Fandom Personan Rhapsody Campaign (Closed)

[the scourge]

Bug, on the other hand, rather quickly detached herself from Kaaru's arm, moving in front of the two boys as soon as she could and turning so she was facing them, even if her back was where she had to be moving. They'd point out when she had to move forward, or she'd hear it, right?

She was going to say something about how it wasn't THAT crazy she'd never been to a concert, she had only moved to Memori about a year and a half ago and she'd lived so rurally she barely went into town, but she stopped seeing how Kaaru and Souta were interacting. This was... oddly romantic. She figured maybe she should be jealous, that while Kaaru had just let her cling to his arm so she wouldn't get lost, he and Souta were practically snuggling up.

... That would be rude, though, especially if she was reading into it too much. She turned back away from them, letting her mind wander and just leaving them alone.

 

[Anne Boolean]

When Bug left the other's arm, there was no longer need for Souta to keep trying to assert his dominance. With the challenge issued from Kaaru though, he would have to stay snuggled up to his side. He may not have been able to pick up on the tension his senpai felt, but he wasn't oblivious enough to not notice Bug's reaction. He felt guilty, but he was pride was on the line here! He couldn't just let go! ... and he may have been enjoying the closeness himself as well... He stayed until they reached the security gate, where he let go when the guards required them to be searched individually. There were no more instigating words after, which his heart, after returning to a normal rate, was thankful for.

Once inside the venue, Souta went along with the other two through the venue corridors. The VIP passes that Kaaru had promised free drinks, and although they would be alcoholic, the black-haired boy was more than content with them just being caffeinated. He grabbed two, one for each hand: a coffee and a soda. Falling asleep here after how late he had stayed up doing prep work would just be embarrassing.

Continuing down the corridor, they eventually came to their seats. Unlike the other seats in the venue, which were regular stadium chairs, they had a whole table to themselves that faced the stage. Speaking of the stage, it was even closer than he expected. If Aoi-hime were to fall during her performance, she just might have ended up landing on one of them.

"This is... amazing!" he commented, looking at the other two. "You... really do this often?" His eyes fell on Kaaru. This seemed like a once in a lifetime thing. As much as he, and by that he meant his sister, was willing to shell out for good Courtney Grier seats, he couldn't imagine they would ever manage to land seats this good.

 

[the scourge]

Bug was quiet as she was led through, but wide eyed. It became obvious very quickly that despite having very little frame of reference, she was in awe. She didn't get herself a drink right away, seeming way too interested in just taking everything in to even attempt to do anything else.

"This is... wild." She managed, suddenly turning to Kaaru with a grin. Suddenly she quite literally leapt into him, wrapping her arms around him in a grateful hug. Words were escaping her, yes, but this was a pretty good thank you.

 

[NightMovez]

When Kaaru and Souta were forced to part, he sighed. He really had been enjoying himself, but he supposed it was better this way. He had started to feel bad for not paying enough attention to Bug. Which was pretty rude considering his invited her to something that he wasn't even sure she would like.

They were directed down a hall and when they came across the snack area, Kaaru grabbed a bottle of green tea, a bag of potato chips, and a pack of some sort of strawberry-milk covered sticks that he found might be interesting. One of the best benefits a VIP pass could get you was a large array of snacks.

As they continued to walk, Kaaru couldnt help but smile as he watched Bug look at everything in awe. It reminded him of how he was at his first concert. It had been an amazing experience, and he was glad he could give that to his friends.

He plopped his stuff down on the table when they arrived. "Yeah, though not as often anymore since, you know." He said, referencing Kage in the loosest sense. Ever since he had been sucked in, it had taken so much of his time. He hadn't had much time for his hobbies.

"I've been really into music since I was young, so I really love-" Bug suddenly jumped onto him, causing Kaaru to cut off his own speech. It was unexpected, but not unwelcome. He hugged the girl back, not being one to ever deny a hug. "I'm glad you're liking it so far, to be honest I thought you might hate it." He smiled nervously. "And honestly I don't think I could take it if you said you hated it."

 

[Anne Boolean]

Souta rose an eyebrow at the "you know." A look of realization hit moments later, though. He gave a small nod, a little disappointed for the other that what they did took up so much of his time. On the other hand, Souta would have been mostly idle without it. With how dangerous it was, perhaps that would have been a better alternative, but at least they were helping people like this.

