't even occur to him.

His heart beat wildly from sheer pain. Distantly, he could hear Morgana yowling and Suou panicking his way into the kitchen. Akira cringed away, curling further into himself, hiding his arm from Suou as the adult tried to get a look at it. He hissed and cried, and hated himself for crying in front of Suou.

“Okay,” Suou said, still sounding panicked. He reached up and shut off the stove, then actually physically lifted Akira off the kitchen floor to carry him out of the room. “We are going to get you to the doctor.”

Akira shook his head no, furiously, but Suou either didn’t see him or ignored the movement. If Jun had been there, he would have known how much Akira hated going to the doctor. If Suou could understand Morgana, then Morgana could have told him. But it was just Akira being put into the backseat of Suou’s car (Suou’s police car, as if today couldn’t get any worse), completely unable to do anything to convince Tatsuya that he didn’t want to be taken to a doctor.

(Or at least not alone. Not without Morgana there to comfort him and Jun to shut down the comments about all his problems. He knew seeing the doctor was important sometimes, really, he did. Jun and him had managed to work out how to make it as painless as possible. None of that would help now.)

His arm hurt so bad…

Suou ended up taking him to the hospital. Akira didn’t know why. Maybe Suou didn’t know a closer doctor’s office, or maybe he thought this really was bad enough to go to the emergency room. Akira didn’t know, and since he was clutching his burned arm close to his chest, protecting it from getting hurt any worse, he couldn't sign or write or do anything to ask or argue. All he could do was focus on breathing as slow and deep as he could manage, and try not to think about it.

(It didn’t work too well)

He didn’t get seen right away. Even in Inaba, at 9:00 in the morning, there was a wait to be seen. Akira by this point had given up on avoiding a doctor, and his brain had started to lose the hard edge of panic that had made it so hard to think on the way over here. He mostly focused on trying to ignore the pain, and… he just wasn't having a good time.

“It’s going to be okay,” Suou said.

Akira ignored him.

“The doctors are going to be able to help you,” Suou continued.

Akira continued to ignore him. Deep breath in, deep breath out.

Suou started to purr.

The surprise of it somehow managed to break through the wall of pain around his mind, because it sounded so much like the noise Akira himself made when happy. For years and years, ever since he was a kid, it had been something between him and Morgana, but now here was Suou doing it too. The same noise. The same kind of rev up into the rumble of a purr, and Akira looked up from his arm to stare at him with wide, confused eyes.

Suou misinterpreted his expression, and stopped purring. “I know it’s a little weird,” he said with a half smile. “But motorcycle noises and other impressions are my only party trick. I kind of thought it might be a good distraction?”

Akira, a little bit tentative, purred back. He almost didn’t want to, because as far as he was concerned, all this was Suou’s fault. But he’d never heard anyone else purring the way he did. Even if he called it motorcycle noises.

(It was obviously a purr)

Suou looked surprised, then delighted, and for a second he smiled down at Akira.

Then the doctors came to take a look at him.

Even though Akira came to this hospital when he sprained his ankle last Spring, that time had been with a different doctor. Still, Akira was pretty sure he had a file here. The doctor looking at his arm had either looked at it and didn't care, or hadn't looked at it at all. He seemed to think Akira was just too stubborn or in too much pain to answer his questions, and ignored him like he’d ignore any normal eleven year old. Suou was even a little helpful. He answered the doctor’s questions instead. That made it a little easier for Akira to grit his teeth and get through the examination without biting anyone.

(There was an odd moment. Suou shot him a look towards the beginning, uncertain and questioning, his head tilted towards the doctor. Akira read it as a question. “Do you want me to tell him about you not talking?” or something like that. Akira shook his head a little. It would just make things more frustrating. It wasn’t like Akira could write with his hand and arm burned. The idea must have gotten through, because Suou didn’t say anything. But it was weird that they could communicate that way.)

“Now what’s this?” the doctor asked, when Akira’s arm was finally clear of hot liquid, and mostly covered in burn cream. “This- oh. It’s an old scar.”

Okay, he definitely didn't read Akira's file. Akira wanted to end this before that changed. He made a high noise and tried to wriggle his arm out of the doctor’s grip, but it only rubbed the raw burn on his arm in a way that hurt more. He didn’t like the way the doctor looked at the old scar on his arm. The new burn had painted a mottled pattern of raw red skin over it, but the pattern was still pretty visible.

Suou leaned in to look, and sucked in a breath when he saw it.

It’s not that bad, Akira wanted to say. It’s not that bad, it doesn’t even usually hurt, so leave it alone. But the doctor tutted at the scar, and told Akira very sternly that he’d have to be more careful with this burn if he didn't want another scar on top of his old one.

And Suou stared.

Even as the doctor asked him questions about Akira’s parents (and then about Jun, when Suou corrected him), Suou kept looking back at Akira’s forearm. At the old swoop of a scar there. When the doctor stepped away to actually call Jun and deliver the bad news, Suou asked, “Where did you get that?” in a sort of breathless tone.

Akira shrugged. He didn’t know, not really. It was from before, and Morgana and Jun were the ones who knew about that.

He was getting tired of getting poked about that. First his brain kept trying to pull up old feelings, and now Suou asked about it.

“It’s very important,” Suou insisted, his expression intense. “Akira-kun, I need to know how you got that scar.” He glanced around, then muttered, “Crap, there's no paper or pen…”

Akira shook his head hard, and for his own satisfaction signed I don't know! as pointedly as he could without using his wrist. Shook his head hard, too, so hopefully Suou would get it. He didn't want to be interrogated.

“It’s important,” Suou said. “I'll find you somewhere to write but… Please.”

Please.

Not telling, or ordering. It wasn't a command from a police officer, just… somebody scared and desperate.

But Akira didn't know.

Suou had started to search himself and finally found a pad of paper and a pen. The papers were some sort of official form, but Suou ripped one free, drew an X over the form and placed the blank back up on the counter near Akira. He offered the pen, all the intensity in his eyes mingling with desperation and something… lost.

Akira didn't know. But Suou was desperate enough that he'd give what he could. His good hand was burned. Writing would be hard if not impossible. But… wait. His phone was in his pocket. It had been the whole time.

He pulled it out and pulled up a random text chain. There, without sending it, he typed out a message and showed it to Suou.

I don't remember. I was a baby.

Suou read it and deflated. Then, he tugged on his right hand sleeve and gave a strained smile. “Alright. I'm sorry for dredging up the past.”

Chapter Text

Jun was looking forward to heading home, even if his students were all excited to make the most of the rest of the free time they had in Tatsumi Port Island.

The trip overall had gone pretty well. He’d gotten to say hello to the faculty at Gekkoukan. There had been no major problems with his students. He did his best to give good advice on where to visit on Port Island, and his students seemed to appreciate having advice from someone who’d lived there before.

(He was doing his absolute best to ignore the Persona resonances, but he couldn’t help but identify the group of students, some of them first-years, who all hung out together and all had Personas. Not to mention the “stuffed bear” they brought into the hotel that also clearly had a Persona too. He didn’t need to know and it wasn’t his business. He would have tried to sneak Akira and Morgana in wherever they went back in his own teen years. He just had to hope they wouldn’t cause problems on the trip. And, as far as he knew, they didn’t.)

On Friday, he visited Minato Arisato’s grave. He brought incense, and flowers. An iris and a shion flower, for the game they played together. Bluebells for gratitude for what Arisato did for them. And an amaryllis, for the shy child Arisato helped, the one waiting back at home and now much less shy.

He cleaned up the grave, although there was little he had to do. It was clearly well tended. He placed the flowers in the vase and lit the incense.

He spent quite a while there, before the grave of a courageous young man. He thanked him again for everything he’d done for Jun, for Akira, and for the world. He talked about his new life in Inaba, his hopes for peace and his worries about whatever drew the Velvet Room to the town. He talked about Tatsuya and reminisced on the friends that no longer remembered him. He said hello from Akira, and promised to find time to bring him to visit himself.

He didn’t know if Arisato could hear him. Ghosts had been real in Sumaru when rumors were reality, but he didn’t know how things like this worked without that influence. Besides, Arisato’s illness… it likely hadn’t been natural. That could have affected matters, although Jun had no idea how.

But even if Arisato couldn’t actually hear him, it felt good to say it. It felt good to reflect on his life. Despite the worries and the problems, his life was quite good. Akira was doing well. Morgana enjoyed having more people he could talk with. Without Arisato, would he have given up on Akira? He didn’t know. But he was glad to have the kid in his life. Glad to watch him grow.

Everything continued as normal. He checked in with Akira, and with Tatsuya, via text. Both said everything was fine, although Tatsuya admitted he hadn’t visited Akira, just texted him. Jun encouraged the man to actually get eyes on Akira, although he figured that everything probably was fine enough.

And then he got a call. As he was leaving the hotell for some final sightseeing himself, his phone rang. It was from the hospital. Akira had been brought in with burns on his arm. The doctor started to explain how it wasn’t severe as Jun immediately turned back into the hotel.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can. I’m in Tatsumi Port Island so it will take a few hours,” he said. And hung up.

It was quick work to inform the other faculty that he had to leave ahead of schedule and to close up his mostly-packed suitcase. He nearly ran to the train station to purchase a ticket. Once he was waiting, he called Tatsuya.

“Hello,” Tatsuya said.

“It’s Jun,” Jun said. “What happened?”

“He… slapped the hot water in a pot. I got him to the hospital as quick as I could.” There was something… off about his tone.

“Did Morgana come with you?”

“No.” He sounded confused.

Jun bit back a curse. “What’s happening right now?”

