a wild punk knitter appears

[very_elaborate]

Kanji's just confused by this whole blue room thing. The... Velvet Room? Didn't Souji-senpai mention something like that once? Well, whatever; he mostly just wants to go home.

And home is where it sinks in that whatever's happening is real enough to take seriously, because his mom's not there.

Okay. That's. That's gonna be weird, but he can work with this. He'd still rather stay at home than anywhere else - it's familiar. And it has all his craft shit.

Once he's had a moment to be weirded out, he might even take some of that craft shit outside for a little project work somewhere. The hill, probably, since it has a nice view.

Comments

[fogboundcrow]

Really, Akechi isn't sure what he's doing wandering the shopping district. It's not like he'll run into anyone he knows, and the cognitions are creepy as hell. He stands outside the Tatsumi Textile shop, listless...

Until Kanji walks outside and suddenly this kid's jaw drops, and he sputters out a, "K-Kanji-san—"

Only to stop because, okay. For one, this might not even be his Kanji. He can't just assume. So he he tries to shake off his stupor. Don't get your hopes up. No one else has been from his world.

"...Ah. I mean, you are Kanji Tatsumi, correct?"

[very_elaborate]

Well, being called out like that sure gets Kanji to stop dead in his tracks.

"Uh. Yeah, that's me. Who're you?" Is he supposed to know this kid???

[fogboundcrow]

...Yep. That's about what he expected. He deflates at the remark, even knowing it was likely. How does he even begin to explain it?

"Goro Akechi. I, ah..." Damn it. "Well, how much do you know about this place? Other than the obvious fact that this isn't the real Inaba."

[very_elaborate]

"Somethin' about multiple timelines? I wasn't really paying attention, but that kinda stood out."

[fogboundcrow]

"Essentially, yes." Good. At least he's picked up on that part. Akechi perks up a little, resting a hand on his hip. It's a start. "To put it another way, in my world, I ended up in Inaba, stuck with an atrocious pair of foster parents who treated me merely as a means to reap the financial benefits. The version of you from my world was the only one who noticed my silent suffering and was even willing to call in the abuse despite his poor relationship with the police."

He shrugs, playing it off as a smaller deal than it rightfully is, simply to avoid overwhelming him. "So, I suppose you could say I hold you in high regards."

[very_elaborate]

"...Yeah, that's the kinda thing I'd do if I'd seen it," Kanji says. Because it is. "So for me, either you weren't here or I didn't see it."

Hopefully not the second one. That'd just suck.

"Not real used to people actually lookin' up to me, though."

[fogboundcrow]

"It seems my arrival in Inaba isn't common across realities. There are other versions of me who weren't nearly so fortunate to have met you or been taken in by Dojima-san soon after." Ah, but that last comment earns a light chuckle, at least. That is very on par with Kanji's insecure side. Something he's all too familiar with.

"Nonetheless, I do think you're a worthwhile role model, reputation be damned. A skilled craftsman who will simultaneously fend off violent gangs for his mother's sake..."

Yes, even the 'punkish' side appeals, no question.

[very_elaborate]

"Other versions? That shit's gotta be confusing." But otherwise, that statement kinda speaks for itself, doesn't it? The foster system's really shitty at the best of times, and if some other version of Kanji had to step in, this kid did not have the best of times.

"Yeah, well. Mom needed her sleep. And then I jammed my hand so bad I was legit worried I wouldn't be able to knit anymore for a week, but other than that it was worth it."

[fogboundcrow]

"You could always try talking to the shrine fox about that. Its leaves would probably be able to mitigate the pain." Similarly to how it helped with his mother's achy joints back home, but ah... That's a long story if this Kanji didn't experience something similar.

"Luckily, you won't have to worry about gang activity here, but there are a lot of different versions of me and this boy who either goes by Akira Kurusu or Ren Amamiya, depending on who you ask. The good news is, most of them dress differently or are different ages, but it almost feels as though this place is some top secret cloning facility."

[pancakeboy]

Have a prissy-looking boy with a fancy shopping bag, Kanji. It's safe to say Inaba's not his favourite part of the cognitive expanse. He will also insist he's not dropping off food at the Dojima house, for his put-upon alternate and his collection of small children, which seems to grow by the day.