He continued listening, nodding along to Kaaru's words occasionally, but the redhead was cut off when their kohai practically jumped at him and threw her arms around him. Souta's expression was one of shock and jealousy, the former of which made the latter difficult to hide. Normally, it would have been taken as a challenge by the boy, and he would have tried to outdo her, just like he had tried when it came to locking arms with Kaaru, but it was probably for the best that he didn't this time. Bug was tiny and probably easy to lift, and while Kaaru looked relatively strong, Souta wasn't sure launching all five-foot-eleven inches of himself at the other wouldn't cause them both to topple over. Instead, he just stood on the sidelines, trying to direct his attention to the stage as he sipped his soda with furrowed brows.

"When's this thing gonna start...?"

 

[the scourge]

Bug let go of Kaaru quickly, and the brief time waiting for the show to start was spent with the three talking-or, rather, Kaaru rambling about music. Bug elected to just shut up and let him chatter, which was a little out of character for her, especially with how excited she was-but, nonetheless, she perked to attention when the lights fell.

Okay, this is it. Just a show. You've done them before, you won't die. Aoi thought, as the lights fell to blackout and she approached centre stage. She'd at least gotten to wear flat heeled shoes after complaining she felt lightheaded-not that that helped anything but her balance, her head still felt a little too spinny, but she was grateful for it nonetheless. Her hair was done up in her typical high ponytail, her makeup was impeccable, the way her skirt fell was impractical but workable, the neckline just a little too low for comfort... She took herself in with a bitterness, before she tapped the mic near her mouth twice. Time to begin.

"Check, check!"

There were varied cheers as the stage lights turned on and she took position, the fake look of excitement on her face genuine to anyone not right up in it, which nobody was. "Gooood evening, Memori!!" She grinned, waving to the crowd. "Everyone looks psyched-exactly what I wanna see! Let's not chitchat too long, though!~ I have a show to get on with! Thank you all for coming, and let's have the time of our lives!"

As the show actually started, Bug's expression was unreadable-a mix of shock, admiration, and confusion. In character, for someone entirely unfamiliar with live music. She just sat, silently, eyes completely trained on the idol.

 

[NightMovez]

Kaaru unfortunately hadn't noticed the look he received from the younger boy, as he might have teased him about it if he had. He'd been a bit too busy being shocked, but also pleased by Bug's hug. He really was happy that she was enjoying the experience and, although it was a long-shot, he began to hope that this might get her into music a bit as well.

"In a few, usually after the mic check." He responded to Souta before going on some ramble about music. Usually he wouldn't be so inconsiderate as to steal all the time, but he was in his element. And it had been a pretty long time since he had felt like this, happy.

Once the lights dimmed, Kaaru became noticeably excited. "It's starting!" He whispered to the group.

Aoi-Hime's voice filled the whole space, causing the redhead to cheer, along with thousands of others in the audience. Then she started singing, which spurred an even louder cheer.

"Isn't this awesome?!" The redhead yelled to other two as the music continued to play, though he was hardly sure they could hear him.

 

[Anne Boolean]

The hug between the two parted quickly, but its implications lingered for Souta. "I sure hope so..." he muttered. That being said, listening to Kaaru ramble on about music did bring a smile back to his face. He had no idea what the other was saying most of the times, but the excitement and passion that the redhead spoke with was great to see. If his senpai ever mentioned a more popular artist or song, Souta would also throw in his own two cents.

The black-haired boy blinked as the lights dimmed. His energy may have been lower than the ones cheering around him, but he knew what was to come. He turned his attention back to the stage just in time to see the idol take it. Once the music started, he found himself smiling lightly as he listened. He even started tapping his foot, nodding, and even swaying with the songs that played. It wasn't really his kind of music, but a contagious beat was a contagious beat.

"Yeah!" he yelled back after hearing Kaaru mention something about being awesome. He was able to put the pieces together, and after taking a moment to admire the lights, the stage, the showmanship, and the fact that they were so up close and personal with it, his response was genuine.

 

[the scourge]

Everything went, for all intents and purposes, well. Bug was the quietest of her friends through the concert, but her grin was obvious. She was LOVING this.

It was halfway through the final song when Aoi's head started to spin again. Brush it off. Keep singing. That was the plan. She'd get through this, she'd lie down, she...

She felt herself slip, her voice gave, and her vision went dark.

Oh, she thought, I fucked up.

The entire room was silent for a second as she hit the ground and the vocals stopped. She hadnt fallen offstage, but she'd come scarily close. Was this a stunt? Part of the show? Nobody was sure... until someone cut the music and rushed the young idol backstage.

