Hey there!

Alright, onto questions. Someone was asking why did Shido go after Ritsuka, so I'll clarify. He didn't. He went after "that punk who dared to cross me when I was about to have my fun and humiliated me." That's it. Shido is a megalomaniac that is every bit as petty as he is self-serving. So basically, he percieved the actions of Ritsuka as a personal insult and went out of his way to ruin him, even if he doesn't remember exactly what he looked like. They were lucky because the other girl had his phone and they found him through that (remember that he controls an I+T company).

To the ones who recommended decorations, thanks! I was thinking more specific examples. For example, Mecha Liz gives us a pilot helmet in the Valentine Event. That is not very bulky and discreet enought that it can pass as a replica from anime, so it's something Ritsuka would be able to use as decoration. Thanks for the ideas though! I'll probably use some of them.

And as always, a very big thank you to all the encouraging reviews! They mean a lot. I don't know how much I have reread them already.

Disclaimer: I do not own F/GO nor P5 nor any of its characters. Cover image obtained from reddit, will be taken down if original creator asks. It probably won't be very accurate to the story anyway...

Chapter 2 - Explanations, lots of threats and *spoiler dessert*

Ritsuka woke up early. He was someone who naturally like to nap, but the years of training at Chaldea had taught him the importance of maintaining a routine. Today, though, that worked against him: there wasn't a shower at Leblanc. Since he didn't have any way to clean himself before the meeting at school and he wanted to make a good first impression, sweating was out of the question. Making a mental note to ask Sakura-san for nearby public baths when he came to pick him up, he simply washed his face on the bathroom downstairs and changed into clean clothes.

"Morning, BB." He greeted. "Mind telling me the hour?"

Inwardly, he wondered what he could do with the free time he suddenly found in his hands. The front door was closed until the owner came by, so he couldn't go out for a walk, and he couldn't exercise either. He debated for a moment the pros and cons of simply surfing the web on a phone when a tease of an AI could quip at everything he chose to do, but as he well knew, trouble always comes unexpected.

"Uh… Senpai?"

Ritsuka paused. He knew that tone of voice.

"BB." He answered neutrally. "What did you do this time?"

"Ehehe…. N-Nothing?" Laughed the AI, looking to the side and whistling, but Ritsuka was unaffected and just continued to stare at her, unblinking. "S-Senpai, I know I said you could go for the bad boy attitude and this strong and silent treatment isn't too bad and I actually think it's quite cool but could you please stop it's starting to scare me and I don't really think-"

"BB."

"Eek!" She shrieked, then looked away. "Well… I may have downplayed a bit the amount of hidden cameras that I found..."

"How many?"

"...Seventeen?"

Ritsuka sighed.

"No! I mean, there were only three in this room, and the rest were in the bar downstairs, so..."

"Okay." The boy looked at her directly. "That's fine. It's not your fault, anyway. What else?"

"Uuhh…"

"Hellooo! Welcome to B.B. Channel! I am everyone's favorite devilish kouhai, BB-chan, here to deliver punishment to our naughty, naughty little peeping tom, so better prepare… Are?"

When BB jumped into of the screen with a flash of pink and a backdrop of falling sakura petals, she had expected bewilderment, nervousness, maybe even a hint of panic. But this was a bit too much, wasn't it? The young hacker who had tried to peep on them was perched on top of her chair, which had been pushed as far away from the desk as possible. Her eyes were wide, her breathing short and erratic, her face pale, and her hands tightly closed.

"Err… Hello? I am not a bad AI, I come in peace?" She tried, but the young girl didn't reply. "Please answer? Your reaction is a bit out of place, don't you think? Being surprised is acceptable, being annoyed is better, and being amazed the best, but scared is not really a good response to the cute BB-chan, don't you think? Huh? Wait. No way?"

It must be remembered that BB was originally derived from an NPC who had the role to care for the health of others, and in the Moon Cell, where health more often than not was counted in data rather than wounds or illness, she ended up treating mostly psychological ailments.

In other words, this kind of situation was actually her speciality. The moment the camera activated, an automatic program had started to analyze the information she received, both visual and auditory.

She had detected the following symptoms: accelerated pulse, sweating, trembling, shallow and irregular breathing, erratic pupillary motion, and of course extreme emotional distress. Those could be attributed to a different number of conditions, but considering the circumstances, the most probable option was:

"She's having a panic attack!?"