“The doctor’s bandaging the burns. He said he has instructions on how to care for it, and he’ll write them out for you.”

“Alright. Put me on with Akira.”

There was a pause, before a sound of assent and the rustle of a transfer.

A sound of a tongue click.

Jun immediately softened. “Hey,” he said. “Let’s go one click for yes, two for no, okay?”

One click.

“I’m on my way back as soon as I can. You can text me anything else you want me to know about it, but I wanted to tell you I’m sorry I couldn’t be there.”

Two clicks. Jun smiled.

“I know it’s more complicated than that. Do you have your phone with you?”

Two click.

“Alright. Let’s talk over there so you’re not limited to yes or no.”

A click, and then the call ended.

Soon, he got a text. As the train came and Jun settled in with his luggage, he spent the time texting with Akira.

Akira: its not your fault it happened and we both agreed to you leaving

Jun: That’s fair. I’m just sad I couldn’t be there to help with the doctor.

Akira: i didnt bite anyone

Jun: Good job. Seriously.

Akira: it was on my right arm. i dont think the doctor actually read my file so he was less annoying. its not that bad though.

Jun: Sounded like it wasn’t that bad. It’s more the doctor’s visit, right?

Akira: yeah i guess. and suou made me nervous today

Jun: How so?

Akira: im just on edge a little. its fine. hes weird and a cop.

Akira: he asked where i got my scar

Jun: Oh.

Akira: gotta stop texting, dr giving me instructions

 

Akira: okay suou is taking me home.

Jun: I still have a couple hours unfortunately. I’ll be there this afternoon. Do you think Tatsuya being around will help more or hurt more? Honest answer please. If it’s uncomfortable with him but dangerous without, it’s better for him to be there.

Akira: um. i have the instructions. i have one fully working arm and mona. mona cant help as much if hes there. so no suou.

Jun: Alright. Please be careful with yourself until I get home.

Akira: i think i mostly need to relax.

Jun: Okay. Morgana can help with that.

 

—

 

Jun: Tatsuya-san, thank you so much for helping Akira. I talked with him, and I think it’s best if he has more alone time until I can get back.

Tatsuya: It’s the least I could do. If you think it’s best, I’ll head out. He disappeared into his room with his cat for now. Though, there’s a worry I’d like to talk with you about, after you’re home and settled.

Jun: I may know what you’re talking about. And I may not be able to give you the answers you want.

Tatsuya: That’s. fair. I need to ask, though, at the very least.

 

—

 

Jun: Back home with Morgana?

Akira: yeah hes been calling me stupid for slapping a hot thing.

Jun: What exactly happened?

Akira: it was just an accident. I was cooking with suou there to supervise. he said something that made me mad and i wanted to slap the counter but i hit the water instead

Jun: What did he say?

Akira: nothing important dont worry about it.

Jun: … You know that’s not very convincing. We can talk about that in person if you want, though.

Akira: whatever.

Jun: Is it making it harder to sign?

Akira: only a little. but id have to write with my off hand. dr said it should heal in a couple days.

Jun: Alright, we’ll sort out what alternate forms of communication to use until you’re better.

Akira: how much longer til youre home?

Jun: Three more hours.

Akira: ew.

Jun: My feelings exactly.

Jun continued to text with Akira on and off, needing the reassurance of the contact, as he watched landscapes rush past through the window. Akira told him some about what he got up to (which sounded like not much.) Jun confirmed that he'd visited Arisato's grave and shared stories of things he'd seen or strange things his students had done.

Until finally he was back in Inaba. And, after some walking, back home.

“I'm home!” he called as he toed off his shoes. From the living room, he heard Morgana and Akira both welcome him home in their own ways.

And then Akira walked into the entryway, looking Jun over as if he had been the one injured. The bandages on his arm were clearly visible. The moment Jun stepped into the house proper, Akira surged forward into a hug. He was clearly being careful with his right arm, but the left squeezed fiercely around Jun's middle. Jun hugged back just as tight.

When he pulled back, Akira was blushing faintly. I missed you, he admitted, his signs with his right hand a little awkward.

“I missed you too,” Jun replied.

With a hand still on Akira's back, he led them back to the living room, where Morgana was waiting with the AAC device. The not-cat immediately pressed a button to make the device speak for him. “Akira moped the entire time you were gone.”

Although the device was toneless, Morgana's expression was smug enough to make up for it.

Akira just stuck his tongue out at his friend, before grabbing the doctor's instructions on burn care.

They spent a while discussing that and other logistics. Akira gave in and agreed that he'd have to bring the AAC device to school if he couldn't write by Monday, and Jun promised to contact his teachers to make sure he'd get help with note-taking.

And then Jun brought up what had made Akira so evasive over text. “What did Tatsuya say that made you angry?” Jun asked, trying to gentle his tone.

Akira immediately stiffened and looked down, and Morgana turned from Jun to look at him. 

“If there's a conflict with you two—beyond the whole police matter—I want to know,” Jun pressed. “I want to help. If it's related to him being a cop, I still want to know.”

It really isn't important, Akira signed. 

“If it isn't important, then surely it's easy enough to tell me, right?” Jun pressed.

Akira pressed his lips together and shook his head. Jun felt worry spiking. He didn't know what would cause Akira to clam up on this, when he'd been open about everything else. Maybe he was embarrassed? Or… was he worried Jun would take Tatsuya's side.

“You know I'm here for you,” Jun tried one last time. “The way you're acting is worrying me, so I'm not going to let this go. If I need to, I'll just ask Morgana.”

Morgana glanced at him with a nod, before meeting Akira's eyes challengingly. Akira glared at him, before slumping and turning back towards Jun.

He… I think he likes you. Like more than friends, Akira admitted slowly. He glanced up and met his eyes. Jun didn't know what his expression was doing, but something in it made Akira stiffen back up, his signs growing bigger and more intense. 

You're not allowed to date him! he protested. I'm just getting comfortable and I don't want anyone else interfering! And he's a cop!

Jun held up his hands in a woah motion. “It's okay, Akira,” he said. “I already know Tatsuya likes me, and you don't have to worry. I want to be his friend, but there's reasons why I could never date him.”

Akira frowned, examining his expression. You like him back, he accused.

Jun opened his mouth to reply, and had to swallow back a lump. Finally, he sighed.

“Okay,” he started. “First of all, no matter what, no matter who else I befriend or date, I promised you I'd be there for you, and nothing is going to change that.”

Akira met his eyes, stubbornness and worry mingling in his own eyes. Jun went on.

“I wouldn't want to control who you bring into your life, although I'd hope you'd listen to me if I have concerns about someone. Likewise, I'll listen to any concerns you have about people. And…” Jun had to think for a long moment, to make sure he was making the right call, and phrasing it right.

“If I was bringing someone to join our family,” he finally settled on. “I would do my best not to bring someone who makes you feel unsafe. Which means, in most cases, police officers are right out. If I ever bring someone to join our family, it would be a slow process, too. But, Akira, you wouldn't like it if I said you couldn't be friends with someone outright, right?”

Akira considered this, biting his lip. Not outright. I'd want you to explain why and be able to disagree, he replied, looking deeply uncomfortable.

Jun nodded. “Exactly,” he said. “The same goes for any friend I make, or any romance, on my end. If you have concerns, I'll listen. And you don't have to be friends with my friends, or anyone I romance. But you don't get to control me, and I don't get to control you.”

In truth, he couldn't picture any romance lasting long if Akira didn't warm up to them in time. But, he didn't want to tell Akira that, at least not when he was in a mulish headspace like this.

Actually…Jun struggled to picture himself in a relationship at all. Before he'd remembered, no one had felt right. Now, any time Jun tried to picture something like that, it always ended up with Tatsuya. And Tatsuya wasn't an option. But this was all besides the point. The point was, Jun knew he could get possessive. It seemed Akira had some similar tendencies. And Jun knew that tendency was something you had to keep an eye on.

He waited as Akira chewed the thoughts over. He shrank into himself as he thought, before huffing a frustrated breath. Okay, fine, he conceded. But you never said if you like Suou.

Jun leaned back and rubbed a hand on his face. “I… do like him in that way. But circumstances mean we wouldn't work as a couple.”

Morgana nodded along, but Akira tilted his head. What do you mean? he asked.

Jun sighed. “It has to do with weird stuff, fair warning, but I’ll tell you if you want.”

Akira considered this, before shrugging and motioning Jun to go on.

Jun shifted to look at his watch, the wrong watch. “In the other timeline, I knew Tatsuya very well. We were childhood friends, part of a group of five. For a short period of time, we dated, but soon after, the world ended and we had to make a deal to restart the timeline, this time without knowing each other,” he covered, keeping an eye on Akira for any signs he was getting too uncomfortable with the topic. But Akira looked fine enough, so he went on.

“When I remembered, and when Maya-nee remembered, we both got the memories of the Other Side on top of the memories of This Side. Right before the Sumaru Crisis happened, Tacchi remembered in some sort of different way. The him from the Other Side awoke in the body of the him from This Side. For some reason, this allowed weird things to start happening in Sumaru again. It took him, along with Maya-nee and her friends, a lot of work to prevent another apocalypse. There were five of us who made the deal to erase our friendship to save the world. If all five of us remembered, the timelines would merge and the world would end.”

Akira frowned. You’ve told me this stuff before, back when you first remembered, he pointed out.

“Right, but you got… stressed out by it back then, and it’s been a while so I didn’t know how well you remembered.”

What does this have to do with dating now?

