🌒 [Open]

[wipingallout]

... ... ... ... ?

What is...?

I shouldn't... be awake...


[In the Velvet Room...]

[It's courteous of whatever's going on with Igor's plan here that Hamuko is dressed. She probably shouldn't even have a body... whatever she has going on now... did her body fall comatose without her? Did it die? If it was alive, she surely should be much older. ... ... ... Maybe that all doesn't really matter, right now. She's here, gifted a chance to be around others again. The pinboard catches her attention first, of course. Signs of other people... so many little notes, talking about multiple versions of the same person running around. That's... that's charming... that's fun. ...Even if the notes about Ken Amadas make her sad...]

Hmm... I don't see any other 'me' off the bat...

[She'll take a few minutes once given a pen and some pink paper to doodle a little version of herself, signed with her name and phone number, and add it to the corner of the pinboard.]


[Inaba, Central Shopping District]

[What a fun little town! A charming place... hey, isn't this the town she went to for the volleyball camp? She loved the accommodations, but it's so nice to actually wander the streets and see the little shops. This place is SO rural, Hamuko had never really visited a place this remote, even when jumping between foster homes.] Let's see... what's the good spot for the locals? [No point being a complete tourist shmuck!!]


[Shibuya, Underground Mall]

[Well, since nothing costs anything here... might as well get some cute new clothes, right? Who knows how long she'll be around here, and 'dreaming up' new outfits didn't seem to be a thing. No lucid dreaming here - somehow, Hamuko felt a lot happier with that in mind. Still... the fashion is so different!!]

I just want one cute orange top...!! Is orange out of style? Dang it...


[Iwatodai Dorms]

[Of all of the places she's been having fun goofing off and exploring in, the dorms... she couldn't quite get the courage to open the front. Not just yet.]

Not even Koromaru is out front right now. ...I've gotta apologize...

Comments

[wipingallout]

"Well, if someone arrives going by Ryoji Mochizuki - he has this cute beauty mark right here on his face - that'd be the 'Death' that I'd gotten to know," she clarified. "And obviously, let him know I'm gonna give him a hug and a punch to the arm."

Still, watching the way Zenkichi interacted, then how the switch flipped...

..."pop" was a lot more complicated than he seemed, and he already seemed pretty complex.

For now, Hamuko turned her attention to Akane. "A tour sounds nice! Lead the way, Akane."

[unit_8910_wolf]

Akane processed what Hamuko had just said.

"Cute."

This Ryoji Mochizuki—Death, or its vessel, or whatever— has a cute birthmark in her eyes, huh?
Usually that wouldn't be such a big deal but...

That made Akane wonder... but for now, she held back those questions. They had a tour to get through.

While Zenkichi receded into the background, now speaking to Igor in hushed tones, Akane planted her hands on her waist and stared up at the board. With its mismatched notes, haphazard organization, and barely functional attempt at keeping everything in order, she couldn't help but snort.

"Man, this thing is a mess," she remarked, her voice carrying that distinct snark only. "Like, I get that it does the job, but still. The amount of fated rivals, old grudges, and way too many guys crowded in one place? It’s like watching a sitcom—except the whole thing’s on fire."

She turned to Hamuko, her LED-lit eyes flashing with amusement before moving on. "Alright, basics first—so, like, 88% of the population here is below the age of twenty. 9% of them are like- immortal or supernatural or something else. You got about 24% who are kids or teenagers, like me. Or younger. And like 5 atleast-once adults. " She rolled her shoulders slightly. "Technically, my code says I should be fourteen. But I dunno. I feel like I fluctuate between, like, fourteen and sixteen, depending on the day."

She paused, considering something before casually throwing out her next question.

"Oh, also—what’s your opinion on cops?"

Because boy hoo boy, if Hamuko had issues, she might as well know now, before she dropped the Wolf-shaped bomb on her.

[wipingallout]

On cops? Right, she's asking since Wolf is one - at least, that's what one of the nicknames he was groaning about implied.