"So, let me get this straight." Ritsuka rubbed his temples. As if weird dreams weren't enough to keep him preoccupied. "It's our first day here, on a house where we have been invited out of goodwill, and you not only didn't inform me that we were being spied, but also revealed yourself to the owner's daughter and managed to cause her a panic attack."

"I didn't know! Who could have believed that anyone would react to someone as cute as me with panic? Hmph! Also, I helped! I stayed all night with her talking her through the worst of it until her dad came and called the doctor! You should be praising me here!"

In response, Ritsuka just raised his head and gave her a look that was not quite a glare, but was starting to resemble one.

"...Finee, I miight have been a bit responsible for it, buut surely my kind and handsome Senpai would find it in his heart to forgive ol' little BB-chan, riightt?"

"I'm not mad, you know."

"Huh? You're not? So that means no crazy buster punching ruler beach saints or ancient queens business, right?"

"In all fairness, it wasn't your fault that she reacted so violently. I would still have preferred if you'd have told me about the cameras, but I am already used to your antics by now." He smirked. "On the other, I didn't know that you missed Martha and Himiko that much. If you really want to, I can talk to Da Vinci and let her know that you're going back for a bit so you can have your reunion. I think they were getting tired of their old routine and were looking for new people to spar with."

"A-Ahahaha, surely you're joking, Senpai! A delicate maiden like me would never be able to participate in such brutish activities! You don't need to call them, alright? I was joking, just joking! Okay?!"

Ritsuka grinned at the clearly distressed AI. He didn't really plan on doing anything, but a bit of payback for the extra worries was warranted. BB, on the other hand, ran his smile through her database and obtained matching results in the "mostly joking, but still a real possibility" category and considered whether he should join that other girl in her panic.

The younger boy savored her distress for a couple minutes before letting her off the hook.

"Alright, tell me where the cameras are. Sakura-san will probably be late if he has to tend to his daughter, so we have enough time to dismantle them."

Sakura-san, as expected, arrived later than the promised hour.

"Sorry about that." He grumbled as he entered through the door and found his new ward waiting for him and ready to go. "An emergency came up. We'll be late if I have to make breakfast now, so you'll have to wait until after the meeting. I'll buy you something on the way back."

"Sakura-san, can we talk for a moment before we leave?" Asked the teen, gesturing to the counter. "It's important."

"Important? We're going to be late to your new school, and you are on thin enough ice as it is. They also have access to your records, you know."

"It's about your daughter."

The declaration stopped dead in its tracks any further argument that the older man might have been thinking about. Sojiro narrowed his eyes and glared at Ritsuka, but he maintained a neutral expression. Traveling all over the world and time meant that he was used to being on the receiving end of all kinds of looks, and not all welcoming.

"...What did you just say?"

"The emergency. The reason you were late is because your daughter had a panic attack, right?" Seeing that the older man had no intention to move, Ritsuka repeated the same gesture. "Please, it won't take long. I'll explain everything."

Still glaring at him, Sakura-san slowly pulled a chair and sat down opposite from him.

"I'm listening."

'And your explanation better be good, or else', conveyed his expression.

In response, Ritsuka took a little plastic bag out of his pocket and deposited it on the table. Inside were three round black chips, with a little crystal in the center of each.

Sojiro regarded them with a wary gaze.

"These are hidden cameras." Explained Ritsuka. "This three were on the room upstairs."

The boy paused and waited for the older man's reaction. While he could be wrong, Sakura-san struck him as someone traditional. Not in the cultural sense, but rather in that he seemed to prefer to use methods that he was comfortable with and knew worked. He used a coffee machine that could be described as vintage and, if the pots were any indication, ground the beans himself by hand. There was a single TV on the wall, and that was it for technology. No computer to keep track of food and drinks, no digital cashier, a ceiling fans, and even a dial phone.

Actually, the whole café had that retro style going, now that he thought about it. Anyway, the point was that if his new guardian had wanted to keep an eye on him, he was more likely to use good old fashioned binoculars rather than modern spy cameras.

Still, Sakura-san didn't respond. He just looked at him, stony-faced.

Ritsuka sighed and decided to go for broke.