Then the uproar began. Concern, confusion, anger. This wasn't exactly a good stunt, if it was one.

 

[NightMovez]

Kaaru had been thoroughly enjoying the concert. He'd given shouts of excitement and encouragement between songs and belted out a few dozen lyrics during. Particularly during the songs that he thought had the most meaningful lyrics. He'd picked up that Aoi-Hime wasn't exactly at her best with how she sang, not putting enough feeling into it, but it hadn't been anything too noticeable.

So it came as a huge surprise when the star on stage collapsed. Kaaru was shocked as the music kept going and Aoi-Hime hit the floor. There was only a moment where he wondered if it was some sort of stunt, like she was going to get back up any minute, but after that moment passed, he was filled with concern. He stepped closer to the stage, as if to help, but it wasn't long before the fallen girl was taken backstage and he was left standing there. He paused, wondering if he should call the paramedics or not. No, there were probably some backstage already. He was looking for something in his head that he could do, anything, but couldn't think of anything at all. There was nothing he could do for one of his favorite artists except hope that she was okay.

Sounds of confusion and anger had already begun to fill the auditorium. Some people began to push forward, trying to knock over the ropes and the gates of the VIP. The sound of which snapped Kaaru out of his head. He turned around towards his friends, and moved towards them to put himself between them and the crowd that was slowly becoming rowdier and rowdier. Security was doing all it could to maintain order, but soon that'd fail. Aoi-Hime was a very popular artist after all, and a lot of her fans weren't so savory or orderly. A lot of people were insisting they get their money back and for the girl to go back on stage. "C'mon guys. We should go. It's about to get really crazy in here." He said as he began to usher them out. "Stay close, okay?"

 

[Anne Boolean]

While not nearly as into it as Kaaru, Souta still found himself enjoying the concert. He also mouthed the lyrics along to some of the songs which he found had catchier choruses during his deep dive. His eyes did drift over to Kaaru every so often, and a smile appeared on his face after seeing how much the other was enjoying the show. It certainly was good, as it was able to hold Souta's eyes at least part of the time. All in all, he was feeling good about the experience.

And then she collapsed. Like the redhead, he also thought it was a stunt at first. When the stagehands came to pick the star up and take her backstage though, he knew it was anything but. The black-haired boy was also left in a state of shock for a moment, only snapping back to reality when the commotion of the crowd in the general area started becoming more intense. He turned around to see people pushing the ropes that divided them, and despite security's best efforts, he knew they would end up washed away in a sea of people if they stayed much longer.

When Kaaru suggested they leave, he gave a nod. A part of him wanted to joke about locking arms again when the other said to stay close, but he felt it would be an inappropriate situation to do so. Instead, his eyes drifted over to Bug, the most likely to get lost in a crowd.

"Try to stay between us," he suggested. If they did end up getting swarmed, hopefully the two taller bodies could keep her from getting swept away.

 

[the scourge]

Bug was silent, but quick to give Souta a nod in response, and then instead of Kaaru's arm, grabbed his. It was a spur of the moment decision, but she was not used to crowds, and while she couldn't expect to avoid them entirely, this was not exactly what she anticipated.

It was a bit of a struggle to get outside, but once they were, and away from the crowd enough that she wasn't too worried about getting separated, Bug did let go of his arm. "Sorry. Panicked." She apologized. "Should've asked... But I'm guessing that wasn't supposed to happen."

She didn't say what Kaaru and Souta probably knew-this would be pretty much all over social media shortly enough. Still, all Bug felt was concern. Someone collapsing like that... was she okay? Was really all Bug was worried about.

 

[NightMovez]

As they started leaving, the crowd had gone almost feral. Kaaru felt someone bump into him hard a few times, but he thankfully managed to stay up and tried not to imagine what would happen if he truly did fall over.

Once they exited the venue and were far enough away to not get enveloped by crowds, Kaaru used his ARM to pull up a small rectangle-shaped screen that hovered just above his wrist. He flipped through his social media, trying to figure out if he could find anything about the situation. Particularly anything from backstage that might indicate if Aoi-Hime is alright.

"No, it wasn't. Sorry guys. God I hope she's okay..." Kaaru said with a frustrated sigh as he continued looked at the screen. His face was twisted with worry and he found it impossible to stop absentmindedly itching at his neck, a red splotch beginning to form where his nails raked across his skin. "It really doesn't seem like anyone knows if she's actually okay yet either..."