But still, sincerely, Hamuko shrugged.

"I don't think much of cops in general? There was one officer that SEES was working with regularly, and I have respect for him. But we didn't interact with police much beyond that. Our senpai said that the police would work with us because they understood that something supernatural was going on beyond their scope and authority, so long as we didn't abuse that leniency," she explained. "So I never really interacted much with them at all outside of Kurosawa-san selling me equipment and giving us rewards from people we'd rescued from Tartarus."

[unit_8910_wolf]

Akane blinked, momentarily caught off guard by Hamuko’s answer.

"Huh. So the cops actually worked with you guys? That’s… kinda surprising, actually." She tilted her head, processing the thought. "I guess it makes sense, though. The Kirijo Group and law enforcement had to sort things out together, at least back then. But now? At this point, cops are just regular enforcers while the company calls all the shots."

She crossed her arms, tapping a finger against her bicep in thought before offering a casual shrug. "I mostly just asked to make sure you were comfortable. Wolf—uh, Zenkichi—doesn't look like it, but he wouldn’t want you to be worried or freaked out around him, y'know?"

Her optics flickered behind the mask, her tone almost offhanded as she tilts her head and whispers, "He's got a habit of not saying that kinda thing out loud, though. So, like, don't tell him I said that."

"So uhh...you know, honestly I could go on and on about the place. I have been to the Adamah area in Tartarus when I was just in my AI form within Wolf and I could tell you a funny story that lead to it." She was off on a ramble, not wanting Zenkichi to hear if he felt the need to listen in. "Gosh, I am sorry- I am usually more normal in my digital form but er- yeah." Why did she even apologize?? There's a blush which is thankfully hidden by the mask.

[wipingallout]

Hamuko leaned in to hear the whispers, smirking a little - and chuckling at the idea of Wolf not wanting to make others panic. "Don't worry. I'm not really afraid of other people, cool future cybernetics or otherwise - if he oversteps I'll just kick his butt," she joked, winking - she obviously probably wouldn't. It didn't really seem like Wolf would spring anything on her at all.

"Nah, don't apologize! I'm getting to know you. And yeah, made it all the way to Adamah - you guys got really up there too, huh?"

[unit_8910_wolf]

Akane giggled, her optics flickering with amusement as her eyes widened. "Oh, you would, huh?" she teased, voice laced with mischief. "I'd pay to see that."

She meant it in the most playful way possible, but deep down, she was still fiercely loyal to Zenkichi’s safety. No matter how much she joked, if someone actually tried to throw hands with him, they'd have to go through her first.

Though that wasn't as much of a compensation physically.

But Hamuko meant well—Akane could tell. And besides, it wasn’t every day she got to talk to someone other than Wolf.

"Man," she exhaled, shaking her head with a fond chuckle. "Hearing about Adamah again... yeah Wolf sort of joined a whole impromptu crusade to defeat the Reaper with Amada-san and uh...Phoenix," Her gaze drifted toward the board before she reached out and pointed at a particular picture with the major warning next to an Akechi with a very dark beak. "Really it started from Wolf mistaking Phoenix-san as one of the cognitive enemies of your universe and we had to shift to protocol mode."

"That-!" Zenkichi pipes in, "-what was I supposed to do?! Phoenix just popped up right in front through a goddamn portal!"

"Relax, Wolf- I will be your lawyer," she grins with a closed fist on her chest. "I will win the case for you."

"Shut up-!" Zenkichi's tone wasn't exactly harsh either, a sort of tired grin on his face before he turned back to Igor.

"Okay so..."

"...anyways yeah, that could have went terrible to be honest but you know, all's well that ends well."

[wipingallout]

"Okay, I saw that selfie and I've been wanting to see him in the flesh. In the feathers? Like, immediately. That's so weird and freaky and I gotta?? His eyes are red and glowing even in his selfie!" Hamuko agreed, gesturing to the aforementioned selfie.

"Plus...! Imagine learning how to teleport..."