"Your daughter installed them, Sakura-san, though I don't think she brought them specifically for me. Look." Reaching for the wood that made up the counter, he scratched a bit and brought out yet another camera. "This was situated in a place that would give her a clear view of the table in front. Without counting this one, there are thirteen more on this floor."

The owner of said shop managed to maintain his façade for a couple more seconds, before giving up and bringing one hand up to rub his eyes and mutter "This girl..." under his breath. The pause didn't last long, as he recovered and looked at him again. The hostility had diminished, but the wariness remained.

"That still doesn't explain how you knew that I had a daughter, or that she was responsible."

"Right." Ritsuka paused for a second to think carefully about how to word his next statements. He hadn't disabled the mics, so it was likely that they were recording every word and that the young hacker would listen to them when she recovered her strength, so his explanation was not only for Sakura-san, but for both father and daughter.

Or well, to at least give the impression that he was thinking about what to say. He couldn't reveal BB's existence, so before he left Chaldea Da Vinci, Hans and Shakespeare had come up with a believable story in case he ever needed to explain any strange business that came up. He had made sure to memorize it thoroughly, even asking Caesar for tips on how to speak convincingly enough to sell it.

"Actually, I have some sensitive data in my phone." He said, taking it out and waving it a bit for emphasis. "To protect it, it also has a program installed that periodically scans the area around me, and neutralizes this kind of objects that could put the information in danger. As for the reason I know of your daughter, the program not only deactivates cameras and mics, it follows the connection to the source." He didn't know if Sakura-san understood, so he tried to simplify the explanation. "In other words, because the program was designed to protect the data at all costs, it tries to find the source instead of fixing the symptoms. If the person who planted the cameras walks away, they're free to try again, but if we know who they are we can go send it to the police for them to take care of."

'Because the police are shining beacons of trustworthiness and are going to catch any hacker a random kid tells them just stole priceless secrets from his phone.'

"When your daughter tried to look at me, the program activated and blocked the cameras, while activating her own so that I could see her face in case she wanted to steal the data. The computer she used was also scanned, which is why I know her name is Sakura Futaba and she lives a couple streets from here. The address matches the one I was given yestrday. Since she lives in your flat and shares your surname, I assumed she was your daughter." He dipped his head. "For what it's worth, I apologize. The reason she was so distressed is probably because she saw the programs actions as an attack. I didn't know something like this would happen."

There, all out in the open. Ritsuka rose his head back up and observed the older man's face but Sakura-san's response was subdued. He just stayed where he was for a bit, parsing through the story and examining the boy for any traces of dishonesty. Finally, he exhaled slowly.

"I see. I appreciate you coming clean. You could have kept mum and I'd have been none the wiser." Seeing as Ritsuka was going to interject, he raised his hand. "It's alright. If things happened as you say, then you can't really be blamed. If anything, I should thank you for willingly coming forward with your side of the story after your privacy had been invaded."

"I don't want the same thing to happen again if I can help it."

"Heh." Unlike yesterday, the chuckle actually had some warmth. "Futaba… She's been through a lot. You may think she overreacted, but..." His face took a somber shade, but he shook his head to dispel it and got up. "Well, we better go. I think we can still make it if the traffic isn't too slow. We'll stop to get breakfast on our way back."

Sakura-san's car was like his shop: aged, but functional and tasteful. The traffic was, unfortunately, not as fast as they'd have liked, but it could have been worse, so they weren't complainig.

Conversation had been sparse so far. Besides one or two innocuous comments about the route Ritsuka would need to take to travel by subway, silence had reigned on the car.

But every reign was destined to end.

"So." Sakura-san said, clearing his throat and giving him a quick aside glance before looking to the lane again. "That program you have. It's very, uh, high-tech right?"

'It's quite literally alien.' Thought an amused Ritsuka.

"Can I ask where in the world did you get something like that?"

'And there it is.'

Since the moment he had talked about the miraculous program, Ritsuka had been waiting for the other shoe to drop. His cover story was successful in the sense that it concealed the magic side of things, but it wasn't a solve-it-all card. As Holmes had eloquently put it, it merely changed perspectives from the impossible to the improbable. And improbable things were rare, so they gathered plenty of attention on their own.