 

[Anne Boolean]

Souta blinked when Bug latched onto him. He had always been the younger sibling, but it seemed the roles had reversed. He felt his heartbeat quicken with this new found responsibility. Still, he took a deep breath and mustered up all the courage he could manage.

He made sure to keep his eye on Kaaru at all time as they moved through the crowd. He shot a stern glare at anyone who might have chanced a glance at Bug or himself, and acted as the immovable object to any of the other fans' unstoppable forces. Whenever he thought they were getting too far from the redhead, that being more than an arm's length away, he too would turn into an unstoppable force, proving to be an equal and opposite reaction to the crowd pushing them apart.

Once they arrived in a less crowded, safer area, he let out a sigh. "It's okay..." he responded. Although he wasn't a true fan like many here, Souta was still aware that there was a person on that stage. A person that collapsed. He certainly hoped even non-fans would have sympathy to Courtney if something like that happened to her. "Me too..."

He wasn't sure what else to say. It seemed inappropriate to talk about their experience at the concert. "I guess... should we just head home?"

 

[the scourge]

"I... I guess." Bug admitted. "Are you okay to walk back by yourself, Souta-senpai?" She asked, finally using his first name. Perhaps it had something to do with his display of protectiveness over her, but he just seemed... Easier to address informally now. She looked between her two friends, Kaaru significantly more anxious than the Souta, but both she could tell were shaken.

"S-sorry, that came out weird. I'm just thinking we're all kinda shocked by that, and I'm worried about you guys but I already know I'm walking back with Kaaru-senpai, and... All of my words are coming out bad. I'm just gonna shut up." She conceded to herself, shifting her hands behind her back. She wasn't sure what she COULD say. This was not a great first concert experience, but she knew she was probably the one hit the least by it of her friends.

 

[NightMovez]

Kaaru finally put the screen on his arm away as he found nothing more about the situation. It'd probably take a while for people to post about it, since the situation did just happen. He really needed to stop worrying about it, but that wasn't exactly an easy thing for him to do.

"It's alright Bug." He said, putting a comforting hand on Bug's shoulder, although he wasn't feeling particularly comforted himself. "Sorry Ishida-kun, I'd offer to walk you home, but I'm honestly not feeling great. So I think we're just gonna go."

Kaaru waited for confirmation before leaving. Although he had been relatively talkative on the way to the concert, he now said close to nothing on the way back. He still couldn't stop itching at the side of his neck and also couldn't stop feeling bad for the way everything went. It was the first time him, Bug, and Souta went on an outing, only for it to end this way. He of course didn't blame Aoi-Hime, though he did blame himself. Perhaps he should have invited them somewhere after the concert went south, to raise their spirits; Something he might have done if his mind wasn't so scrambled. If he was just a bit better.

"See ya, and sorry things went how it did. Maybe next time we'll go see an indie band, it won't nearly be as busy." He said to Bug as he dropped her off at her apartment. He gave the friendliest wave and smile that he could muster as he walked off, only dropping it when he got to the elevator. Then he ran his hand through his hair, looking up at the buzzing light with morose. Why was everything going wrong lately?

 

[Anne Boolean]

Souta didn't seem too shaken by Bug's words. He might have been, had he not already been so shaken up with what happened at the show. He might have taken it as a dismissal, as well as a challenge for Kaaru's attention at any other time, but right now, he was too concerned about whether the performer was okay.

"No, it's okay..." Souta said, offering a small smile. "I still had a good time before-" And now he felt as if his own words were coming out wrong. "... anyway, yeah, I'll be fine making my own way home. You two get home safe, and..." his eyes focused on Kaaru, "I hope you feel better soon." With that, he started on his way home, disappearing into the crowd.

The ride back was... somber. The rowdiness of the concert-goers on the way there was completely lost. Instead, most people were quiet, and the only conversation that really took place on the train was about what happened to Aoi-hime and if there were any updates. He considered checking the city's chat app's music thread, but from the few messages he read, it seemed people online were just as shaken up as the people in person, and the one person who seemed to have all the insider information was only giving them radio silence.

He mostly stayed quiet for the rest of the trip home. When he got back, his sister asked him about the outing, obviously having heard. She was upset with how things turned out as well, but she wore a smile and tried to talk about the night in a positive light. It was her younger brother's first major outing with friends since moving here, and she wanted it to have gone well. Her concern brought a smile to his face, and he tried his best to relay the experience in a positive light as well.