Jun groaned softly. “The Tatsuya from the Other Side went back to that timeline. Maya-nee says he was planning to rebuild as much as he could. Leaving the Tatsuya from This Side here, and missing a couple months of memory. Maya-nee’s friends kept an eye on me and my old friends, including Tatsuya, because the more of us remember, the more dangerous it might be. But they– we don’t know for sure what might cause something like the Sumaru City Crisis to happen again. Tacchi was the link between the timelines back then. So him remembering might be more dangerous than any of the rest of us. And I have memories of him, important ones that he doesn’t, and can’t share. I also know the secret of what happened to him during the Crisis, and can’t tell him. It wouldn’t be fair to him to enter a romantic relationship when I’m holding back so much information. Does that make sense?”

Akira tugged on a lock of hair with his left hand, thinking it over. Then he glanced away. Because you remember and he doesn’t, he summarized.

“Exactly,” Jun said.

Akira hunched in place. I don’t remember either, he pointed out.

Jun straightened up. “No, no, no, it’s different!” he protested. In the corner of his eye he saw Morgana start to type on his AAC device, but his vision zeroed in on his son.

It’s the same, Akira argued. You remember things about me that I don’t. So does Morgana. Doesn’t that mean you shouldn’t be too close to me?

Jun thought quickly. He knew in his gut there was a major difference, but it took him long moments to figure out what that difference actually was. He considered saying that Akira had been a baby, but that wasn’t quite the truth. He considered pointing out the brain injury, but that wasn’t quite the right point. Then he managed to figure it out.

“It’s… not about memory, not all the way,” he started, holding up a hand at Akira’s skeptical look. “It’s more about knowledge, for me. If I was able to explain to Tacchi about all of this, or offer to explain to him, we might be able to go forward with something. But I can’t, because it’s dangerous. I’ve offered to explain to you what I know about your past that you don’t remember. I know Morgana would be willing to explain as well. You made the choice that you didn’t want to know, and that’s okay. But the fact that you can make that choice, when Tacchi can’t, is the major difference.”

Akira considered this for a long moment. Before he could respond, Morgana finished typing and hit send on his AAC device. 

“For me, I decided to stay with you because you treated me with respect even without remembering me,” he’d written. “I wanted to look out for you. So does Jun. You’re a kid. People looking after kids usually know more to protect the kids better. Jun and I can know about it and use that knowledge if we need to.”

Akira sank back in the cushions of the couch, fiddling with his bangs. There was a long silence. Jun held himself back, letting Akira consider these ideas.

Finally, Akira sighed. I can see the difference. I just don’t want you thinking I’m… bad, because I don’t want to know.

Jun and Morgana traded a glance. In truth, Jun wasn’t sure if ignorance was the best path for Akira. He wasn’t sure what it was that made Akira so firm in not wanting to remember, although the way he covered his neck as he got up from the couch gave him some clues. Akira’s past had a lot of trauma in it, and maybe it was easier for him to ignore it, but Jun could see ways it affected him. Maybe if he knew the truth, he’d be able to understand himself better.

But Jun’s opinion on the matter wasn’t very important. He wasn’t sure what would be the best path for Akira, but he knew going against his wishes in this matter would be disastrous. So, as Akira wandered towards the kitchen, Jun followed, and said. “I don’t think you’re bad. I think it’s a choice only you can make.”

Jun found time to talk to Tatsuya the next day, at the gazebo by the river. One look at him told Jun he was full of pent-up nerves and trying to look calm. Jun swallowed back emotion and sat down across from him. “You wanted to talk, Suou-san?” he asked.

Tatsuya fiddled endlessly with the cuff of his right sleeve as he replied. “Yeah. I… know you might not be able to tell me about it but… I saw the scars on Akira-kun's arm, when I took him to the doctor. He's doing okay, right?”

Jun nodded, finding himself fidgeting with his watch in turn. “Yes,” he replied. “He's more annoyed by it than anything, and it'll keep him from writing for a few days, but he's doing alright. Is that what you wanted to…?”

Tatsuya shook his head. “No, I wanted to talk because of the scar.” He looked down at the wooden table, not meeting Jun's eyes as he struggled to formulate his words. Jun couldn't bring himself to help. He dearly wanted this conversation to turn in any way but the obvious one.

Tatsuya kept going, though. “He told me he didn't know how he got it,” he finally said. “Do you know?”

Jun bit his lip. “Not first-hand,” he settled on. “But I've found out the details.”

Jun had glanced away, but when he looked back up, Tatsuya's gaze pinned him in place. “You can't tell me, can you?” he said.

Jun shook his head, grateful not to have to say it out loud.

He sought for some change of subject, when Tatsuya undid the button on his cuff and rolled it up. Jun felt his heart stutter in fear as he saw the black brand grasping up Tatsuya's arm. A hand grabbing onto him, with the same strange symbol as in Akira's scar.

It was over ten years and a timeline ago since Jun was Joker, since he had held Nyarlathotep in the place where his Persona belonged. Still, some things stayed with him. When he saw that brand, he knew instinctually whose work it was. Chronos could feel faint echoes of dormant power in it. Dormant, but not dead, because the Crawling Chaos was part of humanity, and as long as humanity existed, so would he.

A shudder went through Jun as he tore his eyes away from the physical reminder of the threat Tatsuya's memories posed. Tatsuya's expression made him clench a fist under the table. He looked concerned, for Jun and not himself.

Jun offered a weak smile, and Tatsuya glanced down at his own arm. “I've had this tattoo since my last year of high school. I don't remember how I got it…” he said. “I know you can't explain anything but… I guess the root question is this. Is Akira-kun in danger?”

Jun could see a second question there. Was Tatsuya in danger? He wanted to shut it down immediately. Of course they weren't in danger. It was over, and scars could be reminders, but they were only that.

The serious way Tatsuya looked at him forced him to really consider the question, though. Of course there was always some danger to life, no matter who you were. Plus, the Velvet Room was in Inaba, which spoke to danger. That wasn't what Tatsuya was asking about, though.

Nyarlathotep could be a danger to both Tatsuya and Akira if he ever came back. Jun remembered the way his “father” had reacted when Jun first brought Akira to him, as if he'd received a wonderful gift. Morgana had told him how Nyarlathotep had tormented both Tatsuya and Akira in the current timeline. 

Plus, Jun sensed from the brand that it wasn't fully severed. He feared that Tatsuya remembering again, even if Jun and Maya forgot, could be very dangerous indeed.

But Tatsuya had shown no signs of the déjà vu Jun remembered experiencing during the Sumaru City Crisis. If anything, he was very cautious about the subject, as if some part of him sensed the danger. He wasn't particularly happy to have information kept from him, but he accepted it with zero fight.

Morgana had mentioned some things about some sort of deal between Philemon and Nyarlathotep, too. The not-cat wasn't clear on the details, having heard it all third-hand from residents of the Velvet Room, but he said it would keep either of them from interfering, and explained why there was less access to the Velvet Room these days.

Jun mentally weighed the circumstances, and let out a breath as he realized the answer was pretty much a no. They weren't in danger from Nyarlathotep, at least not unless something changed drastically.

As he'd thought it over, Tatsuya had watched him, his branded arm still on the table between them. Jun smiled and patted his hand, stopping himself from lingering in the contact beyond friendly bounds. “He's safe, as much as anyone can be,” he said.

Tatsuya drew his arm back, rolling his sleeve back down. He met Jun's eyes for a long moment, weighing him, before he nodded. “Alright. That's the most important thing. The rest is history.”

Jun eased himself off the bench. “True enough,” he said. He didn't want to end the interaction on that, so he threw out an offer. “Would you like to walk with me to the shopping district, Suou-san?”

The small, genuine smile he got in return made his heart thump in his chest. “Sure. Let's go,” Tatsuya said.

Chapter Text

That Monday evening, quite a few people were surprised by who showed up on the Niteline TV show. Naoto Shirogane sat in front of the cameras and told the host of the show that the murder case still had inconsistencies worth investigating.

Certain teenagers throughout town wondered what the young detective meant by “inconsistencies”. A cat-shaped-being was glued to the TV the moment he heard the words “Detective Prince,” and found someone far more blunt and unpolished than he expected. Tatsuya Suou wondered why the kid decided to go on a show in the first place when it didn't seem at all like him to chase publicity.

But most people didn't think about it much further. (Those certain teens were another subject, but their story is one we already know). Tatsuya Suou considered reaching out to Shirogane, given how fervently he was digging into the murder case, but before he could make up his mind, Shirogane stopped showing up to the station. Apparently, he stopped showing up to school too. He'd gone missing. Tatsuya was kept too busy with other work to look into the matter much, but he tried, worried for what Shirogane had gotten himself into.

A week or so later, though, Shirogane returned home, safe and sound. The next time Tatsuya talked to him, he was vague and evasive about what had happened, although he did thank Tatsuya for the concern. Tatsuya was left uncertain and wrong-footed, sure he was missing something but too much of an outsider here to figure it out. The way the rest of the department treated Shirogane didn't help. The young detective had even been officially taken off the murder case.

At least he got to keep seeing Kashihara and his son. Akira stayed wary about him, but as Tatsuya worked on his JSL, he could see Akira opening up a little. And Kashihara was always nice to be around. Tatsuya expected more awkward moments, like he'd felt at the summer festival, but they were pretty infrequent. Kashihara showed him around town and shared stories, drawing out stories from Tatsuya in turn. It still felt a little fragile, but the connection between them was growing more solid with each interaction.

—

Meanwhile, Jun Kashihara focused on his classes, and the people near him. Morgana remained alert to the strange things happening in town and said there wasn't much change. The not-cat helped keep an eye on Akira, who was slowly recovering from the scare at the festival. His burned arm from when Jun was at the school trip healed within a week, and he showed no lingering fears. If anything, the event somehow helped him get a little more comfortable with Tatsuya.