"I have been living overseas for the last couple years. I got scouted when I saw an add and got a blood sample taken. Apparently, my blood type is very rare and valuable, and I was both young, male and healthy, so I was invited to participate in an international research program. The pay was very good, my parents consented, and I'd get to meet new people, practice my English and contribute to a good cause." He morphed his face into an apologetic frown. "I can't really tell you much more, sorry. I had to sign 'confidential agreements'." He let the words hang in the air for a second and let Sakura-san make his own conclusions. "I have the data with me because I still need to contact them regularly as part of the ongoing research, and because the results of your own contributions are always available to the helpers, as per standard protocol."

Improbable, not impossible. And the amazing part was that "I was part of a government secret research program (that I am totally not implying might or might have not have been a front for more shady businesses)" was still more believable than "I picked it up at the reverse side of the moon, on top of an oil platform shaped like a giant nude woman.", so that was progress. Score 1 for the conspirationists. Maybe BB shouldn't have trolled that other guy so hard yesterday, his theories seemed solid…

At his side, Sakura-san was making a bitter expression, probably starting to understand just what kind of trouble he had unknowingly got himself into by doing a random good deed. Ritsuka empathized with him.

He really did.

The rest of the ride was uneventful. They were late, but not so late as to seem intentionally rude.

"Well, this is it. Shujin Academy." Said Sakura-san after parking the car. "Needless to say, you should behave yourself. I don't know how the school is, but they were the only ones willing to take you in, so you better not cause trouble."

Ritsuka nodded to show that he understood, and they walked in together.

The principal was huge. Huge huge, like big. And not in the good sense. Somehow, he rivaled Caesar in sheer size, and he at least had had the excuse of being summoned in a class that was not his optimal one.

He was also a bundle of joy. In the not good sense, too.

"To reiterate, just so we're clear, you will immediately expelled if you cause any problems." He repeated for the third or fourth time while Sakura-san finished signing some papers. "In my opinion you are nothing but a liability, but we had our circumstances to consider…"

Since the moment they had entered the room, the man had wasted no time in letting him now how strict they were going to be with him, how much they did not want him there, and how any minimal infraction would be given the maximum penalty, effective immediately.

"Whatever you might have gotten away with in your hometown… those days are over."

Oh, and he also liked to assume things. What had he ever gotten away with? That was just rude.

"If you are thrown out from our school, there will be no place for you to go. Keep that in mind. This is the teacher in charge of your class."

After the obligatory ninth threat, he finally changed the subject, introducing the woman in the white striped shirt and denim skirt that had been waiting in the corner in silence.

"I'm Sadayo Kawakami." She introduced herself.

"Pleased to meet you." Answered the boy, nodding politely.

She nodded in response and handed him his Shujin ID card.

"Here's your student ID. Make sure to read the… ?!" With a fast movement, he took back the card from his future student's hands and handed it back a second later, keeping the pamphlet that was below it. "Sorry, that was mine. As I was saying, be sure to read the school rules. Any violations will send you straight to the guidance office. And if by chance you cause any problems, I won't be able to protect you at all."

Lovely. Another threatener. At least she only said it once.

"...That is your promise, yes, Principal Kobayakawa?"

"Indeed. He is responsible for all his actions."

Wow. Ritsuka was not someone easily angered, but he was being blatantly treated as a bomb waiting to go off right in his face, and instead of trying to help, both educators were trying to find ways to avoid responsibility ahead of time. Even he was starting to feel a little pissed.

As if to give him the reason, Kawakami-sensei started to complain to the principal about having him on her class. Well, he also had a couple things his teachers should be made aware of, so he stepped forward.

"Principal Kobayakawa, there is something I should mention before-"

"I am sure Kawakami-sensei will be able to address any concern you might have." Interrupted the principal, speaking over him and looking at the other teacher, who could only glare sullenly at the blatant trespass of responsibility.

"...Come to the faculty office when you arrive at school tomorrow. I'll show you to your classroom and we'll have time to talk if you want to ask me anything." She said tiredly.

After a few awkward seconds where no one said anything, Sakura-san stepped forward with a sigh.

"If you're done explaining things, mind if we get going? I got a store to get back to."

When nobody answered, he took that as permission and gestured for his ward to move, but not before the principal got a few last words in.

"Sakura-san, please keep a close eye on him. Don't let him cause any trouble outside…"

Argh.