 

[the scourge]

Bug was quiet, almost silent, as Kaaru walked her home. She had her sweater tugged close and she only responded with a wave and a slight bow as he returned her home and returned to his own apartment. She didn't have the energy to even say goodnight. She kicked off her boots, and quickly collapsed into bed. That had gone worse than she'd expected.

-

She was not the first person to awaken to the Kage trailer the next day for the new area. It had gone up long before she awoke-she was dead on her feet by the end of the night, and had slept until almost noon. She didn't watch it that morning, even if her peers likely did.

The trailer opened with somber music, and an almost intimidating view of a cathedral. It cut to inside shots as the music swelled, a winding stairwell, a long hall, a tower with the church bell.

It zoomed in on a figure, one at the top of the bell tower, chained by both his legs and a singular arm to something out of sight. It only showed his back, but it was evident he was only clothed from the waist down. Long purple hair fell down his shoulders and back, and he sat on his knees, clutching his single free arm around himself. Large, bloodstained white wings, with feathers obviously torn from them, lay tucked flat against his back.

It zoomed in on the back of his head, and the figure turned, red, bloodlike tears streaming down from a single visible yellow eye, but as he opened his mouth to speak, the trailer cut off.

The description on it was simple-the next quest was about rescuing a cursed saint of truth from a church he'd been bound to, but the trailer itself... Was something to worry the team.

 

[NightMovez]

Kaaru had seen the trailer as soon as it had gone up, the pop of a notification echoing through his headphones. He'd pulled his phone to his face, thinking that it might have been a text from either Souta or Kaz talking about last night's events, but felt his stomach drop when he saw the actual notification. He had tentatively tapped the play button and watched it on his phone, only feeling more uneasy once he'd finished watching. This one looked like it was going to be darker than the last, possibly even more deadly. If they wanted to face this, they were going to have to gear up first. He'd had Bug show him her character sometime this past week and her gear was definitely not suitable for a dungeon of this difficulty. They'd also almost died last time, something that would have likely not been the case if they'd just brought a few health potions along.

The redhead pulled up a screen on his ARM, choosing to type his text instead of saying it out loud. He was in the middle of a music binging session to calm his nerves from last night and didn't want to stop just yet. He'd felt a bit better after reading Aoi-Hime's apology, though he felt that she had nothing to apologize for, he was glad that it was nothing too serious. He hoped that this would be the sign she needed to take some time off for herself. As a fellow musician, though one with significantly less popularity, he knew that the thought of disappointing fans could be debilitating and make you want to push yourself harder, but it was never worth it in the end.

Kaaru tilted his head to look at the different types of guitars that hung from his wall, staring for a moment before rolling in his bed to look at the wall, once looking at them began to hurt too much.

"Looks like another Kage area is up. Wanna get together kind of early to gear up for it, maybe like 1? We need to upgrade Bug's gear if she decides to come and I need a new jacket." He typed out to Souta, giving it a once-over before sending it.

 

[Anne Boolean]

Some curry with his sister and the rest of the night being spent watching game shows should have helped Souta feel better, but that didn't seem to be the case. When she called it a night, he decided to head off early too, although it was well into the AM by the time the two called it. Although he didn't usually sleep in too much, the late night would have proved for a good reason to the next day. Still, the concern for the star after what had happened the previous night brought him up pretty early.

Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be an easy morning. Despite gearing up for breakfast with his sister, the notification on his ARM alerted him to a new area being available in Kage.

"Shit..." he muttered, staring at it over his porridge. He went on to play the trailer, which was interrupted midway Kaaru's text.

Hina let out an amused chuckle. "You know, you don't have to be the first to complete it," she commented, having caught a glimpse of what the notification was. "Games are meant for fun. As long as you try your best and enjoy yourself, you've done enough." He gave a thankful smile. She said that to everything he did and about everything he stressed himself out over.

"You're right," he commented. "It's just... my friends really like playing it, and we decided to start a team together. I don't want to let them down."

"That's very noble of you," she said. She paused for a moment, considering pressing. Her brother's expression changing to one of confusion made her realize she might have been just staring too long. "Is it a fun game? Maybe we could play it together."

"No!" he responded almost instantly. He blinked, his gaze lowering sheepishly. "I-I mean... it's only okay. I don't think you'd like it."

The woman let out another chuckle. "Sounii's finally grown enough to be embarrassed by his sister," she said, feigning some sniffles. "I never thought I'd see the day!"