Akira hung out more with his friend Yoshitaka, and, Jun was happy to hear, made up with Yu Narukami. (Jun didn't know why they had been having trouble, but he was always in favor of Akira having friends).

At school, Jun listened to the rumors. After the TV appearance, Naoto Shirogane was the name on everyone's lips. When the young man stopped showing up to classes, people wondered if he was on a case or if something had happened to him. Then news spread that he had reappeared, but wasn't coming back to school yet.

None of these were particularly concerning, except for Shirogane going missing. According to the other teachers, though, Shirogane was the fourth student to go missing and then show back up.

(When Jun learned that the three before Shirogane were all people he sensed Personas from, he braced himself for a new resonance to roam the halls and reminded himself that this wasn't his business.)

Eventually, though, the rumors shifted to something Jun paid very close attention to. Some people were saying Shirogane was a girl instead. But the message was very confused. People argued over the matter. Some even claimed to have heard the Detective Prince wasn't a boy or a girl, although such rumors were always reported with confusion. And of course everyone had an opinion on what that meant.

Jun wanted to help quash the rumors or direct them in the proper way, but he had no way to tell how Shirogane truly felt. They could be a boy or a girl or something else, and Jun refused to make things worse.

He planned to speak to Shirogane privately once they returned to class. It could all be a case of rumors going wild, but if Shirogane needed support, an older member of the community might be appreciated.

And then, with a forecast full of storms ahead, Tatsuya Suou appeared on TV.

—

When Tatsuya's motorcycle started making a concerning sound, he decided to stop and fix it immediately. Better that than make it worse. When the camera crew found him near the Shopping District, he was stripped to his undershirt and smeared with grease, a toolbox beside him as he worked to get deep into his bike's engine.

“Sir, sir!” the reporter called, rushing over. “You're the recently transferred detective to Inaba, right?”

Tatsuya frowned up at her. “Yeah,” he replied. “That's me. Tatsuya Suou. What do you want?”

She ignored his chilly response, bringing her microphone to her mouth. “Recently, the Detective Prince, Naoto Shirogane, expressed that there were inconsistent details in the murder case that started this Spring. This contradicts the official police statement. As a relative outsider, what's your opinion on the matter?”

Tatsuya grabbed a rag and wiped his forehead, glancing over at the camera. “Uh, well, Shirogane-kun is definitely smart,” he said. “But I shouldn't discuss the details of cases before we officially close them.”

It was frustrating. The evidence clearly wasn't there to tie Mitsuo Kubo to anything but Morooka's death, but most of the team wanted to just take the confession and close the whole matter. He knew better than to voice such thoughts, especially not to the news, but maybe the reporter saw something in his face. She pressed a little further.

“Is there anything you'd like to say about the case?” she asked, before shoving the microphone in his face.

Tatsuya immediately leaned back, before standing up. “No, nothing to say. And, in case you didn't notice, I'm busy.”

Later, when he saw the clip on the news that evening, Tatsuya let out a groan. He got a talking to the next day as clouds gathered overhead.

—

Jun saw the clip and couldn't keep himself from admiring the sight of Tatsuya in an undershirt. He was less amused the next day when he heard his students commenting on the “hot biker cop”.

—

For the past few days, Naoto Shirogane had felt recovered enough to return to their daily activities, and to hopefully officially join forces with the people who had rescued them, but on recommendation from the rest of the team, they planned to wait until the next fog had passed, just in case going about daily life put them in further danger.

They too had seen the clip of Tatsuya Suou, but hadn't thought anyone would pay much attention to it. Besides, as they'd been informed when Rise and Yukiko helped them home, if the pattern held, the next Midnight Channel should show a blank screen, with Naoto out of the TV World.

The day after the clip, the rain began to pour as night set in. The forecast called for four days of rain on and off, before fog finally rolled in. Naoto waited in the dark as midnight neared, taking deep breaths to calm their nerves. Nothing would show up, surely.

And then, a click and the whine of static. A figure appeared, fuzzy and distorted but familiar. Male, adult,shoulder length hair. Naoto was certain they'd seen him before. A hand lifted up, maybe from a pocket or from the bottom of the screen. The hand was a blur, but it moved in some sort of rhythm. And… under the static, there was a sound. A metallic click, over and over.

Naoto swallowed as they realized who they were seeing, who might be in danger with less than a week before the fog.

They pulled out their phone and called Yu Narukami.

—

The Investigation Team met up that day, Naoto returning to school. Kashihara asked to speak with Naoto, but Naoto pled they were busy. Whatever it was, it would have to wait until later, until the danger had passed.

Naoto met with the team at the Junes food court. Everyone was anxious. Everyone knew what the forecast said, knew the killer was still out there, and knew that they didn't have time. So Naoto skipped over sharing their own experiences any more than were relevant right now.

“First of all, I would like to assist you all, going forward,” they said, scanning the group for approval before focusing on the Leader. Nods of assent all around.

“Excellent,” they continued. “Of course, I would like to share with you all everything I know that may help solve the case overall, but that seems better for another day.”

“Right,” Yosuke said, fingers dancing nervously on the table. “We've got a new figure on the Midnight Channel, and not much time before the next fog. Could any of you tell who it was?”

Naoto saw heads shaking, but they could help here. “I believe I recognized him. I think it's Tatsuya Suou, a detective at the station who transferred here after the death of Morooka. He has a habit of flipping the lid of a metal lighter, and I believe I saw and heard that habit in the broadcast.”

“Suou…” Chie murmured. “Why do I know that name?”

Yukiko blushed. “He showed up on TV a few days ago. People at school were commenting on him being, uh, hot. Or I heard some guys calling him cool.”

Kanji lit up. “That's right, he was working on a motorcycle.”

“Mhm,” Rise said. “Plus he was just in an undershirt. He had some nice arms.”

Yosuke rolled his eyes. “Okay, so we know who it is. Naoto-kun, you work with the police, do you think you could warn him?”

Naoto sighed. “I've been officially taken off the case, so I have less reason to seek him out,” they replied. “But he's not been dismissive of me before. He might be willing to listen if I warn him of the danger. I remember some details of my own abduction, enough to warn him what to look out for.”

“Hang on,” Chie said. “This guy's a member of the police, and a grown man. Would the killer really go after someone like that?”

Naoto considered this. “I can't rule it out. I believe the only reason the victims were targeted was the sudden fame through their TV appearances. The Midnight Channel is involved in some way, too, but I'm unsure how. That's the only real link. And Suou-san fits the pattern. The killer used the element of surprise and some sort of sedative on me, and based on what I sensed they were an adult man. He could use the same technique on Suou-san.”

Yu finally spoke up. “Then we need to find him, and warn him,” he said. “If at all possible, we need to keep him safe, at least until the fog passes. If we fail… I'll make sure we're stocked up for long days in the TV.”

Teddie scratched his head. “Well, I don't feel anyone in there right now. But I'll let you know if that changes!”

With that, the Investigation Team got to work. They split up, looking around town and asking where they could find Suou.

Unfortunately, getting information on him was difficult. He wasn't there when Naoto checked the police station. Before they were shooed out, they at least learned it was his day off.

But that left a lot more questions on where to find him. People had seen him around, but he was quiet and didn't talk about himself much. The cops around town were all too “busy” to answer questions for most of the team. Naoto just got brushed off with varying levels of rudeness.

No one knew where he lived, or where he hung out around town. Which left the team just searching around town hoping to find the man, with no luck. To add to it all, it was raining most of the day, although the intensity varied. Everyone went home wet and unhappy.

—

That night, the Midnight Channel came on again. But the picture was crystal clear. The background looked in progress. The back wall had some complex wallpaper on it, but it was partially painted over with white. Cans of paint and paint rollers sat on a tarp. There was maybe a hint of furniture on the edge of the screen.

A man walked on screen with an easy smile. But there was something worried in his glowing golden eyes. He was in white overalls, stained with paint, over a red long-sleeved shirt. “Hi there, everyone,” he said. “I'm Tatsuya Suou, and welcome to “House Renewals.” Tonight's house needs some major touch ups. There's some forgotten antiques in bad shape that would do better being replaced entirely, and the whole house needs a new coat of paint. Anything that's hidden is hidden for a reason, after all.”

The TV switched off.

The Investigation Team, in their separate homes, tried to temper their panic through calls to each other. Meanwhile, a cat-shaped-being stared at the blank TV screen for a long moment, dread pooling in his gut. He had to warn them.

—

Akira woke up one morning in early October and frowned when he realized Morgana wasn't in his room. Sometimes he got restless, though, so it didn't worry him, at first.

Then, as he got ready for the school day, he noticed a very deliberate arrangement of items on his desk.

At the summer festival, Jun had won a little plushie that looked a lot like Morgana. The eyes were green, but the markings were almost exactly right. They'd decided to display it as a trinket in Akira and Morgana's room. But it was on the desk now, instead of a shelf, sitting in front of the AAC device.

Akira approached, confused. He turned the device on and saw a message stored on it. “Akira, I have to take care of something important today,” the message read. “I'll be back tonight. Morgana.”

Akira frowned, grabbing the device and bringing it to the kitchen, where Jun was working on breakfast. He showed the electronic note to Jun, explaining how he found it.

Did Morgana say anything to you? he asked.

Jun frowned, keeping one eye on the stovetop. “No, he didn't,” he replied. “I hope he doesn't have to be in the rain for too long…”

Akira tugged on his bangs, worry curling in his chest. He'll be back tonight, he signed, refusing to consider any other possibility. We can ask him why he had to go so quickly when he's back.