When they got outside, Sakura-san made for his car before pausing and turning to him. He started to say something, but stopped short, until he blew an angry harrumph and locked the car again.

"I promised you breakfast, didn't I? I think there was a shop that sold bakery products near the station. My treat. Also, huh." He scratched his head. "Do you have any idea what a teenage girl around your age might like? I was thinking of buying Futaba something to eat."

Ritsuka had to think for a moment. There were a surprisingly low number of teenage aged personnel in Chaldea. On the human employee side, most if not all were respected professionals at the peak of their careers, well into their adulthood. The closest to him in age were the other Master candidates, and we all know how that ended. On the Servants side of things, they were usually summoned at their strongest, which was why they mostly manifested as adults. The kid servants were almost all special cases (a literal book spirit, a wraith of unborn fetuses, a Servant born from another Servant taking a potion of youth and obtaining a legend of her own, etc.). The ones who came closest in age were Artoria Lily, who was an Artoria and therefore ineligible in any and all matters related to judging food; and Abby, which meant…

"How about pancakes?"

The way back was slow, as traffic had increased exponentially and the road was jam-packed. They learned the reason why when the radio announced that another train had derailed and messed up the schedules for all the trains. Come to think of it, when he entered the café yesterday, the TV was also talking about a derailment. There seemed to be an alarmingly high number of these kind of accidents as of late. Sakura-san told him, in a somber tone, that one of those claimed the life of a fifteen year old girl just last month.

When they arrived, it was already the evening and the pancakes had long gone cold. Which only went to show that they were the superior dessert, since they could be served no matter what and still taste delicious! Abby was truly wise. Sakura-san left him some and took the rest with him to share with Futaba when she felt better.

"Oh, right. Take this." Said the older gentleman, taking a notebook from the counter and handing it to him. "It's your probation diary. Make sure to keep it up to date. There is nothing in particular you are not allowed to do – except breaking the law, of course – but I am obligated to report on you. Just write a little every day and you'll be fine."

His piece said, he started walking towards the door again. "There should be some curry in the fridge for dinner." He called from over his shoulder.

"Wait, Sakura-san! On more question. Do you know if there are any public baths around?" Called Ritsuka with just a hint of desperation. He may have gone months without actual showers in America, but even then he found rivers and lakes along the way. He liked being clean, dammit.

Sakura-san groaned. "Right. You want to shower… Hmm… Alright." He brought his hand to his pocket again, and took out a key. "There is a bathhouse nearby. You just need to follow the street and take a right. If you promise me that you'll come back immediately without any detours, I'll give you permission to go."

Ritsuka nodded, relieved, but the manager's frown didn't go away.

"I'm serious. If you get in any trouble, you're out, understand?"

"I understood the ten first times the director told me the exact same thing."

"Heh." Despite himself, Sakura-san chuckled. "You have school tomorrow, so you better not go late to sleep." And with that said, he left the key on the nearby table and walked out the door.

"Alright then." Muttered the younger teen when he was alone. "BB, when will my things arrive?"

"According to the tracking delivery service, it should take around two days. This has been reported to you by your friendly neighborhood kouhai~."

Ritsuka served himself some curry and sat down on the counter. "Superhero references? That's new."

"...Ugh. Some of the residual data from that computer yesterday night must have survived. I'll have to purge it again..."

"Speaking of which, how's our young hacker doing?"

"She's just sleeping. A lot. She just zapped out after she tired herself and slept since then. A goth doctor came before and said she was stable, so that was that."

"Sakura-san didn't seem that worried either, so it shouldn't be serious. Or..."

"Or it's happened so many times that he is used to it by now." Completed the AI for him.

Ritsuka paused for a second, but continued eating shortly after. There was nothing he could do at the moment. Having BB monitor her was a calculated risk, since there was always the danger that Futaba would relapse if she noticed her again, but he figured that having a way to know if something else happened instantly was important enough to warrant it.

After he finished eating, he went up briefly to pick his towel and spare clothes and went out in search of the bathhouse. It wasn't all that difficult to find, there was a sign and everything. While bathing, an old man informed him that since it was Sunday, they put medicinal herbs in the bath, which explained the minty scent.

When he came out of the bath, he changed, but didn't go back to the café directly. He silently apologed to Sakura-san inside his heart, but this was important.

"Woo-hoo! Night date with Senpai!"

