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[pishirogane]

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[pishirogane]

Mmm... if anyone did before me, I would've missed out. Fortunately, I didn't though it did take a while.

[A pox on those who gave Kanji such comments. As long as he could be himself, that's just how she wanted him.]

Thank you for being patient.

[topgun_textiles]

[Perhaps his mother pushing for him to be more patient overall had helped him in more regards than just grousing over packages arriving in the mail or being too excited for upcoming events to keep still. Once he'd started slowing down and listening to people, and fighting not to lose his temper even in the worst parts of his life (sans a few mistakes back when he met everyone) that led him to know all the wonderful people that surrounded him now.

As for the woman at his side? Goddamn... who knew he'd meet someone who not only seemed to want to understand him on first sight and quickly grew to become one of his best and closest friends, but this stubborn, clever, secret nerd managed to up and casually hold her hand out, only for him to happily plop his heart right in?

He smiled warmly.]

'Course. Y-you always were with me.

[pishirogane]

... I wish I could've been with you more.

[But she had made her farewells... and left Inaba. It was the only place that had come to feel like home god knows how long and she just left. It was for work, but when she had said goodbye, she knew she said it in a way that she wouldn't return soon.]

[topgun_textiles]

Don't worry.

The way I see it, this place tells me that I gotta make that phone call and hitch a ride on a train. And it's gonna happen, Naoto. I promise.

[pishirogane]

I'll hold you to it.

[And now, she had all the more reason to help everyone leave this place.]

[topgun_textiles]

[He laughed quietly. She better! But let's get everyone home first, once the natives here actually explain their energy crisis.

Until then, they had a cable car to catch. Did she have a ticket or a way to go? Kanji rubbed his chin when they arrived.]

Hmm... uh, how do we know which one's ours?

[pishirogane]

[At the cable cars, Naoto raised her communicator.]

I have the information here. However, they didn't give a car number; just a confirmation we have space reserved.

[topgun_textiles]

Yeah? ...Maybe we jus' pick one that's empty n' call dibs.

[He shrugged. Jeez, even dinner reservations had specific tables set aside. But maybe they knew how many cars they had and just went with that as the hard limit.]

I dare someone to try n' kick us outta one. I mean, it's the freakin' holidays.

[pishirogane]

I'm sure they'll note which cars are occupied.

[Everyone handled their reservations differently.]

No, we have it for a few hours and can request more time. It's why they require reservations.

[topgun_textiles]

Hours? [He whistled. Maybe they just went really slow, but he'd been in Prismatica long enough to know.] Y-yeah, that makes sense...

Talk about gettin' caught with yer pants down.

[He nodded over, and moved to get the door for her.]

A'right, let's take this one, then. A-after you.

[pishirogane]

Yes... I didn't ask for details.

[Just like him, she can figure. At the door he selected, there was a sign that denoted vacancy. So, they must be able to say it was occupied once inside. With a glance up at him, she nodded and stepped inside.]

[topgun_textiles]

[He climbed in after her, but he suffered the tall person's problem: With a grunt, he took his seat and gingerly rubbed his forehead with a hiss.]

Urrgh, even on an alien planet, huh...?

[But he shrugged it off by picking up a brochure. Catering...? How does one order food on this thing when you're in the air? But the table in the center looked strange. Tech-y.]

[pishirogane]

Ah, Kanji-kun...! [Poor tall people problems.]

Do you need ice?

[They could probably order some before ordering food; get drinks started while taking care of the bump. Either way, not the most romantic start to their ride.]

[topgun_textiles]

N-no, nono, I'm- I'm good! Head's hard. Don't worry about it.

[God, it stung like a motherfucker, but the scar spoke of the fact that he'd had far, far worse.]

...But this is why I say you're the perfect size, ya know? Trains, planes, cable cars. No need to squish yourself into 'em.

[pishirogane]

I'm still going to worry about it.

[Scar or not, that still sounded painful.]