[unit_8910_wolf]

Akane blinked, tilting her head as she gave Hamuko a careful look—the kind that was half curiosity, half what exactly are you getting at?

"Gotta… what?" she asked slowly, like she was trying to piece something together.

Because, okay, yeah, the teleporting thing? Absolutely cool. But Phoenix himself? That was a whole different conversation.

"I mean, yeah, teleporting would be insanely useful. I’d love to just—" She snapped her fingers for emphasis. "—zip out of a conversation whenever things get awkward." A pause. "Not that I ever do that. Nope. Never."

"He is pretty weird and he has prescription on him- like a legit jar full of colourful pills. Insane guy."

She folded her arms, giving Hamuko another squint before adding, "Also, what’s with the feather thing? You just really into bird guys or…?"

[wipingallout]

"I've never seen a weird bird guy before! Dogs are one thing, but like... is he soft? Is he oily?? Can I steal a feather? Is it magic?"

She makes a vague grabbing gesture with her hands.

"...I guess you wouldn't have ever like... had the urge to run up and scoop up a pigeon at a park, right?"

[unit_8910_wolf]

Akane stared at Hamuko’s grabbing gesture, her LED-lit eyes flickering as she processed the absurdity of the question.

"I… haven’t exactly interacted with physical things," she admitted, voice flat. "Kinda hard to grab a pigeon when you don’t have hands. Or, y’know, a body most of the time."

Still, the thought stuck with her, and she tapped a finger against her mask in thought. "Also, pigeons? Uh. Yeah, about that. Most birds—especially pigeons—are kinda… super endangered where I’m from. Like, so rare that they’re basically reserved for high society events and, like, government-run community rehab zones until things get better and they are let out freely again. You can’t just see one on the street. And even if you did, good luck getting anywhere near it. The closest thing to a real bird I’ve ever seen is probably a surveillance drone shaped like one."

She shrugged. "Not that I’d know firsthand. Wolf’s fieldwork doesn’t exactly take him to normal places. I’ve never actually been to a park before."

Akane paused at that, as if the realization had only just fully clicked in her mind.

...Most of them were closed off anyway. Nostalgia’s a big problem in her world. Some people fell into despair at the very sight of an innocent park, over things that remind them too much of the past. Parks were monitored real heavily to make sure no one starts spiraling into existential despair over, like, an old playground slide and eventually become EMMA's victim in the process.

A beat of silence.

"...But now I’m kinda curious," she admitted, tilting her head. "What’s the big deal with birds, anyway? Why would you want to scoop one up? What’s the appeal? Is it its warmth or just the touch?"

[wipingallout]

Hamuko's giddiness and enthusiasm tapered off, as Akane explained the world they were from. Explained just how dire things were...

Even if she logically knew that there would likely be threats to life, it was... sad, to hear that things had gone so far downhill. That people were restricted from those areas, so on... that sounded... suffocating. And profoundly sad.

But Hamuko put on a calm smile when asked the question, tapering herself. After all, these two were part of something that fought to change things, there were people trying. She believed in them.

"There's something sort of funny, when you're really young in your life. All your mind's impulses are so new, and you haven't been told not to follow those impulses or taught how to temper them because what might strangers think about you acting childishly?" She chuckled a little. "...Well, I think life is a lot more fun to indulge on impulses and not worry too much about other adults judging you. Once you have a body, Akane-chan, I think you'll get a chance to feel that too."

1/2

[unit_8910_wolf]

There was something strangely compelling about her words—this whole idea of indulging in impulses, of not worrying about what others thought.

It made sense, in theory.

And yet…

She frowned slightly, arms crossing as if instinctively trying to put up a wall. “I mean—” she started, then stopped. “I’m just young because of my AI model, you know? And the soul attached to me. It’s not like…”

Not like she was really a teenager.

Not like she was supposed to have these thoughts.