"T-that's not it!" he spoke up again just as quickly. "... I... I just don't think you'd like it. A-and! I'd never be embarrassed by you! You're the coolest person I know! And I have way more fun doing the things we already do anyway!" The response caused her to let out another laugh. She was probably the only person around who his embarrassment wasn't supplemented with some defensive anger.

"I know, I know. I'm just kidding. I'm glad you're making friends, and I'm proud of you for being such a reliable friend," she said before taking a more serious expression for a moment. "... just... use your better judgment, though." Souta raised a brow. "If... if you think it's dumb or dangerous, or it makes you uncomfortable, there's nothing wrong with saying no."

He blinked once again before giving a smile and a nod. "I know. You raised me well, Hinee."

Her cheery attitude returned. "Don't let Mom and Dad hear you say that!" she said with a laugh. Souta laughed along before going ahead and finishing his breakfast. He then made his way back to his room to change out of his pajamas.

"Sure," he texted back, once again pulling up Kaaru's message. "I take it I'm coming to you guys? "

 

[NightMovez]

The redhead sighed in relief as the music flowed through him. It played louder than his thoughts ever could, allowing him to blank as the lyrics flowed straight to his heart. To him, it was like he was floating on a cloud, drifting far away from any problems that he'd ever faced or may face in the future. It was both a breathless experience and one that helped him breathe as if he was standing on a grassy knoll in the middle of nowhere, far from the toxins of the city. Music had been his greatest escape since he could remember, comforting him when there was no one else.

He knew that needing an escape after such a trivial event was pitiful. It was selfish, being so upset over the event being cut short and one of his favorite artists collapsing, but Kaaru couldn't help it. Ever since his mother left, no, maybe even before then, it had been a chain reaction, one bad thing after another. Now when one bad thing happened, it was hard for him not to panic. When would he catch a break? He'd think. Why did everything feel so difficult? If he was just better maybe things would be different? Were all thoughts that attempted to burst through the music unsuccessfully.

Kaaru, laid on his side with an arm tucked beneath his pillow, was enjoying his music session with closed eyes when he felt something wet and slimy slide against the bottom of his foot. It was a sensation in which he was familiar with, but that didn't stop him from wrinkling his nose at the feeling. He sat up, pulling a bud from his ear as he came to face a small white goat and a smaller redhead, his brother.

"Sorry Rui, I was gonna leave when I saw you were still sleepin' but Chu rushed in before I could stop him." The small boy said with an apologetic look, struggling as the goat in his arms tried to break free and get a few more licks in.

"It's alright bud, I wasn't sleeping anyway." Kaaru smiled as he slightly shook the earbud he'd pulled from his ear in the air.

"Oh, good." Aki said with a relieved smile. "Can I listen?" He then asked, a small glint in his eyes.

Noticing said look, Kaaru smiled. His brother always made a point to show an interest in the things he was into, which he'd always found very cute. "Sure, but you might not like it. It's in English." He said before scooting forward, narrowly avoiding a chomp from the goat in the boy's arms as he slipped an earbud into his ear.

Aki stood for a moment, letting some of the song play before speaking. "I don't really understand it, but it sounds really good." Aki nodded a couple times, trying to give his statement more credibility. He listened for a few moments longer before his eyes widened and his mouth slightly opened, as if he'd just remembered something. He took out the earbud, handing it back to Kaaru. "Oh, nuts. I just remembered why I came in here. Can you send me the song and I'll listen to it later?" He said with a sheepish look, clearly feeling guilty for not staying to listen to the rest of the song. Though Kaaru didn't seem to mind at all, he was just grateful that his brother was willing to listen to any of it at all.

"Yeah, no problem." He said as he pressed a few buttons on his ARM, Aki's own beeping soon after. "So what's up? Did ya need me for something?"

"I just, um, made you some food." Aki said nervously, eyes flicking over in the direction of the kitchen.

"Aki...you didn't have to do that, you could have come and got me earlier if you were hungry." Kaaru said with a sad smile.

"I know but...you looked kinda sad when you came home yesterday and I..." Aki admitted, trailing off as he looked at the ground. "I'm sorry..."

Kaaru let out a heavy sigh through his nose, a sad smile on his face. He knew Aki was acting like this due to a fear of being yelled at for the most trivial things, a fear instilled by their mother. "Hey, there's nothing to apologize for." He said as he leaned forward and put his hand on the back of the other's head, pulling him into a hug. An action which caused Aki to drop the goat. Kaaru knew that it was likely gonna go off and tear apart his stuff, but he didn't care about that right now. He ruffled the boy's hair before continuing to speak. "You did something nice for me and I'm very happy about it. Sorry for not expressing that in the first place."