Just one problem: a completely random, insanely tall guy outside the dreary haberdashery. Clearly not a cognition, judging by the look on his face—and that face isn't familiar, either....

Wait a moment. Tatsumi Textiles. Kanji Tatsumi.

He smiles. He can, despite everything, still smile all day long.

"Goodness. You look a little lost. Can I help at all?" It's literally his family's shop, Akechi.

[very_elaborate]

"It's my own damn house. How could I be lost?"

Kanji knows where he stands with smug assholes, and that's 'ready to punch at a moment's notice.'

[pancakeboy]

Yeah, he's just... totally unphased. The Detective Prince assholery amps up to eleven.

"Is that right? It's charming, I must say." He hasn't taken his eyes off Kanji, and he's quick to dodge to say the least. "You must forgive me if I offended. It's just that I haven't seen you before—or anyone like you.

"But if you have no questions, I'll leave." Little stars glimmer in the air around him. Baby birds suddenly appear. He'd forgotten how much fun this could be.

[very_elaborate]

"You got anything useful to say or did you just wanna be a smug asshole at someone?" Seriously, this guy's giving off Adachi vibes, and that never ends anywhere good.

[pancakeboy]

Strange coincidence, that—though he knows Quite Enough of Tohru Adachi by now, and the comparison hasn't escaped him.

But actually, he does have a question. "I get that a lot. I'm afraid it's just the way I'm wired. You're—Kanji Tatsumi, then, is that right?" Near-victim of the Inaba killer, yes. His younger self's "Emperor Arcana", which sounds... well, arcane, but is significant. Someone who showed "unconditional love and support" to an orphan boy in need.

If it's not Kanji, he'll laugh, and say he was mistaken. It's a trick he uses quite often—though if this is Tatsumi, Akechi didn't expect him to be quite so like Sakamoto.

[very_elaborate]

"Yeah. Who wants to know?"

Seriously, what is this guy's problem. (Oh, Kanji, bold of you to assume he only has one.)

[pancakeboy]

"Strange that you should ask. I was wondering if you're familiar with a young boy named Goro Akechi?"

Now, Akechi will not be surprised if the answer to this is "no"—he never met this guy, after all. But he does want to know.

[very_elaborate]

"I mean, I met him here. Probably not what you're asking, though."

Is this seriously the same guy? The kid version seemed a little more... together. Or at least honest about his pointiness.

[youngestdawn]

Akira-kun is walking up the trail to the hill with a pile of books from the library in his arms when he spots a new person sitting at one of the benches. They're...big, and they look scary...carefully, Akira-kun ducks behind a tree to watch them, not making a sound.

[very_elaborate]

He can't be that scary if he's knitting, right?

Anyway, it's a little bit before Kanji thinks to look up. He was not expecting to feel like he was being watched up here, of all places. "Somebody there?"

[youngestdawn]

Aki-chan startles when the person calls out to him! He doesn't wanna upset Yarn-san...he walks out from around the tree, clutching his books close to his chest. Hopefully Yarn-san likes kids...

[very_elaborate]

"Hey, kid. What's up?"

He's... pretty sure this is one of the little ones that Akechi kid asked for stuffed animals for, so now Kanji's really glad he's not working on one of those. People don't get to see their presents until they're done. What he does have is the bottom half of a penguin.

[youngestdawn]

Akira clutches his notebook closely as he tries to talk to the stranger. No sounds come out, as expected. He opens up his journal and turns it to the first page, an introduction page decorated with washi tape and shows it to him. In his five-year-old handwriting, it reads:
"Hi! My name is Kurusu Akira. I'm five years old. I have selective mutism, which means I can't talk sometimes. Thank you for your understanding."

[very_elaborate]

Kanji reads the note, then nods. "Gotcha. Good to meet you, kid. Name's Kanji."

[youngestdawn]

"Kah-ji-san," Akira tries to say, moving a little closer to him.

[very_elaborate]

Yeah, close enough, for a little kid who's struggling to talk at all.

"You stayin' around here?"