She looked away, something in her synthetic chest twisting uncomfortably. The last time she had acted purely on impulse—truly impulsively—had been when she sort of made up her own persona by copying Wolf’s Persona- Cosette and leapt into battle to save him. It hadn’t been calculated. It hadn’t been analyzed, or planned out. It had been pure instinct, like something deep inside her had just moved before she could think.

And in that moment, she had felt… real.

Akane swallowed, looking down at her black gloved hands, flexing her fingers like she was trying to feel something.

“So… what could I do right now that’s impulsive?” she asked, almost hesitantly. It felt weird to even entertain the idea.

2/2 [and only bare whispers of this can be heard, just context for what Zenkichi is doig]

[unit_8910_wolf]

Zenkichi’s voice was low, nearly hushed, as he spoke with Igor. His fingers were loosely interlocked, resting against the surface, but his body language was stiff—tense in a way that he couldn’t quite shake.

“So, let me get this straight,” he murmured. “Once Akane leaves my server in a cognitive world, she can’t go back in to protect herself?”

Igor nodded slowly, his ever-present, unreadable smile never faltering.

Zenkichi exhaled sharply through his nose. “And if she enters a cognitive world without re-entering my server first—unless it’s a Jail—then she’s just… stuck?”

“Correct,” Igor affirmed. “Unless external intervention occurs and well...she...”

She died.

Zenkichi's hand flew to his holster but the lingering presence of Hamuko and Akane who were still in the same area as him was the only thing holding him back from even putting a bullet through that smiling man's skull.

Zenkichi muttered a curse under his breath. That meant places like Mikage-cho and Sumaru were dangerous for her. Hell, even places like Mementos, Tartarus, or the TV World followed the same damn rules if he wasn't careful.

But she can project herself into the real world. Through electronic devices. VR. That was something right?

And then came the real question—the one that had been gnawing at the back of his skull since this whole mess started.

“…What happens when we go back?”

[wipingallout]

With her focus on Akane's conversation, Hamuko's brain wasn't really picking up on the detail of the words Zenkichi was murmuring to Igor behind them. Even if she was more clearly hearing Igor's responses (with such a distinct voice, how could she not?), the words didn't really process, like how background chatter faded out of focus.

The same was not true, however, of the sound of Zenkichi's abrupt movement, the sound of fabric and clasps - there was a subtle shift of her head, turning an ear almost purely on instinct, trained and ingrained to be alerted to the sound of a gun (evoker) being reached for. It's not an impulse she can control. There were a lot of nights that being sharp for specific cues was important - especially with STREGA lurking out and about.

But she doesn't do more than peek over her shoulder, see that Wolf isn't doing anything, just... cursing to himself, looking sour in front of Igor, who looks nonplussed as ever. With a quick, silent assessment, Hamuko turned her attention back to Akane.

The question before her was more important. What could I do right now that’s impulsive?

"Well... let's see. Is there something you've wanted to put up in here that's not strictly informational? Or maybe we can tease some people on their network posts - nothing mean, just funny images or jokes. Or, if you can walk out with this robot body, we can go try all kinds of things in any of the cities together. We can go play games, dress up, get some spray paint and do a ton of graffiti, go skateboarding, get tattoos, go clubbing--" Hamuko's voice started to raise a bit with each more outlandish and delinquent proposal - part to make it clear to Akane that she's joking, of course, and part to pull Zenkichi's attention. You know. To distract him.

1/2

[unit_8910_wolf]

Akane’s eyes widened as Hamuko continued listing things out—one after another, more ridiculous and outlandish each time. “I mean, it’s not exactly a robot body,” she started, attempting to interject, but the girl just kept going. “It’s… well, maybe it is, but it’s mostly built out of cognition and code, so it’s more like—” But then— Games. Dressing up. Graffiti. Skateboarding. Tattoos. Clubbing— Her thought process derailed completely. She stared at Hamuko, mouth slightly open. What. That was an option? That was even possible? Her smile twitched, like she was genuinely holding back a grin, and before she even realized it, she had started typing into the air—quick, automatic motions, like she was noting all of this down in her digital notepad for later reference. And then she noticed. Hamuko’s voice was rising, just enough to be intentional, just enough to—

---

Zenkichi exhaled sharply, trying to keep his anger in check, his grip on his holster still taut from the conversation with Igor. “So if this place is overflowing with cognition,” he said gruffly, “then what happens when we leave? Will she exist normally in our world which is strung up by cognitive phenomenon?”