Aki sat in the hug for a few moments before pulling back, a bright smile on his face. "'Isokay. Just c'mon, it's gonna get cold!" The boy said with renewed spirits. He gathered up the goat who looked like it somehow managed to chew a hole in one of Kaaru's hoodies in such a short amount of time and exited the room.

Kaaru threw his earbuds onto the bed and got up, though a notification on his ARM stopped him from following his brother just yet. It was a response from Souta ( Anne Boolean ). Kaaru couldn't help but laugh at the running man emoji, now in a much better mood due to both the music and his kind little brother.

"I think that'd be easiest, it's a bit farther than the burger joint though so you might not want to actually run lol!" Kaaru texted back before immediately starting another. "Here's the address [link]. When you head in just take the elevator all the way to the top floor. You'll need a code to do that though, it's 60352." He sent before he made his way from his room to the breakfast bar.

While the food Aki made wasn't terribly tasty, Kaaru enjoyed it with the biggest smile he could muster. It was omurice, ill-prepared and malformed, topped with ketchup in the shape of a messily drawn smily face.

"That was amazing. I'm so proud of you for making that all by yourself." Kaaru patted Aki's head on his way back from putting the dishes in the sink, to which the boy smile triumphantly. "Cheering me up when I'm sad. Man, you're gonna have to stop acting like the older brother here. Can't believe you're trying to steal my hard-earned role." He jested as the doorbell rang, to which he responded to with a head-tilt directed at Aki. There was no way Souta had arrived so soon.

"Gotta keep you on your toes!" Aki laughed as he ignored the head tilt and hopped on over to answer the door. A kind woman stood well below the frame, holding the hand of a boy who looked to be the same age as Aki, who Kaaru recognized as one of the boy's friends. After a few pleasantries were exchanged between Kaaru and the woman, he learned that Aki was going to a friend's birthday party. The younger boy apologized and said he wanted to tell Kaaru he was going last night, but the older redhead had gone to bed rather early.

Kaaru waved the boy off, telling him to be careful and have fun before heading back to his room. It was pretty lucky that Aki was going to be out for most of the day as the group of persona users would be going in through his computer today. Although Aki always tried not to bother him when he had friends over, it was nice to know that the boy wouldn't accidentally wander in and find them gone.

He combed through his hair a bit before putting on another band tee, this time with an album cover from the band he had been listening to earlier, and some midnight black jeans. While the outfit was very similar to what he wore yesterday, he found it a bit difficult to put the same amount of effort into his outfits as he used to. Riz would have been very upset by this, especially since he'd be in the presence of someone he found attractive.

It wasn't long before Kaaru tugged on his converse and headed out the door, making his way to Bug's ( the scourge ) apartment with ease. He knocked on the door, hoping that the pink-haired girl was both home and not busy. Honestly he probably should have checked before he'd sent a meetup text to Souta.

 

[the scourge]

"I'll get it!" Came a familiar voice behind the door, and within moments it swung open. Bug was a sight to behold. She'd gotten somewhat dressed-she'd changed her skirt, but was still wearing the same t-shirt from yesterday, now accompanied by tattered jeans and a plain black hoodie. Something about them made it clear they had not been bought pre damaged-perhaps just Bug's general demeanor as a human being. There was a bird on her head, a pigeon with rusty red feathers, cooing at her as she reached up to scratch it's neck feathers.

"Hi, Kaaru-senpai!" She waved, in significantly higher spirits than before. "What's up?" She seemed to default to not mentioning she was accompanied by a bird, especially one you wouldn't expect to be someone's pet. She did realize when Kaaru's eyes were inevitably drawn to her pet, though. "Oh, this is Midori!" She introduced, without prompting, pulling the bird off her head and holding it out to him, as if to showcase her beloved pet. Midori bobbed her head questioningly, looking Kaaru up and down.

"Do you wanna come in so we're not talking in the door, actually?" She asked. "My mom's home but her husband isn't so you won't get kicked out."