He held onto that idea through a gray and dreary day. He headed home soon after school to wait for Morgana to return. As the light faded into dark, he kept telling himself Morgana would be back when he was done. He read a book. He did his homework. He ate dinner with Jun. The rain, which had drizzled through much of the day, began to pick up, but Jun and Akira kept a window open even so. Akira curled up on the couch with his book.

Around 9pm, Jun nudged him about going to sleep. Akira refused. He was going to wait for Morgana, right here in the living room. Jun came back a few more times, asking Akira to go to sleep. But he let Akira negotiate. Eventually, with nagging, Akira ended up in pajamas, teeth brushed and ready for bed. He could stay in the living room, Jun said. But no watching TV, and keep the lights low.

As the time passed, Akira stopped being able to focus on his book. He curled up on the couch, staring blankly at the blank screen of the TV. Distantly, he could feel sleep creeping up on him. His eyelids started to drag when he blinked. But he refused to move.

The clock on the wall ticked on, second after second. Akira glanced at it and bit his lip. It was nearly midnight, and still no Morgana.

He started thinking of plans. Who he'd talk to, who he'd ask to keep an eye out for Morgana tomorrow. And then a click and a whirr of static drew him from his thoughts.

Akira sat up, frowning as the TV turned on. He'd heard the rumor at school, back in April, that watching a turned off TV on a rainy midnight would show the Midnight Channel, and show your soul mate. He'd never really given it much stock. Just because some fantastic things were real didn't mean dumb school rumors were real. Besides, he had no interest in soul mates.

But here the TV was, turning itself on at midnight as the rain pounded down outside. Akira stood up, walking over as he puzzled over what he saw.

It was like it had turned on partway through a program. The boxes of information saying things like “Live Security Footage” and “Call this number if you know anything about this suspect” made it look like a news segment or maybe one of those crime watch shows, but the subject was far from usual.

Through what looked like differently angled security cameras, Akira watched a black and white bigheaded creature sneak through some sort of half-constructed hallway. The picture was grainy, and the creature was good at avoiding the cameras.

And then their face showed clearly, for just a second. Big blue eyes and cat ears, with markings like a bandit's mask. He looked very different from the form Akira was used to but somehow that didn't matter. The moment he saw him clearly, he recognized Morgana. Text scrawled on the bottom and along the side, giving “information on the suspect,” but Akira didn't read it, too focused on the figure before him.

Akira didn't really understand what was happening or why Morgana was on the screen. He didn't understand where Morgana was, or why he looked like that. But he missed his friend, and he was worried. He padded to the TV. Moments before the screen went dark, as Morgana snuck through some sort of swirling doorway, Akira pressed his hand to the glass.

Akira didn't have a Persona. He had never shaken the hand of the gas station attendant. But he'd had a Persona once. He had been a thief and he was still a Trickster, and, most importantly, he wanted so badly to be with Morgana. Some part of him reached out to the membrane between worlds and helped him slip through.

By the time the Midnight Channel ended for the night, Akira was gone.

—

Yu Narukami stared at his darkened TV screen. The Midnight Channel had never come on more than once while someone was inside the TV world, so he hadn't quite known what to expect. He had hoped there would be some hint to help Rise locate Suou, since their information gathering that day had not yielded enough info.

Instead, the Midnight Channel had shown something entirely different.

Yu's phone rang. He answered immediately.

“Hey, uh, partner,” Yosuke said, nerves clear in his voice. “Tell me you saw the weird thing I just saw?”

“Did you see something like a news segment on a crime, but it was a strange cat-creature sneaking around?”

“Yeah. Okay.” Yosuke sounded like he was trying to calm himself down. “We definitely need to talk about this tomorrow.”

Chapter Text

When the Investigation team met up, their discussion wasn’t much help. Teddie confirmed he could sense at least one new person in the TV world and “maybe something else.” He couldn't give details on what the something else was, though, or if it was separate from the second person. (The idea that there was a second, unknown person trapped in the TV almost sent the team into a panic, but Yu managed to get them to focus. They'd take this one step at a time. They had to keep going, though. The forecast called for fog tomorrow.)

They picked apart what they saw on the Midnight Channel, everyone contributing what they could remember. It got them quite a lot of strange info supposedly about the blue-eyed creature. They knew it was called Mona. They knew a height and weight. They knew it had the ability to pick locks. The program called it “armed and dangerous”, although none of them could be sure if that was just to fit the style of TV show it was in. And, very strangely, it was “born of human hope,” whatever that meant.

No one was quite sure what to do with this, or what this creature had to do with Tatsuya Suou. Yukiko pointed out that the backgrounds looked unfinished or in progress, very similar to what they saw on Suou's Midnight Channel, but Kanji pointed out that it looked like the creature had reached the exit of a dungeon at the end of the program. There was no way to tell if it was anywhere near that dungeon anymore.

Finally, they decided the only way to go forward was to enter the TV and see what Rise could sense.

It took Rise a while, but eventually, she managed to pinpoint something. “I think it might be where Suou-san is, too,” she explained as she began to lead the way through the catwalks. “I still don't know enough about him to be sure, but it feels like there's a structure I haven't seen. And I'm pretty sure that “Mona” is right outside. Someone else, too, I think? A lot of powerful stuff going on, but I'm pretty sure I can sense a Persona.”

“WHAT!?” Kanji burst out. “You telling me that cute little mascot has a Persona?”

“Well, Teddie has one,” Naoto pointed out.

The chatter continued until they reached what had to be a new dungeon. It looked like a perfectly normal house, save for the swirling aperture in front.

But that wasn't the thing the team focused on. In front of the entrance, they could see a strange tableau. On the left was the strange creature, Mona. It looked like someone was behind them too, but Mona covered them too well to see who it was.

On the right, a short figure with golden eyes stood, focused on whoever was behind Mona. The proportions said “child,” but it was hard to pinpoint much else about them. A strange blackness covered most of their body, with only occasional hints of skin, cloth, or hair. Their hands were strangely lined in white, in a way that made every movement clear. So was their mouth.

The team came to a halt before what looked like a confrontation. Several of Yu's teammates called out at the same time.

“It's the mascot!” called Kanji, nearly delighted.

“It's the monster-cat!” accused Yosuke.

“It's the thief!” gasped Yukiko.

What movement there was in the little stand-off halted. Mona turned to look at them, squinting. (Could he not see through the fog?)

“I'm not-!” he started, before tilting his head. “Okay, I am a thief. But the rest of you are wrong!”

Behind him came quiet laughter. The hidden figure peeked out past Mona, then stepped to Mona's side as he peered into the fog. He was covering his mouth with a hand as he began to giggle.

The kid was barefoot, in Featherman pajamas. And he was very, very familiar.

The Shadow snapped his fingers, and Akira Kashihara turned back, fear flashing over his face. The angle and distance made it more difficult, but as the Shadow signed, Yu managed to read it as Don't ignore me! This is important!

Yu could hear chatter behind him, people trying to identify the kid and figure out what was going on, but Yu's focus remained on the confrontation.

Meanwhile, Mona glanced between Akira's confrontation and the team. As Akira drew back, something calculating in his eyes, Mona called out to the team. “Hey, wait, you're the Persona Users! This fog is awful for my senses. I've got a warning for you, and can you help us get out of here?”

Naoto stepped forward, everyone perking up for what might be more info. And then, Akira turned to face away from his Shadow.

The Shadow's eyes narrowed in anger. He snapped several times, then whistled loudly, but Akira stayed turned away.

Fine, the Shadow replied. We'll do it this way.

Yu shuddered as he heard the Shadow's voice, and he saw similar reactions from his teammates. Except “heard” wasn't really the right word. The words were pushed into his mind. The closest way he could describe it was to compare it to when Rise spoke during battles, or perhaps to when a Persona spoke to him. They were bad comparisons, though. Both of those were welcome. This felt… forceful. Somehow, it brought to mind sign language, or perhaps written language, far more than verbal speaking.

Akira turned around. Leave me alone! he signed.

Yu gritted his teeth. He had seen enough confrontations to know what was coming. As the argument picked up, he quietly began to pick people for the main team. A fight was coming.

—

Akira was getting really tired of this. Well, he was getting really tired too. He didn't know how long he'd been here with Morgana before the shadow thing or the other people showed up, but something in him warned against sleeping here.

When he had slipped through the surface of the TV, he'd found himself falling. He couldn't stop the scream as he tried to twist to protect his head and neck. But when he landed, it barely hurt.

And then a voice drove all thought of that out of his mind.

“Akira! What are you doing here!?”

He looked. It was Morgana. Akira surged to his feet and wrapped his friend in a hug as his mind spun.

Morgana had explained once that there was a certain form he needed to be in for someone to understand his speech. This had to be that form.

After a tight hug, Akira sprung back, excitement driving him. I can understand you!

Morgana blinked, then grinned. “Oh, yeah! That's right! And you'll be able to understand me back in the real world too, so that's one upside to this mess! Still doesn't answer how you got here.”

Akira shrank back under the look. His hands flapped in thought, before he explained You showed up on the TV. I think it was that Midnight Channel rumor. When I touched the screen, my hand went through, and then I fell in. How did you get here? And, uh, where is here? And what was that thing you had to do that made you leave?

Morgana scanned the surroundings, making Akira do the same. He saw some sort of house nearby, and the ground underfoot was metal, but a thick yellow fog made it hard to see much else.

“I'm not sure what to call this place,” Morgana finally said. “It's through the TV, that's for sure.”