Igor was silent.

And that alone was enough to set his teeth on edge.

He hated that silence. That smug, knowing, withholding silence. The one that meant Igor was holding all the cards close to his chest, and Wolf wasn’t getting a single one unless the damn long-nosed man was hauled off his ass to follow through with his questions.

He’d been this close to punching something—maybe even that damn smug nose of his—

And then—

Go clubbing-

2/2

[unit_8910_wolf]

Zenkichi’s head snapped up, his entire focus ripped away from Igor as instinct kicked in.

“HEY, HEY, HEY—”

He bumbled forward, practically tripping over himself in his rush to rise to the bait. “What do you mean by clubbing—”

And before he even thought about it, his hands instinctively covered Akane’s ears.

Or… well. Where her human ears would be but instead they really just skwed the headphone mounted on the cognitive projections of two human ears that were really just for show.

Akane, now sitting there with Zenkichi’s gloved hands lightly cupped over the sides of her very clearly not-ears, gave him the flattest stare known to mankind.

As if she couldn’t still hear everything.

Zenkichi, finally realizing what he had just done, grit his teeth and snapped at Hamuko in sheer exasperation.

“What kind of bonding initiative are you trying to drag her into?!”

"Da-" Akane stops. "Wolf,” she said flatly, voice crystal clear, “you do realize this doesn’t actually work, right?”

Zenkichi froze.

“…Y-Yeah, well,” he sputtered, quickly removing his hands but still pointing a finger at her, as if that somehow gave him the upper hand in this ridiculous exchange, “it’s the principle of the thing!”

[wipingallout]

"Yeah? And who here was eavesdropping on two teenage girls chatting, hmm? If we wanna go on a rebellious teenage phase, what're you gonna do about it~?" Hamuko teased, absolutely playing it up by putting her hands on her hips and sneering mischievously at Wolf.

"Overprotective!! Maybe she and I wanna go bleach our hair and get cool tattoos across our backs! What's it to ya??"

The more she teased, the more her voice slipped into a caricature of a delinquent - this was fun.

[unit_8910_wolf]

Zenkichi barely had time to breathe before Hamuko was right there, hands on her hips, grinning like she’d just found the perfect new game.

She was really playing it up, sneering at him like a gang leader about to shake him down for lunch money.

Zenkichi leaned back, eyes narrowing as he tried to reclaim his personal space—tried being the key word. Hamuko wasn’t letting up. She was right in his face, too close for him to do anything except stiffen slightly as if that could make her back off. It didn’t.

He tried to wave her off with the most unimpressed look he could muster. “Oh, come on, it’s not like I—”

"Akane is my responsibility," he continued, standing his ground as if that somehow made him look cooler, more collected. “She’s only fourteen—”

“Depending on the day,” Akane corrected smoothly before the board, watching the whole thing unfold like she was enjoying premium entertainment.

Zenkichi’s head snapped toward her, giving her a sharp look. “Okay, no, we’re not doing the quantum physics age math thing again.”

Akane huffed, the ghost of a smirk on her face, but she didn’t push it. Instead, she let her attention drift toward the couch where Zenkichi had tossed his hat earlier.

Without a word, she stood up, walking over and idly picking it up, turning it over in her hands before speaking. “I want to make some notes.” That made Zenkichi pause. “Huh?” “By hand,” she clarified, flipping the hat once before setting it back down. “Just to see the difference from digital.” Then she turned to Hamuko, tilting her head slightly. “Can I borrow some of your pink paper?”

[wipingallout]

"You bet!" Hamuko happily turned over the little stack of pink paper she'd gotten. Follow that impulse! She'll distract Wolf-pop.

