As Yu slowly woke up he shifted in his large bed, his mind sluggishly coming online as he felt the naked bodies of two of his girlfriends sandwiching him. Opening his eyes he found Chie and Yukiko laying on either side of him, their heads on his shoulders and their hands entwined over his stomach, their deep, even breathing telling him they were still asleep.
The silverette yawned lightly as he tried to remember if they had anything pressing planned for the day while glancing over at his clock and finding that it was eight in the morning. Eventually he managed to dredge the information up and yawned again before beginning to shake the girls. "Chie-chan, Yuki-chan, it's time to get up. I need to get ready for Rise's audition at noon."
Both girls groaned and moaned and snuggled against him, unwilling to end their sleep any sooner than absolutely necessary, but eventually he managed to get them up, well used to dealing with these two's morning habits by now. He couldn't help but smile as he watched both young women get out of bed after giving him and each other a good morning kiss, their naked bodies a sight that he didn't think he'd ever tired of enjoying. Both of them blushed but were more than willing to show themselves off as they got ready for the day.
An hour later found the entirety of the Investigation Team having a very noisy and animated breakfast, all nine teens talking amongst each other as they enjoyed the food the better cooks among them had prepared. Yosuke had stated quite seriously when they first got the house that if he ever saw any of the girls in the kitchen for anything more complex than heating up a cup noodle he would not be held responsible for his actions, with even Yu putting his foot down in agreement when his girls tried to complain. The only one who could be trusted not to try to murder them all with her cooking was Naoto, and she still wasn't that great at it.
As for Labrys, she had never learned to cook, and while she wouldn't mind trying her hand at it, she'd prefer that be with someone competent showing her the ropes.
Once he finished his coffee, the preparation of which was the one kitchen duty Naoto could not only do well but insisted on taking over, Yu turned to look at Rise. "How are you feeling, Rise-chan? Nervous?"
"That obvious, huh?" The girl said with a self-deprecating smile as she looked at her only partly touched food, no doubt the thing that clued him in. "I know it's a bit silly, since I've been one of the most famous idols in Japan for years, but I feel similar to how I did before my first audition as a kid."
"It's not silly to be nervous, Rise-chan." Naoto said reassuringly with a smile as she set her fork down. "After all, even if you intellectually know you have the advantage of experience, you still don't have confirmation that the people here will like you as much as the people back home did. It's simply a part of human nature to feel anxiety despite all evidence to the contrary. Just keep in mind that Amdusias-san has already seen and heard the recordings of your performances and she wouldn't have arranged this if she didn't approve of you."
"Not to mention that the idea of you not being a successful idol here is insane." Kanji said after gulping down some pancakes. "I mean, I don't know about anyone else, but you not being an idol if you want to be one is just not something I can wrap my head around, y'know?"
"Yeah, Rise-chan!" Teddie cheered with a big smile on his face. "You have nothing to worry about! If they don't want you, then it's a problem with them, not you."
When the other teens all gave similar encouragements Rise smiled widely. "Thanks, you guys! You're right, I'm just psyching myself out for no reason. I'm going to go into that audition and blow all of those execs away!"
After her friends cheered at her attitude Yu glanced at the wall clock of their dining room. "Alright everyone, the train leaves in half an hour, so we need to get moving if we want to get there on time."
That promptly initiated a flurry of motion as the group followed Rise and Yu out to the taxi Labrys had called for them, shouting more encouragement and well wishes to their friend as she got in and waved to all of them like she would her adoring fans, a wide grin on her pretty face.
After Rise and Yu left for Tokyo the rest of the team dispersed to find things to occupy their own time and help keep their own nervousness for their friend under control.
Kanji found himself strolling through Kuoh's shopping district, planning to get some sewing supplies so he could make Rise a congratulatory gift. Being the weekend the place was quite busy, so he had a bit of trouble making his way through the crowds.
Finding the store he was looking for the muscle of the Investigation Team walked in, patting his back pocket to make sure his wallet was still there as he did so. Glancing around, pleased with the selection on offer, he waved off an attendant that was approaching as he began to browse, checking various threads and yarns with interest and dropping the ones he liked in the shopping basket he'd grabbed upon entering.