"We're here for work." Chided fondly Ritsuka, snapping another photo at the adjacent street, but his heart wasn't in it. A sudden impulse made him put his phone next to his ear and whisper as if he was answering a call. "Besides, if you think this is a date, wait till we get permission to properly go out at night."

The flustered splutter was music to his ears.

The extra detour didn't take longer than five minutes, so Ritsuka didn't feel particularly guilty when he returned to the coffee shop and locked the door. After changing into his pajamas, he went down to pick up his plate of pancakes and went back upstairs, where he retrieved a little bag from a secret compartment in his suitcase.

Sitting on the desk while munching on the dessert, he opened the bag. Inside were stored some of his most valuable possessions. Reaching inside, he carefully took out a meteor horseshoe, a bit of golden reed blessed by Ishtar and a couple of phoenix feathers. After he was done, he put down the bag in the same place he took it from.

That bag was one of the earliest presents Da Vinci had given him. It was meant to serve as luggage so he wouldn't need to carry a bag with all his things through every singularity. How it worked, he had no idea, but he suspected Medea had been involved in its making. It was, in simple words, "Bigger on the inside!" (and yes, that had been his first actual sentence upon receiving it, and no, he wasn't going to apologize).

Nowadays, he used it to store a supply of materials in case he ever needed them. Not all of them, of course – those were at Chaldea –, just enough that he could have something to work with in case he ever found the need.

Which was exactly what he was planning to do. But first, the pancakes. As Abby had said one day while stuffing herself, very proudly of her recently discovered word, "Priorities!"

He finished eating and washing the plate, so he got to work. Dexterous hands wove the reed into durable strings. Once he was done, he placed them around the meteor horseshoe, creating a shape resembling a symmetric spiderweb on its inside. Once that was finished, he tied another string on top and several from the two lower ends. He quickly fixed a noose on the on top, and affixed the phoenix feathers on the ones below.

This was a traditional Native American charm that Geronimo had taught him to construct: a Dreamcatcher. The American Native Servant had the Item Construction, though it was at rank C a limited to the things he knew in life and the budding mysticism he was granted by his class. After Ritsuka told him how he had enjoyed working on the moccasins after White Day, they got together from time to time for miscellaneous lessons. Dreamcatchers in particular were of particular importance, considering the young master of Chaldea's affinity for attracting nightmares, and it had been one of the first things he'd learned to make.

Ritsuka picked the new charm and hung it from one of the rafters on top of his bed. He wouldn't mind seeing the cute wardens again, but he was tired, and it had been two days since he got a full night's sleep, so he'd prefer to keep the nightmares and the long noses out for today. Igor seemed to have quite the extensive power to interfere with dreams, but Ritsuka's charm, though of shoddy making, more than overcompensated for its flaws with the sheer quality of its materials. Any proper magus would most likely want to strangle him on sight with how wasteful he was being. Phoenixes were Phantasmals of the highest order and especially rare even among those; the horseshoe was crafted from a fallen meteor, so it was actually alien metal; and the golden reeds were comparatively more common, but had been blessed by a full-blown Goddess of Harvest of the Age of Gods. He was essentially using rocket engines to fuel his cheap bike. Or, to put it in another more irresponsible way, he was just giving a very vague general direction to an incredibly potent and dangerous source of power.

Which was exactly the way a Master fought by using his Servant or Servants, so Ritsuka found it oddly fitting. Anyway, if long nose tried anything tonight, there would be nuclear plants worth of magical power waiting to caught him in the act.

Satisfied, he said goodnight to BB and went to sleep.

Next chapter, first day of school!

Ritsuka's things haven't arrived yet, so please keep giving advice. For bonus points, we need objects with sentimental value that are not too big, not too exotic, and are colored white, black, red or blue. One single color for each, mind you. But regardless, I appreciate each suggestion.

See ya!

A blue butterfly flew through the dark room, light as the touch of the night and as ethereal as the moon.

This is truly an unjust game.

Your chances of winning are almost -Urghk?!

Then it collided with the dangling amulet.

Ugh… What is this?

I cannot… free myself...

A little hand?

Trickster?

...Hello?

The blue butterfly, light as the touch of the night and as ethereal as the moonlight, hung uselessly from amidst the feathers.

It decided to stop struggling and wait until morning to leave.