"You're responsible for her, but looks like she's starting to grow enough to stand on her own. You'll have to cut the umbilical soon, you know! Let her have those quintessential girl experiences," Hamuko scolded, though the grin on her face gave the game away - she was having a blast just making Zenkichi flabbergasted. "Why, next thing you know, maybe she'll get a boyfriend! Or a girlfriend!! Have you thought of that, mister cop?"

[unit_8910_wolf]

Akane accepted the stationery with a slight bow of thanks, smoothly gathering the stack of pink paper, a few pens, and some pinning materials—tape, push pins—before excusing herself. The moment she stepped away, Zenkichi turned on his heel, fully intending to follow her.

He was almost in the clear. Almost.

Until Hamuko’s words hit him like a brick to the back of the head.

"Why, next thing you know, maybe she'll get a boyfriend! Or a girlfriend!! Have you thought of that, mister cop?"

Zenkichi froze.

For a second, his brain just stopped working. Then, as if on autopilot, he straightened, rolling his shoulders in a lazy attempt to shake it off. Cool. Be cool.

He turned back, rubbing the back of his neck with a scoff. “First of all, used to be a cop. Was. Past tense. I know Akane’s gotta be spreading all kinds of stories, but get your facts straight. I am only a government dog.”

The correction came easy—too easy—because what he really wanted to snap at was the other part. The part clawing at his brain like an unwelcome guest.

Akane? Dating?

His first instinct was immediate denial—he didn’t care. She could do whatever she wanted. He was not the kind of guy to freak out over that.

Except.

Except that the idea of her having a boyfriend made something in his stomach twist. Not that it mattered, right? Most of the guys he’d seen around here were either too old for her, already taken, or had an overwhelming affinity for *other guys,* which—thankfully—meant she was safe from the worst.

And anyway…

He shut down that train of thought fast. It didn’t matter. Because—

[unit_8910_wolf]

Akane wasn’t human.

She died.

This version of her—her voice, her expressions, the way she looked at him and teased him—it was all artificial. A reconstruction of someone he spent five goddamn years trying to piece back together, clawing at old memories, chasing shadows, until he finally accepted the truth. Until he finally gave up.

Then he got wasted over it. Shut that trash heap of feelings into a locked box, stomped it down, and moved the hell on.

So no. There was no umbilical.

Zenkichi let out a short, humorless laugh, shaking his head. “And what was the word that you used? Umbilical? Yeah, right. That’d require me to have something that close, that intimate.” He waved a lazy hand through the air like he was brushing the thought aside. “I mean, come on, I am just flesh, an unhuman running on machine parts. What’s next? You gonna tell me to start scrapbooking our special father-daughter moments? Maybe knit us some matching sweaters?”

The smirk tugged at his lips, but it was forced, paper-thin. The kind of joke meant to deflect rather than amuse.

Then, just as quickly, the humor bled out of his face.

He met Hamuko’s gaze head-on, voice quieter, but sharper. “Look. I don’t know if you actually mean well or if you just like seeing me squirm—but if you don’t know the bitter truth, maybe it’s time you started realizing it’s none of your damn business.”

[wipingallout]

The bitter bite back was a bit surprising, but Hamuko kept her composure, settling only one hand on a hip as he seethed.

There was a lot of resentment in his words, a lot of... sadness. Reinforced self loathing. He was getting angry because the subjects were sensitive. And there was something clear to Hamuko's expression - she was peering through him, assessing him in all of the ways a human can assess someone.

With a smile, she tilted her head.

"Aigis was able to become that deeply emotionally close to others. In my time, she was supposedly the last of the anti-shadow weapons remaining, back in the 90s. So I'm afraid not being human is not a very easy 'get out of jail free' card to me - I know full well that even if you and Akane aren't human, you are still people."