When making his way to where the cloth was kept he paused when he caught sight of himself in the mirror, trying to figure out what it was about the image that had caught his attention. Eventually his eyes rested on his hair and he brought his free hand up to run his fingers through the black locks, debating with himself.
He'd stopped dyeing his hair when everything supernatural in Inaba was over, determined to not force himself to lean into the delinquent look anymore, not needing the crutch any longer, being more comfortable with himself, and not wanting to cause his mother any trouble.
Now, however, he was considering turning his hair blonde again due to the fact that the Team seemed like it was going to be getting into fights again, and it felt right to go into combat with blonde hair like he had back during the murder investigation. It was irrational, but then he'd never been accused of being the most rational thinker on the team.
Completing his shopping he made his way to where the cashier was, finding a young girl looking up at the attendant tearfully, a doll with a rip that showed off its stuffing in her hand. "But she needs to be fixed!" The girl said in a near wail.
"I'm sorry." The girl of about Kanji's age said worriedly. "Our seamstress is out sick today, so we don't have anyone that can do it."
The girl looked like she was about to burst into full blown tears, so Kanji knelt down next to her as he set his basket down on the floor, drawing upon every skill he had cultivated while working at his family shop to try not to scare the kid with his usual gruffness. "Let me see that, kid. Maybe I can do something."
The girl looked at him, sniffling. "You can fix Michiko, mister?"
The teen gently took hold of the doll, looking it over, taking in the rip along the main body. "Yeah, I can do something this simple, easy." He sat down on the floor without a care and started grabbing some of the needles and thread he'd put in his basket, getting to work right then and there as the girl and attendant watched, fascinated.
Kanji worked for ten minutes, during which a couple of people came in and shopped, looking at him curiously as they made their purchases with Kanji not even really noticing, focused as he was on his task. And the only reason it took even that long is that he wanted to make the repair as seamless as possible and leave the doll looking as close to as it originally had as he could. By the time he was done the only evidence of the repair was a line of slightly folded fabric, and he handed the doll back with the satisfied smile of a job well done.
"Wow!" The girl said as she studied the doll, eyes gleaming with happiness. "I didn't know boys could sew so well. You're amazing, mister!"
"Only the really awesome boys can sew that well, kid." He said with a chuckle as he got back to his feet.
The girl held out some money to him. "Here, mister. This was what I was going to pay to get Michiko fixed."
Kanji declined the payment. "Don't worry about it. It wasn't a problem, and I enjoyed doing it." He brought his basket up onto the counter. "How about you go ahead and head home?"
The girl smiled brightly up at him, showing the gap in her teeth, before doing as he said with another thank you and wave goodbye.
"Thanks for that." The attendant said with a smile. "I didn't want to not help her. That was pretty cool." She said as she started scanning his purchases.
Kanji blinked and blushed slightly, not used to girls his age complimenting his sewing skills. He brought his hand up and scratched the back of his head. "S'nothing. Simple fix."
The girl eyed him as she continued working. "Do you want a job?" She asked.
Kanji blinked. "Huh?"
"Our seamstress is getting up there in years, and her getting sick isn't rare nowadays." The girl told him as she began charging him, Kanji pulling the money out without thinking. "I'm sure she'd be happy to have someone willing to take over for her when she can't do the work, like today."
Kanji frowned, considering it. "Sorry, I can't really do anything with a strict schedule. I have other responsibilities, y'know?"
The teen nodded. "I get it. Maybe come another day and talk about it with the seamstress, though? She might be willing to make some accommodations."
Kanji nodded slowly. "I'll consider it." Picking up his purchases he waved as he began to leave. "Thanks for the offer, see you around."
"Have a nice day!"
Naoto adjusted her cap as she followed Gremory-san into Kuoh's police station, Chie striding forward at her side, dressed in what the team considered her combat outfit. The two girls were here to find a use for their skills and experience during those times their devilish patrons didn't have work for them.
The busty redhead led them through the station after they'd signed in at the front desk to an out of the way door who's sign read 'Occult Investigations', which Gremory had advised them was something most police departments had, at least in places like Japan, which were more aware and accepting of the supernatural than others.
Opening the door led the way into a small office with three desks and a sectioned off area that had another, more expensive looking desk. The three people in the room, two women and a man, all glanced up from their work.
