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

[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.

[pancakeboy]

Akechi watches him, from behind his smile. One thing he knows is that, like Ren and like himself, people are primarily people, and their masks can deceive you. Then again, with some people—again, like Sakamoto, who is truly too stupid to—well, he's too stupid at any rate, the mask is all you want to know.

"Ah, then you know. He certainly will have expected to meet you." And if you upset him in any way, Tatsumi, the two of you are going to have a problem—though hopefully not one that will come to blows in the street.

[very_elaborate]

Dude, what the hell kinda person do you think he is? Kids get enough shit just for being kids, he's not gonna start any more.

"He double-checked. And, well, what he says I did for him, I woulda done if I'd seen it." Which means either it didn't happen or he didn't see it, but he wouldn't have just walked away and left a kid to suffer.

[pancakeboy]

[And again, his eyes crinkle in a smile, rather tighter than before; he chuckles, barely there, polite. For a moment he wants to ask, and what's your world code?....

But no. He's fine.]

That's very laudable. More to you than meets the eye, isn't there?... Though, of course, those things are easy to say. All of us want to think we'd help a child.

[And speaking of, because "Raven" would want him to ask. God, Tatsumi must have ten centimetres or more on him.] You are fine, then? You understand your situation?

[very_elaborate]

Kanji sighs. "Look, if the kid's told you his story then you know the cops woulda had no reason to just take my word for it, right? But that's not the kinda thing you just walk past." It's not kids he has a problem with, especially not kids that would've reminded him a little of himself.

"I understand enough to work with for now." Mostly that Inaba's even emptier than usual, Mom's not here and there's timeline bullshit. But Kanji can work on the rest with time.

prose, brackets, what is difference

[pancakeboy]

"He's told me some of his story—less than I suspect he's told you. You understand I haven't pried." His lips thin. Of course it's something you walk past. It was never worth anyone's time to stop for him. Perhaps if he'd been as visibly neglected as his young counterpart seems to have been?

He nods, though; again, this isn't his business. Unlike other-him in the Shujin uniform, he doesn't take on every waif and stray—just the odd one. Maybe he should at least offer to exchange numbers?...

Thugs, though. Delinquents. He looks up at the shop. "You said you live here? Above the shop, I take it?"

It's all good. XD

[very_elaborate]

"Yeah. And?"

It's his family's shop and his mom had to fight to keep it after his dad died. Kanji only half realised how bad it was at the time, but she nearly lost it. (Pity customers aren't completely awful, but still.)

[pancakeboy]

"Oh, it's nothing." He touches his chin, looking critically up at the shabby little store, and the bold sign above it; he thinks about Junes, and how sharks swallow up minnows without even noticing. Tapestries, and timelines, and coincidences. "I just know someone else who lives above a shop.

"Anyway." The fake-as-fuck smile makes a brief reappearance, as he indicates his absurdly fancy shopping bag. "I should get on. Good luck settling in, Tatsumi-kun."

[very_elaborate]

The good news is that Junes can't do what they do.

"Yeah, you do that."