At a questioning look from Akira, Morgana continued. “It's all weird stuff. Personas. Something happened to Tatsuya, I think. I think he might be here somewhere. And it's best for him to know as little about weird stuff as possible. I knew there were people in this town involved in some sort of weird… thing. I think it has to do with those murders in April. And something with the TVs and the Midnight Channel. When I realized Tatsuya had become involved in a way that might make him remember things, I, uh… kind of panicked and left the house really fast to try to find the Persona users and warn them. I followed them to the part of Junes where they sell TVs but I couldn't figure out how I could make them understand me. And then I leaned against one of the TVs and fell in. I ended up in there.” He pointed to the house. “It's full of dangerous monsters, so I had to sneak my way out. And then you showed up.”

Akira took all this in. And came up with one glaring hole. Why didn't you ask Jun or even me to tell them for you?

Morgana's eyes widened. Then his ears pinned back and he kicked at the ground, cheeks red with embarrassment. “That… would have been smarter. I didn't think of it. You don't like hearing about weird stuff usually, and I know Jun has been trying to stay out of whatever's been happening. I kept track of what I could so I could warn you guys of anything major, but I guess I got so used to tracking it on my own that I didn't think about asking for help.”

Akira tugged on his bangs, then sighed. That was a problem for later. Okay, he signed. How do we get out of here?

Morgana looked around, hands (nubs?) on his hips. “I don't know,” he finally admitted.

For a while, they discussed and experimented, looking for ways out. Morgana didn't know what a way out would look like. He'd been able to navigate inside the building with the smaller corridors, but a bit of exploring showed that the walkways here dropped off into the abyss. They had no idea which way to go, and the fog made it hard to make their way at all.

But, Morgana was pretty sure the Persona Users would try to find this place, because Suou was here somewhere. And Morgana still needed to warn them about Suou. So, they stayed put.

And it was fine, at first. They chatted for a while, and hung out in silence for a while.

And then the shadow boy appeared.

Morgana had been apologizing for involving him in weird stuff, when the shadow boy stepped out of the fog. The glints of light around his mouth and fingers made his signing very clear when he replied, But I like weird stuff. His golden eyes scanned them both over with something like affection.

Akira frowned. He was apologizing to me, not you, he pointed out.

The shadow boy shrugged, and bits of a human form began to appear and disappear within his shadow. Aren't you tired of pushing it all away, though? What if it's important? What if you like it?

Akira frowned, feeling the words hit him a little too hard. This was some sort of magic thing, though. Maybe it knew things. Jun and Morgana said it's fine for me not to want to know, he pointed out, feeling an itch on the back of his neck.

But the shadow boy wouldn't let it go. He was… confusing. Sometimes, he talked about opportunity and power, and how much he wanted it back. Sometimes he needled Akira. Sure, Jun and Morgana say that, but what about you? You feel bad about it, right?

Akira grew more and more uncomfortable with the conversation. Morgana would sometimes speak up, but when Akira asked if Morgana could make the shadow boy leave, Morgana shook his head. Said this “might be important to face.”

Throughout it all, Akira started building a picture of who was under the shadow. And what he got was someone who looked a lot like him. Same bare feet and soft pajamas. Same curly hair. Sometimes he saw red flash on the shadow boy's arm or the back of his neck, when the boy got more upset. It was… unsettling.

But he could handle the argument when it was about weird stuff. But then the boy shifted topics. The world won't end if we remember, you know, the boy said, an almost menacing grin on his face.

Akira tensed. You can remember whatever you want, he replied, movements jerky with fear and a growing anger. Leave me out of it. He pressed against Morgana, who murmured that it was okay.

Even if you don't remember, you can find out. You know that, the boy continued, ignoring Akira's attempt to push him off. I need to know the truth. Otherwise, how can I protect anyone?

Akira shook his head. You're a kid like me. It's not our job. I finally have a family that will look out for me, and I like that!

A quiet scoff from the shadow boy. That doesn't matter. Something can always happen to put those people in danger. If you don't know enough, you won't be able to protect them.

The clang of footsteps made Akira and Morgana both look away, to see an indistinct group approach. Akira hid himself a little bit more behind Morgana.

The newcomers provided a bit of levity, but it only seemed to upset the shadow boy. He demanded attention back, and started to push more. But Akira had gotten an idea. These people (was that Yu?) could get them out, probably. Akira didn't need to pay attention to the shadow boy anymore. So he turned away.

And then he felt words push into his mind.

Fine. We'll do it this way.

A quick look at the others showed they had definitely gotten the same words. But the shadow boy wasn't done. Even when Akira turned back to face him, he used that strange method of communication.

This is too important for you to ignore, the shadow boy said. Fairness has nothing to do with it. You know that those memories, that information is important. You know it could answer your questions, and you know it can help determine the future.

Akira swallowed back bile as his hands struggled to keep up with the denials he wanted to send out. You don't know anything! Remembering can be dangerous! It is dangerous!

The shadow boy stepped forward. Even if it hurts, you know you need to find out the truth. he pressed.

Stop talking like you know my head! It's my decision! Akira protested.

Of course I know your head, the boy replied. The shadows melted away from him, showing the picture Akira already knew he'd see. His own face with golden eyes. I know everything about you. I know what little bits of memory we still have, the ones you push away every chance you get. I am you.

Akira felt like throwing up, his hand clapped over the back of his neck, covering it, but it didn't help the way his flesh crawled. He could see his own scars glowing red on the doppelganger before him. Tears brimmed in his eyes as he shook his head. Something terrible would happen if he gave in. So he gave the only answer he could give. No. You're not me. Those memories aren't me and I don't want them!

The boy snarled and backed up a few steps, eyeing him like a bug as shadows began to writhe over his form once more. Very well. If you're that weak, it's up to me to make up for it. The stakes are too high for anything else.

A shining knife appeared in his hand. And then everything went to hell.

—

Morgana saw the moment the Shadow lunged at Akira and dove in between. “Woah, hey! What do you think you're doing?” he demanded.

He could see the other Persona Users rushing in, falling into a well-practiced formation. Four of them between the Shadow and Akira. One quickly pulling Akira out of the way of any battle. And, off to the side, one summoning a Persona that Morgana figured had to be navigation-based. Morgana was still between them and the Shadow, at least for the moment.

The Shadow scowled, black ooze bubbling around his feet. Don't stand in my way, he warned, starting to flip the knife in his hand, in a too-familiar motion. If he's too weak to do what needs to be done, then I'll take his place. I don't want to have to fight you, but I will if you make me.

Morgana glanced back at the teens behind him. “Is it normal for Shadows to do this with you guys?” he called.

One with brown hair and knives in hand called back. “Yeah! When you reject a Shadow it goes berserk and tries to kill the original! Though usually it turns into a monster form by now. We'll beat ‘em up, and it should give the kid time to think things over. What's your part here?”

Morgana could feel golden eyes scanning over him and the others. And he could feel the suspicion from the others. “I'm Akira's friend. If you're gonna fight his Shadow, you're gonna want my help.”

Morgana met eyes with Yu Narukami. The Velvet Room guest and clearly the leader. The teen nodded. But as Morgana started to take a place in the formation, he heard a scoff from the Shadow.

No way, Mona, he spat. I can't have you sharing my secrets or protecting him if it'll lead to ruin later. A black aura started to surround him, before it suddenly spread out. Everyone braced for impact, but it didn't hurt. The Shadow didn't change forms. It took a moment to realize that they were now in a shadowed dome.

Morgana opened his mouth. If Shadow Akira was making moves to start the fight, then the others needed to know about his weaknesses, assuming they were still the same. But what came out was clumsy, the syllables poorly formed. He knew what he wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come out of his mouth in anything but a nonsensical jumble.

As dark energy gathered in the Shadow's free hand, Morgana heard the others try to talk, with the same result. The Shadow grinned, and tossed the dark energy like a baseball in his hand. It's my turn to talk, he said. I have to deal with this every day. Let's see how you fare.

—

Yu scanned over the Shadow and his teammates, including the strange newcomer. The Shadow had started to monologue, and Yu was busy thinking how to deal with this fight when he couldn't talk.

I really don't want to fight you, the Shadow reiterated. I'm sure whatever Journey you're on is important. Maybe if I could remember everything I've lost, I could explain exactly why we can't afford to look away like he wants to do. But I know that the information I'm missing is important. Life or death, maybe even the end of the world. And I need to be able to prepare. So just let me deal with the coward you're protecting, and I'll leave you be.

Yu saw Mona shake his head and raise his hands to his chest, leaving a rapier by his side. It struck him then, what Mona was doing, but his paws were like Teddie's. No fingers, only thumbs.

Yu knew JSL, though, and he did have fingers. He brought his hands up. He doubted this would help, not when the Shadow had already been rejected and when Yu had no idea what these memories were about. We can't let you do that. Give him a chance to think it over at least.

A snarl from the Shadow. You really think you can stop me when you can't even talk?

A yell sounded from Kanji, who rushed forward with his shield, but the physical attack barely did anything. Yu watched as his teammates one by one attacked, trying out different things. They all barely did anything. Yu started to think about what elements they hadn't tried, when Mona hit with an attack like a boxing glove that knocked the Shadow down.

Normally, he would have called for an All-Out Attack, but his words came out jumbled. Everyone looked a little off-kilter from the strange status effect. By the time he managed to lock eyes with everyone and gesture for them to attack, the Shadow had gotten back up.

Stupid lucky punch… he grumbled. He tossed the ball of black and red energy at the group, drawing out cries of pain, although no one went down.

But with the first attack from the Shadow, things were on. The Shadow seemed to resist everything his teammates threw at him, so Yu prepared to start swapping Personas until he found a weakness. But he couldn't direct his team well without words. He had to get everyone on the same page.