"Gremory-san." One of the women, a pretty ravenette that appeared to be in her early thirties, said as she stood from her seat, adjusting her suit before approaching. "What can we assist you with?"
"It's actually the other way around this time, Nakamura-san." Gremory said with a smile. "I spoke with Kusanagi-san about some associates of mine that were looking for work." She said as she motioned to the two teens, who both bowed to the older woman. "I came to introduce them, but it seems he isn't here."
"He got a call from The Twisted Bar a half hour or so ago." The only male in the room, a young man in his early twenties with orangish hair and a very buff physique, said. "He didn't say it was anything serious. Apparently an acquaintance overindulged in spite of the early hour."
"I can give him a call to see how long he'll be, if you want." The last police officer there, a young bluette that appeared to be in her late twenties, offered.
"Please do, Arasegawa-san." Gremory said with a nod and a smile.
Just as Arasegawa was grabbing her phone, however, the door opened once again, admitting a handsome man in his forties to the room. He looked like the typical sort of police detective Naoto had worked with for years, a cigarette in his mouth and his eyes a bit tired. He paused upon entering when he saw the new arrivals. "I hope I haven't left you waiting long." He said with a small frown on his face as he put his cig out in a nearby ashtray.
"Not at all, Kusanagi-san." Gremory said with a smile. "We just got here. I trust your acquaintance is alright?"
The detective let out a sound between a grunt and a sigh. "Daichi has some trouble holding his liquor, but he's sleeping it off at home." Then he turned to look at Chie and Naoto. "So, these are the girls you told me about?"
Gremory nodded and motioned towards them. "Indeed. I know they seem young, but…"
Kusanagi waved the words off. "I've been around long enough to know age isn't necessarily a reliable indicator of power or skill, especially in the supernatural community. I'll still need to see for myself, of course." With that he addressed the girls with an appropriate bow. "I am Detective Kusanagi Godou."
The girls bowed back. "I am Shirogane Naoto, and this is Satonaka Chie." Naoto said as she straightened. "I have some experience as a private detective and have worked with the police before, though I'm afraid I cannot share the official files on those cases for various reasons, though I believe Gremory-san has vouched for me." She continued, prompting said redhead to nod. "My companion intends to go into a career with law enforcement, has previously helped me solve a murder case with supernatural elements, and is one of the best fighters I know, if such skills are needed, though I'm no slauch either, if necessary." The entire exposition had been given respectfully but confidently, showing she was not going to be walked over or ignored either due to age or sex, which several had tried before.
"I have seen them both in combat, and just from what they displayed either of them could give any member of my peerage a hard fight, and I'm decently sure they were holding back at the time." Gremory added with a smile.
Kusanagi grunted at that information. "I definitely won't say no to some combat power of our own rather than needing to constantly call you or Sitri-san for backup whenever we encounter something out of our usual league." He said as he eyed the two young women in thought. "Is there any particular reason you're seeking work with us?"
"For various reasons we are unable to go back to our normal lives for the moment." Naoto said as Chie let her friend do all the talking. "Gremory-san has been good enough to hire us to do some work for her, but we need something to do in between jobs, so considering our skills and experience working freelance with the police sounded like a good idea. And we have other similarly skilled friends to call on if we need more aid than expected."
Kusanagi rubbed his chin in thought as he considered the information while studying the girls. "I'll need to see some proof of your skills, both in and out of combat." He finally decided. "I trust Gremory-san well enough, but I still need to confirm."
"No problem." Chie said, speaking for the first time before turning to her friend with a dangerous grin. "Feel like a spar, Naoto-kun?"
Naoto adjusted her cap as a small smirk appeared on her face. "Try to keep up, Chie-chan."
Yosuke leaned against a wall as he kept an eye over Teddie, a small smile on his face as he watched the crazy bear do his best at the new job Gremory had arranged for him.
The patients of the children's ward of Kuoh's main hospital laughed and clapped as the bear performed some tricks and handed out some doctor approved treats while telling some of the more kid friendly stories of the Investigation Team's experiences.
When the pseudo-Shadow had told Gremory that he had experience being a store's mascot and would like similar work the redheaded devil had seemed at a bit of a loss as to where to arrange for something like that before one of her subordinates, Kiba, had come up with a suggestion.