[unit_8910_wolf]

Zenkichi exhaled sharply through his nose. The fact that Hamuko didn’t budge, that she didn’t recoil or backpedal the way he’d been hoping, only set his teeth further on edge. That impenetrable, infuriating understanding—like she was seeing something in him he had no interest in acknowledging—only made the irritation twist deeper.

And yet, it was that one line that caught, that dug in harder than the rest.

"Even if you and Akane aren't human, you are still people."

His jaw tightened.

To Zenkichi, him being an Unhuman was both a release and a punishment. A release, because it meant he no longer had to carry the burdens of a man who had failed—who had lost his wife, who had left his daughter in the hands of a corrupt system, who had sold his soul to a cause that had chewed him up and spat him out. And a punishment, because it meant he would never again be worthy of the things that once made him human. He had been a man who couldn’t even take care of his own family. Who had broken every promise he had ever made to the people he loved. And so, he was something else now.

Not a person.

Not a man.

Just a weapon.

And Hamuko—this girl, this impossibly naïve girl—wanted to tell him otherwise?

He let out a laugh, low and sharp and humorless. Not malicious, no—but something bastardly about it nonetheless.

"You're delusional," he told her flatly, shaking his head with something that might’ve been amusement if it weren’t so bitter.

He wasn't angry anymore, not exactly. Just... tired.

"I won't speak for Akane," he continued, shoving his hands into his coat pockets. "But you're gonna be real disappointed when you realize I don't follow through with your little hopeful narrative. Really, it's just gonna be embarrassing for you at this point. Save yourself the trouble, yeah?"

His smirk was razor-thin. "Or don't. I won't stop you from setting yourself up for failure."

[wipingallout]

Hamuko just... smiles at him. Calm and composed, because she has faced this level of disrespect and ridicule and worse. Because she wasn't afraid of him, or of being judged.

All of her time in the Velvet Room before was circled around one thing: making connections with other people, to empower herself through the archetypes of the Tarot. To make herself stronger. To make it possible to save her friends.

I can see why Igor has brought you here.

She doesn't say it. She doesn't need to say it.

"I can already tell... Akane-chan and I will be good friends. Don't worry. I won't let anything horrible happen to her so long as she's with me," she promised sincerely, instead.

[unit_8910_wolf]

Zenkichi couldn’t meet her eyes.

He wanted to believe it was mocking, that she was smirking at him the way someone might when they were watching a particularly stubborn animal refuse to walk through an open door. That it was judgment—pity—some holier-than-thou expression that said I know you better than you do.

But it wasn’t.

Hamuko just… smiled.

Calm, unshaken, like she wasn’t humoring him, wasn’t trying to force an argument, wasn’t even trying to win. She was just there. Unmoved, unwavering. And for some reason, that made it worse.

So he looked away.

“…I don’t have a say in the matter,” he muttered as his gaze drifted elsewhere—anywhere but at her before focusing on the board. “Akane likes you. I can tell.”

It wasn’t something he could control. Akane was sharp, cautious, and generally didn’t take to people easily past a professional standpoint, but when she did—when she made a choice—she meant it. And she had chosen Hamuko.

Zenkichi let out a quiet sigh. That was that, then. "I uh, gotta recalibrate my systems so-"

Leave me alone, he didn't say but really from the way he even avoided looking at her as he kept looking at the interesting or intricate details that were added to the board instead.

Meanwhile, Akane sat cross-legged on the couch, the last of her pink paper now folded into something intricate. A bow—dainty, delicate, crafted with the kind of precision only an AI could manage. She had overclocked her processing just to see it from all angles, to understand it fully before attempting it herself. And now, it was done. But the bow had been the easy part. The paper in front of her was still blank. The pen in her hand felt awkward—too slow, too imprecise compared to the ease of digital input. But it wasn’t just that. She struggled to write something meaningful. Some kind of introduction for her and Zenkichi to this place, something that felt right, that wasn’t just raw data arranged in neat sentences and hell even holding the pen within fingers she wasn't used to was...telling of just how difficult it was to even encompass a body. She tapped the pen against her chin, frowning. The words just wouldn’t come.