Then, Mona waved his hands at Yu. Yu glanced over to see the creature hug himself and shiver, then point at the Shadow.

Yu frowned, but figured it was worth a shot.

A quick switch to Skadi and it was easy to blast the Shadow with ice. And he went down!

But the same problem as before happened. He couldn't gather everyone's attention in time to actually execute an All Out Attack.

This kept going for a few more rounds. Everyone was getting a little better at paying attention to Yu and the Shadow at the same time, but even when they sort of pulled off the group attack, it was uncoordinated. He was pretty sure Yukiko accidentally hit Yosuke in the melee once.

The Shadow talked at them, urging them to give up, and hit them with some strong spells. Yu wracked his brain. Did they have to just keep chipping away? Yu was the only one with ice, and he didn't think he could manage to swap teammates here. Mona could knock the Shadow down, but he didn't do much damage on his own. Any other attack barely scratched the Shadow. They really needed the damage from a group attack but…

When he realized how to get everyone's attention fast, he wanted to smack himself in the face. It was simple. The next time they knocked the Shadow down, he whistled as loudly as he could. Everyone looked at him immediately, and when he swiped his hand towards the downed Shadow, they understood. Everyone rushed forward, lashing out with whatever weapon they had, until a shockwave pushed them all back.

The ground beneath the Shadow bubbled as the darkness on his form began to writhe more violently. Fine, he spat out. Something about his “voice” was shifting. While before it had brought to mind a kid's handwriting or the way Akira signed, now it grew more… elegant, somehow. There was something more like a voice to it, too, and that voice was too deep for a kid.

You won't listen to reason. Then I'll use what little knowledge I still have. This is too important to let go.

Darkness surrounded the Shadow like a drop of ink in water. Yu felt the status effect break and backed up from the rolling mass of black. Was it… spreading?

He'd deal with that once it was a problem. More important things took precedence.

“Mona! What do you know about weaknesses?” he called.

“Should be weak to Ice and Light, resist Dark. Last I saw him he had some physical and dark spells, and some could cause ailments, but that might have changed!”

Yu quietly noted down “when last I saw him” as another question to ask when this was all over (Others included who Mona was, why he was vaguely familiar, and how Mona and Akira ended up in the TV world).

But first, the fight. “Yosuke, Yukiko, Kanji, swap out!” he called. “I want Naoto, Chie and Teddie! Usual buffs, but for attacks, Naoto, stick with Almighty or try Light.” Instakills never worked on these kinds of Shadows before, but maybe it could work here. “The rest of us, focus on Ice. Mona, keep trying to knock him down if you can.”

A chorus of agreements and movement met his orders. Soon, there were four fighters with him once more to face this fight.

The blackness was starting to spread for sure, now, dimming the light and making it harder to see. But it meant the center was growing more dilute. Yu peered forward, trying to see what was there.

“Hey, you've got me back now!, Rise chirped in his ear. That dome kept me from communicating before, but I think I could disrupt it if he tries it again. His resistances have changed though. I think he's easier to damage now.”

Yu frowned as the darkness spread out fully. A quick glance showed it had encompassed the reserves, Rise, and Akira. (Akira was near Rise, watching the fight with wide eyes.) He should have been able to see the Shadow, but there was nothing there. Everything was just… darker now. He could see well enough, but he couldn't see the enemy.

“Rise, can you locate the Shadow?” he asked. He called forward a Persona, hoping the glow would help ease the darkness.

He saw Teddie start to sniff the air, Mona peering around in almost the same way

“He's there somewhere…!” Rise complained. “I think he's moving around a lot… Wait- watch out!”

Yu dodged back on instinct, seeing a flash of movement. He saw black and red and bone white, and a glint of silver. He nearly stumbled when he heard the music. Strains of piano and singing. Muffled, a little distorted, but unmistakable. It was the song he heard in the Velvet Room.

Some part of him instinctually relaxed even as a glowing blue attack flew towards him. But it was too high, it wouldn't hit him-

Sudden pain, and a screech from Skadi. Yu screamed as well, just barely staying on his feet. He knew instantly what had happened. The Shadow had targeted his Persona directly.

—

Morgana shuddered at the screech from Yu's Persona, but his attention was firmly on his surroundings. He thought he'd seen…

Another flash of movement. The crack of a gun. The person in blue (Naoto? Wasn't he on TV…?) dodged a shot, but Morgana felt like he'd been shot instead. That silhouette. Red hands. White mask. Swinging gracefully through the darkness.

“Joker…”

He heard a choked gasp behind him, and saw Akira, his Akira, confused and scared.

“Aw, crap! It's not that Joker, Akira! I'll explain later!” he called back.

Of course Joker took advantage of his distraction. Suddenly, gloved hands shoved him down. A guillotine shimmered into existence, and Morgana bucked back in alarm as the hands tried to push him onto the chopping block.

Give up.

He struggled hard, hearing sounds of protest from the others. And suddenly the hands were gone. So was the guillotine. Morgana saw the swish of a coat, before Joker had disappeared into the dark.

Morgana scrambled to his feet, feeling shaky. He didn't want to fight Joker.

A volley of shots kept everyone on edge as the “voice” murmured, Don't you want what we had back?

Morgana shook his head, more to clear his head than anything. “Are you really trying to kill us? What about their Journey?” he called back, desperate.

A deep chuckle. “Death” in these fights is never fully death. But if you won't let me do what's needed, I have no choice but to incapacitate you all. I'll wake you up after I'm done. Or your Navi can do that.

Morgana shuddered. It was the kind of cold logic he was used to in Shadow negotiations with Joker. He did not like being on the other side of it.

The fight was a struggle. Morgana was struggling. Of course he missed what they had but people changed. They had Jun now, and they had a chance to change things and make them better. It was just hard to remember that when he caught sight of a too-familiar grin.

The Shadow kept them off balance at first. Yu did his best to organize his team, but it didn't help the fact that none of their attacks ever landed. Morgana managed to land a few glancing hits at least.

“How are you hitting him?” Naoto demanded.

Morgana shrugged. “I know how he moves. I don't think I could describe it.”

The attack directly at a Persona was brutal, and it hurt a little to hear it paired with the music of the Velvet Room. Then the Shadow started throwing out syringes.

Chie got hit with one first. At first it seemed like it caused confusion, but she seemed scared too. And then Morgana noticed bruises blooming across her skin, bruises that disappeared when she managed to shake the condition.

It was familiar, familiar from days spent looking after a bruised and woozy Akira. But why would the Shadow attack with something like that?

Morgana watched carefully, trying to make sense of it. So, when Joker appeared behind Yu, pushing him down towards a guillotine, Morgana noticed a number of things.

He heard the snarl of You have lost the game, Wildcard. He saw the expression on his face, one of frustration and pain and anger. And he saw the way this Joker was different.

It had been a long time since Morgana had seen Akira's thief outfit. He wouldn't be able to reproduce it exactly. But he could see the places where this version got blurry or indistinct. The black on the mask smeared around the eyes. The shape of the mask shifted and changed constantly. The vest was just a dark gray blur.

This wasn't Joker. This was the impression those memories had left behind. And this impression was full of the pain they'd gone through that year. It was honestly remarkable that it got as close to the truth as it did.

As for the guillotine, Yu managed to pull away from the grip easily. A little too easily.

(He didn't know the exact details of what happened just before Akira had been sent to the past. Neither Justine nor Caroline had ever been willing to explain in detail, and Akira himself had been reluctant to share. But he'd gotten some bits and pieces. And he thought he could see the shape of it here.)

With that, Morgana was able to focus and lock in. He started hitting the Shadow more regularly, and even managed to down him once or twice, letting the others get in a mass attack. Yu shifted focus towards buffing Morgana and trying desperately to slow the Shadow down. But the Shadow kept lashing out with hits. The deeply painful hits to Personas made it hard to focus. The needles debilitated their target until they could get a cure or it wore off. The guillotines at least never actually completed their attack. Everyone was able to pull free before the blade fell. Still, the fight was not going their way. They were running through healing fast, way too fast for how much damage they were doing.

Then came the crackle of a Navigator reaching out. “This isn't working!” Rise called. “Yu says we need a better plan. Mona, can you try to distract him while the rest of us plan?”

“Roger!” Morgana called, drawing his scimitar. The rest of the team drew back as Morgana stepped forward. “Joker!” he called. “I know you're hurting. We'll help! But we can't go back to how things were!”

A snarl. You think you can handle everything without me? the Shadow demanded.

Morgana saw a flash of movement and darted forward, into the shadows. Suddenly, his blade hit the steel of Joker's dagger. With guards crossed, Morgana was brought face to face with golden eyes. The pain was even more obvious up front.

If you think you can handle it without me, prove it, he growled.

And then they were locked in a battle, blade against blade. Morgana refused to let himself hold back. But he could see his words had barely affected the Shadow at all. Still, he was distracted, so mission success.

The whole team had gathered up to plan, but Morgana couldn't spare them any attention. That was, until the brown-haired boy (Yosuke?) stormed away from the group.

“It's useless!” he cried. “There's no way we can beat him!”

Morgana and the Shadow both froze mid fight, watching as the others called for Yosuke to come back. But the teen didn't listen. He got on his knees and looked out into the darkness. “Just get it over with!” he called.

A pause from the Shadow, then he quickly disengaged, reappearing behind Yosuke as a guillotine formed. He placed his hands on the teen's shirt. Morgana gulped as Yosuke didn't struggle. What was he thinking?

“SUZUKA GONGEN!” came a cry. The girl with the green jacket (Chie?) launched a massive ice attack at the Shadow, who collapsed under the volley with a howl.