Really, it was an interesting idea. Whatever his faults, Teddie was great with kids, so having him go to the hospital three times a week to keep their spirits up was a no brainer now that it had come up.
Watching the goofball happily play with a seven year old burn victim, making the girl smile, brought a smile to Yosuke's own face and made him wish he could use a Dia without having to summon Jiraiya. Perhaps he should speak to Gremory about letting the Persona users with healing skills run roughshod over the hospital someday. He knew that they had to keep up the Masquerade, but easing some pain or helping the more severe cases shouldn't be too much of a problem, right?
When it was time to leave for the day Yosuke and Teddie waved goodbye to the very pretty nurse that had escorted them out before they began heading home, both of them silent for a bit before Yosuke broke it. "So, how did you like it?"
Teddie considered the question seriously before answering. "I really liked it. Making all those kids smile was great. But…" He frowned.
Yosuke sighed. "Yeah, I get it. I wish we could help them more too. I was thinking of asking if us healers could maybe go through and help out sometime."
Teddie immediately perked up. "Count me in! We'll have those kids and everyone else in there walking out all together!" He said cheerfully.
Yosuke chuckled as he walked, glad he cheered his friend up. "Who knows, maybe we'll get some nurses' numbers for the help!" He joked with a grin, prompting another cheer and a laugh.
Labrys waved to Yukiko as she left to go on patrol, the ravenette having decided to take over taking care of the house till she found something she wanted to do, currently sweeping the floor as the android left.
Labrys, for her part, had decided to continue working as security, going on patrols and either dealing with things too small for the devils to bother with or getting information in case more backup was needed. It suited her skills well, and would let her nip problems in the bud.
It helped that Sitri-san had enchanted her ax so she'd be able to carry it around inconspicuously. Sure, she was a decent enough fighter without it, but with it she should be able to easily deal with or at the very least hold off any attackers.
A couple of hours later found her in the Twisted Bar, which was noticeably empty at the time of day, only a few human or human adjacent patrons scattered about, many of them turning to look as she entered.
Approaching the same kappa that was tending the bar the last time she was there she leaned forward the way she'd seen Yu do, hoping she was projecting the correct amount of confidence. "HI there. Just thought I'd come through and see if there have been any issues ya might have noticed."
The kappa set the glass he'd been cleaning down and turned to look at her. "Still working security? I thought the Fallen that were causing trouble had been dealt with."
Labrys nodded. "Yeah, they were, but the devils kept us on to deal with any more issues before they become problems. You know, be proactive."
The kappa nodded thoughtfully. "Well, most of the yokai that were in the area last time you were here have moved on, so things are a bit dead. That's normal, though, another group will come through soon enough, and there are usually one or two idiots that cause trouble when they get into their cups with each group."
Labrys nodded in understanding. "Good to know." She pulled a card out of a pocket and set it down on the bar. "This is our number. You see something that might be a problem, let us know so we can deal with it without needing to involve the devils. It's what we get paid to do, after all."
The kappa slid the card closer and studied it. "'Shadow Operatives', huh? Fine, but only if it's an actual problem. I'm not going to snitch on my patrons if they're just getting a bit rowdy while drunk. Name's Leonardo, and kami help me, if you make a damned ninja turtles joke, I don't care who you know, I'm drowning you." He growled before muttering about drunken parents that watched too many cartoons.
Labrys did her best to keep from smiling, grateful that she had some advantages in that department over a human. "Understood. It's nice to meet you, Leonardo-san. I'm Labrys." She turned and left to continue her patrol. "Feel free to call if you need me."
Rise was still beaming as she left the high priced Italian restaurant with Yu. The audition had gone amazingly once she'd used her well honed skill at shoving away stage fright to calm herself. The only issue a few of the execs'd had with her was her age, which was older than most new idols, but her obvious skill, and the fact that they had some ready made content featuring her to make use of, meant that overall things went in her favor.
Yu had promptly taken her out to eat to celebrate, which had been great, and now they were walking through the busy Tokyo streets as the sun fully set and the stars came out.
Holding onto the arm of the man she loved and snuggling against him she smiled contentedly. Things were going as well as could be hoped, so she was just going to enjoy her time as much as she could.