 

[Anne Boolean]

He had finished changing by the time the two texts from Kaaru came in. The redhead had suggested not running, as it was farther than the burger joint they had met at last time. It wasn't lost on Souta just how winded the run there had him, but he knew that he would be seen in the skimpy outfit he put his avatar in once again. Saving his energy would probably have been the smarter decision, but the anxiety around him appearance was making him act pretty dumb. It would be a good warm up, he justified to himself as said goodbye to his sister and stepped out of the house. For probably the second time in his life, he put the activewear he had put on to its intended use.

He plugged earphones in this time before running, hoping that music would act as a good distraction to his inevitable sore legs. He let his phone play from whatever playlist he had left off on, and it was a Western song that graced his ears. He may not have been an English expert, but he had some knowledge from school. He liked to believe his musical tastes helped his ability to understand it as well. Either way, although the lyrics of the verses were lost on him, the chorus was something he could understand fairly well.

It worked well as a distraction, alright, but perhaps his aching legs would have been better to think about. His mind went back to Ikeda and how things had unfolded with him before jumping to Kaaru. It was like the universe was giving him a message through the song choice, but now really wasn't the time for introspection. Then again, would it ever be? Depending on the conclusion he came to, it would mean a scary path forward, one on which he could potentially trip and fall yet again. Maybe the destination would be worth it, though, or hell, even the journey.

With his mind so busy, he managed to make it to the address given with no breaks. Only when he finally stopped did he realize once again just how winded the run had left him. He practically doubled over from the fatigue, needing to catch his breath for a few moments. He was certain the passersby were eyeing him, and yet, his mind was too fixed on other things to give them a stink eye back. Both potential long and short term dangers.

After catching his breath, he stepped inside the building, hoping he wasn't too disheveled or sweaty. Like Kaaru had instructed, he input the code for the elevator and made his way up. Only once he came face to face with the penthouse door did he realize he might be meeting some of Kaaru's family. He straightened his posture and fixed his clothes before taking a deep breath. It was just meeting a friend's family, and yet... it seemed so much heavier than that. Exhaling, he reached forth and rang the doorbell.

 

[NightMovez]

The redhead had expected Bug to answer the door. What he didn't expect was her to answer the door with a bird on her head and he couldn't help but let his eyes wander to it instantly, staring into its beady little eyes. "Midori?" Kaaru questioned with a chortle, letting the irony of the bird being named green even though it was red run through him. Much like Bug, he also appeared to be in much better than yesterday. "It's good to meet you little dude." He said as he bent down slightly to get a better look at it, heavily resisting the urge to boop the bird's beak. He wasn't even sure if it was friendly or not, nor if touching a bird's snoot was irritating for it, so it was probably best for him to just not touch.

"Does he not like it when you have friends over or something?" Kaaru asked in response to the comment about her mom's husband kicking him out. He found it a bit odd that Bug had said that instead of stepdad, but Kaaru knew family situations could be really complicated. His was, and from language alone he could tell that Bug didn't like this guy very much. Though if he threw out Bug's friends anytime they came over, he could see why.

"I'll have to say no to coming in for now though, I told Ishida-kun to meet at my apartment like..." Kaaru trailed off as he looked at his watch. "...25 minute ago? So he'll probably be showing up soonish."

"Anyway, I'm here because well..." Kaaru sighed as he brushed a hand against the back of his neck. He glanced to his left and right to make sure no one was around. While no one would fault them for talking about a video game, he couldn't help but be paranoid. "A new area popped up in Kage this morning, so Ishida-kun and I are gonna go gear up for it before heading in. I know you said you're on the fence about whether you're gonna help us out or not so please feel free to say no but...I'm here to ask you to join us."

 

[the scourge]

"She's a good bird! And no, he doesn't." She shook her head. "Kaito thinks I'm unruly and doesn't like it when I try and have people over, 'specially boys, cuz he's worried I'll do things when he's not looking and he'll have to deal with the consequences. He jumps to a lot of conclusions." Bug's words were accompanied by an eye roll-it was impossible to make friends with Kaito acting like she was some kind of outdoor cat instead of his stepdaughter. Then again, he wasn't much of a father figure to her at all.

She paused, when Kaaru said that a new area had popped up. She could discern what that meant, pretty easily. She let her eyes wander to the ground, then to the wall beside Kaaru. Was... Was it a good idea to come along? She pulled Midori closer to herself, the bird cooing at her. "W-well..." She said, lost in thought, before taking a deep breath.

"Okay. Gimme five minutes to brush my hair and put on a clean shirt and I'll be right there." She nodded, relatively sure in her decision. "Do you wanna like... head back to your place and wait or hold the bird and wait here? She's friendly and very easy to hold."