“Everyone! Now!” cried Yu. Morgana watched as the team launched into a massive attack, even Rise joining in. Morgana managed to join in too.

Then the Shadow let out a roar of pain, pushing them all back. Red began to pulse in the darkness like veins. Joker stood there, breathing hard. You don't get it. I won't be ignored anymore. I won't be helpless again!

With a scream, blackness bubbled up around the Shadow. The surroundings shifted and melted, like colors on oil or those on a bruise. And the Shadow grew.

“Watch out!” Rise called. “It's getting way stronger! Plus the affinities changed!”

Morgana glanced back to see Akira still watching, but there was less fear this time. More… confusion. Or curiosity.

“Rise, scan for weaknesses,” Yu ordered. “Everyone else, get ready.”

Morgana tossed out a heal across the group, then focused on the Shadow. The black goop receded, and Morgana took in the new, monstrous form.

—

Akira had been dragged away by someone the moment the shadow boy– the Shadow?– lunged for him. A teen stuck him near a girl with pigtails, who summoned some being and started looking through a visor.

“Stick here for now. We'll keep you safe,” a brown-haired girl in a green jacket promised.

Akira glanced between her and the people with weapons, including Morgana, between him and the creature. What is that thing? he asked. And saw no understanding in the girl's eyes. Yu was over there and he knew JSL, but he was busy fighting.

But after an awkward pause, the girl answered the question anyway. “Um, I bet you're pretty confused, yeah?”

Akira nodded, although he figured he was probably less confused than they thought. He was pretty sure the things the others were summoning were Personas, for one.

The girl nodded. “Well, first of all, I'm Chie Satonaka. We can introduce you to everyone when the fight is over. That,” She pointed to the shadow boy, although it was kind of hard to see him now that there was some sort of barrier around him and the fighters.

“That's your Shadow. I'll admit, I don't really know what it was talking about with memories or whatever, but I figure it made sense to you.”

Akira made a motion like hurry up. He knew what it said, but what was it?

“Your Shadow is everything about yourself that you don't want to admit,” Satonaka explained. “In this place, they can show up physically, and confront you with all sorts of painful stuff. All of us have faced our Shadow, and all of us denied it at first. And every time, it goes berserk and other folk have to beat it down. Uh… does that make sense?”

Akira considered this, placing a hand over the back of his neck. He eventually nodded for Satonaka, but it left some questions. What happened after the fight? Could he just make it go away after?

The person in blue nearby cleared their throat. “Hello. Naoto Shirogane. To be clear, please continue thinking about what the Shadow said,” they said. “Accepting your Shadow helps you grow stronger.”

Satonaka nodded. “Yup! And you don't have to like it either. Like if your Shadow is a part of you you don't like, you have to accept that it's there and part of you before you can start changing it.”

Akira considered this and shrank in on himself. The Shadow wanted him to learn about his past. To stop pushing away the feelings from before. But it would cause pain. It would hurt. It was dangerous.

Still, he watched. He watched his Shadow force the fighters to lose their words like he did. He watched as the Shadow shifted forms into something Morgana called “Joker”. Something very different from the Jokers he knew about. Something that made him ache to look at. There was longing there, but as he heard the others scream, and watched that guillotine appear over and over, he could feel the ache of pain too.

And then the third form. It was big, and black, with other colors splashed on. Akira stood up to see better.

The Shadow had become a large black creature like a panther. There were some sort of markings in the fur, but Akira couldn't make them out, because the beast was weighed down and coated in flowers and chains. He began to creep closer, to see better.

A blanket of mixed flowers coated the whole back of the creature, so much so that the back half of it appeared to be mostly flower, looking almost slug-like. Light purple and vibrant pink mixed with green ferny plants in a strangely grotesque blanket of greenery.

The blanket of flowers was edged by bulrushes, which connected to and wove around a collar on the neck. Chains from that climbed up the neck, forming a tight muzzle around the creature’s snout. Skinny purple flowers with yellow stamens spilled out of the thing’s jaws. Meanwhile purple flowers like crocuses wove together over the eyes.

The creature’s front paws were chained together with heavy manacles, too. Clusters of small pink bulb-like flowers and little purple bursts of petals warred along the chains. The right foreleg had a red glow in the shape of Akira’s scar.

The monster reared up on its hind legs with a roar that made Akira’s heart ache. From the chest of the creature came a spill of dark red flowers.

And then the fight started. The creature lashed out viciously again and again. The others fought back, hard, but Akira could see they weren’t doing much. Even as he watched the fight, he kept observing the Shadow. The kid who’d spent two years raised by Jun Kashihara began to identify the flowers. He automatically recalled their meanings. Bulrush for docility and indecision. On the wrists, bog-rosemary and scabius. Bound by fate. A cry for help. Having lost everything.

Everywhere he looked, he saw the meanings. Withered hopes. Remembrance mixed with forgetfulness. Silence poured from his mouth. A lost, better past veiled his vision. His heart bled with hopelessness.

It hurt to look at. He wanted to look away. But all those hurts, he felt them in himself. Maybe it would be easier if he acknowledged them?

An itch on his neck sent fear jolting through him. He covered his neck with a whimper. It was dangerous. He’d be punished.

He almost looked away, then he heard a sound of confusion from the battlefield. He looked and saw Satonaka clutching the back of her neck too. Then, carefully, she put her hands back down. An unfamiliar smile stretched her cheeks as she sat down.

“Chie, what’s going on?” Yu called. And then Akira saw the attack that had done it. This time it went for Teddie. Akira saw a small claw press against the back of his neck, and saw the bear smile and sit down like an obedient child.

His skin crawled. He could feel the prick on his own neck, could feel the smile tugging at his lips, the instinct to just obey and be good.

He watched Shirogane and then Yu get hit and start smiling, the same way Akira always smiled when scared. The attack came too quickly to avoid, and the shock of each person going down gave the Shadow the opportunity to attack again. And then only Morgana was left, and the attack came for him too.

Akira surged to his feet, tears in his eyes, but he was too far away. He saw the smile spread across Morgana’s face, and let out a whimper.

But, Morgana didn’t sit down. He didn’t submit. Akira could hear a growl from him as he strained to stay standing. The smile shifted across his face as he kept his head held high.

What do you think you’re doing? the Shadow demanded.

“What does it look like?!” Morgana cried back. “I’m fighting back!”

It’s pointless to fight it, he rumbled, something like a young child’s cry in his “voice” now.

“No, it’s not! I know you went through a lot. I know it hurts! And I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you before, but I’m always going to do my best to protect you.”

Akira felt the words in his chest, even if he didn’t really understand what he meant. The Shadow tilted its head, and Akira watched crocuses start to bloom across its back. Abuse not. I need to protect you too, the Shadow said. I can’t do that if I don’t know the truth. And I won’t let him pack me away and ignore me. It hurts too much.

Suddenly, there were eyes on him. Morgana looked back at him, and somehow, Akira could feel the Shadow’s gaze on him too.

His neck still itched. He was still scared, and kept slipping into a smile. But he walked forward, past the other still stuck in their rictus smiles. He saw the fear and confusion in their eyes. He saw fear in Morgana’s eyes too, and in the way his smile kept flickering on his face. But Morgana was standing.

Why can you fight it better than the others can? he asked his friend.

Morgana shrugged. “Probably because I recognized what it was.”

Knowledge. To prepare for the future.

He faced the monster of his soul.

I keep feeling like something terrible will happen if I remember anything, he admitted. It makes my neck itch.

I know. But I don’t know what that would be. And it hurts right now.

Morgana put a hand to his chin, before grimacing. “I can make a guess why you feel that way. I think someone intentionally tried to train you to feel like that. But that person isn’t around anymore. Even if he showed up again, Jun and his friends and I would all do everything we can to keep him away.”

Akira considered this, and felt his Shadow doing the same. It was scary. He didn’t know what he would find out about himself or those around him. But the Shadow was right. Pushing it all down hurt. And if something happened, he knew that he had people who would help fix it. If he knew everything, he’d be able to help too.

As he thought, the Shadow before him shrank. The flowers flaked off of him, petals blowing into the breeze. The chains disintegrated. The flowers soon covered the form completely, until they had fully blown away, leaving a boy, in Featherman pajamas, with golden eyes.

He could hear the others getting up behind him, with grumbled complaints and questions. But they weren’t important right now. He met those golden eyes and saw the pleading in them. His neck itched horribly, trying to pull him back, but he pushed it out of his mind as much as he could.

Okay. You’re right, he started. The past is still part of me, and it still causes pain. If we know what that past is, we can deal with the pain, and use that knowledge for the future. I’m sorry I pushed you away. You’re still me, after all.

His Shadow smiled, and vanished slowly. Akira could feel a hole in his head filling up. The new-old-familiar presence nearly purred. I have missed this dearly. But let’s show them all your new power, eh?

Akira nodded, a grin growing on his own face. Carefully, he signed out the syllables. Pe-ru-so-na.

Then, he reached towards his face. The sign he did was original, but it felt natural. He motioned as if taking off a mask and felt the power surge in him.

A glow surrounded his feet as something, someone, appeared above him. Arsène. The Pillager of Twilight. Akira looked up at him and felt joy sing through him.

—

(Morgana looked at Akira’s Persona and hummed. He recognized Arsène, of course. Mercurius was quite pleased to see him again. But there was a difference.

Fire had burned behind the metal mask Morgana remembered. There was no fire now. Instead, there was smoke. Black-purple smoke billowed behind and through the mask, and formed connective tissue in the limbs.

But it was still Arsène. Still Akira. He had changed a lot, so Morgana supposed a change in his Persona made sense. Morgana shrugged it off and went to congratulate his friend.)