"So, anything else you want to do before we head home?" Yu asked with a smile on his face as he let her cling to him.
"Find a love hotel so I can have you all to myself till tomorrow?" Rise joked somewhat hopefully.
Rather than laugh at her suggestion she was surprised when he pulled out his phone. "Hello, Yosuke? I'm just calling to let you know Rise and I will be home tomorrow. No, no, everything went great. Yes, that is why. Alright, talk to you later." With that he hung up and looked down at her with a smile.
Rise blinked. "I was joking." She said with a blush on her face.
The silverette leaned down and gave her a loving kiss that made her toes curl, uncaring of the passerby watching. "I'm not." He growled huskily with a smile, and Rise shuddered with arousal before grabbing his hand and determinately marching in the direction for the nearest love hotel, regular hotel, or anything with a damned bed.
I am so, so sorry for the delay with this. I swear, I did my best to get it out by the end of May, but a combination of sudden onset insomnia with some depression issues (not just mine) utterly murdered my motivation. Over half this chapter was written in the last two hours.
Again, I apologize profusely, and I promise to do my best to not let such a delay happen again.
That said, this was somewhat of a transitional chapter, showing what the team is going to be doing for the moment between the big story beats. Lazy as some teens might be, they can't spend all their time doing nothing around the pool, much as they might sometimes wish they could. I know I would. Give me a gaming laptop, a stocked bar, and some cute honeys, and I'd be there for years.
And good gods am I showing my age when I say 'cute honeys'.
In any case, not much else to say. I believe the next chapter should begin the next big story event the team will be getting involved with, but my ideas for it are a bit fluid at the moment, so they may change.
So then, let's get on with my usual reminders:
As I've stated previously in some of my other fics, my best friend and their roommate have begun a podcast. Yes, I know, everybody and their mother has a podcast these days, but I beg you to hear me out. It's called 'Two Idiots and a Dog', and they talk about pop culture in general with different shows for different topics. So far they've primarily done 'Idiots on Film', talking about classic or important movies, but they recently started another one called 'Idiots Unleashed', where they just take a topic their Discord members vote on and talk/argue/rant about it without a filter. The latest episode of 'Idiots on Film' was on The Road Warrior (aka Mad Max 2) and their latest 'Idiots Unleashed' was actually one I convinced them to do, which is them just discussing/ranting about Warhammer 40K. It was very enjoyable, even if they did mock me a few times for making them do it. So if you're interested, that's 'Two Idiots and a Dog' on most podcasting apps. Please check it out. For me? *puppy dog eyes*
Secondly, I am, as always, truly grateful for those of you who are willing to send a buck or two my way out of the kindness of your heart. It really helped my transition till I started my new job with UPS. I've got a steady income now, and am getting my feet underneath myself, but that doesn't mean your support isn't appreciated. Thanks to you I have more of a cushion to get things I still need or pay essential bills. Like Final Fantasy XIV. (Speaking of, Ryuma Hyurinmaru on the Coeurl Server, Crystal Datacenter, North America)
Of course, let us not forget that you do get something out of it. For each dollar that you donate to my Pat A Ron, you get a vote in my monthly update poll stating what you want to see updated next month. And if what you vote for doesn't win immediately, no worries! Non-winning votes roll over to the next poll, so a fic that only gets a vote a month will eventually win (though it might take a bit, to be brutally honest). This fic is finally being updated due to turtling the others, after all.
That said, if a fic hasn't won in a long time, I will take it off the poll and update it anyway, like I am in the process of doing for On Swirling Ashes, which is taking me longer than expected but is making progress.
So yes, donate to my Pat A Ron, you get a say in what I update. Everybody wins! So that's Pat A Ron dotcom /athanmortis. The current poll ends on June 7th.
However, as something new, I have set up a Ko-Fi for those of you who don't want to use Pat A Ron to support me. The only caveat is that it won't count towards any voting, so I honestly don't see it getting much use. That said, it's there for those of you that prefer it. Seeing as I only created it a few weeks ago, please give me any feedback on it so I can make improvements. That's ko-fi dotcom /athanmortis78653 .
I believe that's it. Thank you all again for reading and reviewing. Hope you have a good one. Till next time!