It's good for fitting in, but it's terrible for crowds and shopping.

[topgun_textiles]

[He had strangers asking him to get things off the shelves on most of his shopping trips, so me understood that. But Kanji lowered his hand and rubbed his chin.]

Got me there with shopping, but you got the advantage when you're tailin' a suspect; was she there a second ago...? No. No, it's my imagination...

Then, with the click of cuffs, it's all over.

[He swept a hand across to add mystique toward the title.]

The Shirogane Shadow.

[pishirogane]

Perhaps tailing, but confronting a suspect? There's no intimidation from my height.

[And she looked up at him, face slightly flushed and with a small pout. If he could only share.]

[topgun_textiles]

[His heart tied into a knot. That pout... y-you're not intimidating anybody NOW, looking cute like that, but...!

He leaned down and kissed her forehead.]

Says the woman who intimidated the hell outta me for months.

[pishirogane]

[That just added more color on her face.]

But I didn't do anything. I just happened to approach you instead.

[topgun_textiles]

Yeah. But like ya said, y'didn't do anything. Didn't need to.

[He stood and worked to remove his jacket.]

When everything first... started for me, I guess, I looked at magazines, found pictures online of the yankii, or some gangs from movies. I wanted to know what made people look scary so I could do it up on myself.

[He swept his hair back and slipped off his glasses.]

I doubled down, as you've seen when we met, and wanted to act scary, too. But for a whole lotta people, ones who find the yellin' n' screamin' annoying...

[He slung his jacket over his shoulders and made his move. He slammed his foot down on the seat next to Naoto and slouched against that knee. Eyes hard and mouth at a scowl, Kanji had tapped into those first days of late middle school and into high school.

Silly? Sure. Naoto was never intimidated by him. But the point was-]

...S'all about the way ya hold yourself.

[pishirogane]

Oh... hm...

[She hadn't flinched when he made his move, staring back at him curiously. He was trying to be intimidating, but she'd always found it rather ridiculous. Nothing against him, but all yankii could...]

[She wondered, thinking about it, but then nodded. Communication was key after all.]

Grampa taught me the most I had to worry about besides people as individuals were the government and yakuza; the government more than the yakuza sometimes because you can at least expect what the yakuza might do. As for yankii, they try too hard.

[topgun_textiles]

[She hadn't flinched, as he expected. But it was never about spooking her at all. In fact, he welcomed the feedback. Yankii really did try too fuckin' hard. He turned and lowered into a seat next to her, and slipped his glasses back on.]

Your gramps has the right of it; I ain't ever ran into government, and I don't think even I could shake the yakuza if they found reason to show up to Inaba.

...Not that I wouldn't try n' get 'em to fuck off.

I gotta tell ya though: When I showed up on the local news? I was a little scared it'd get the attention of bigger gangs. Y'know, with- with guns. Ain't shit I can do against guns.

[He shook his head and let that bit of stress go.]

But he toldja to worry about 'em. Ever brush elbows against either one?

[pishirogane]

I doubt you would be reason enough for a gang to come to Inaba, but the government might for other reasons.

[Which was they they wanted to keep the whole Shadow and Persona stuff quiet. But no, they come here and she can't get people to stop. She placed a hand on his arm.]

... A few times. It comes with my position.

[topgun_textiles]

[He understood, but wound an arm around her still. The stories told of just how dangerous they were. She could tough all sorts of things, but the idea of potentially being tangled so deep with a group like that...? It did come with the position.

But let's be upbeat instead of really ridiculously worried for her when she'd already had a few brush-ups with terrifying people!]

O-okay, for real, if ya never write a damn book about your life, I'll write the thing!

[pishirogane]

[It might be a while until she felt like people weren't breathing down her neck all the time, but when that day came, she would be relieved.]

[Leaning against him, she was going to enjoy their time together on this trip with a smile. Until his outburst made her eyes snap open.]

Huh? Why?