madimpossibledreamer | Personatown: Mysteries of the Soul

Main Points:
Persona Superhero AU
Summary: Souji tries to figure out his new neighbor and Jiraiya.
Word Count: 2246
Rating: K, some light maybe-flirting (Yosuke)
Note: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRE PERSONA SERIES. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Dedicated to City of Heroes. Paragon City will live on through its heroes.

"So…" Souji hesitated, then continued, curious about his new neighbor, "Do you have a roommate?" He scrubbed at the dishes, despite the other's protestations. The cook was the one who cleaned, since they made the mess in the first place. It only made sense.

The embarrassed grin he received in return told him that whatever question Yosuke heard hadn't been the one that had been asked. "It's flattering, and tempting because you're such a good cook and conversationalist, but…don't you think you're moving a bit fast?"

The grey-haired man blinked and was about to protest when Yosuke burst out laughing. "Dude, you are so easy. I had you going for a while there."

An absolutely blank look crossed Souji's face. The expression was probably as neutral as he could make it. He was withdrawing, putting up a wall—maybe this guy wasn't as much like the Investigation Team as he'd thought, maybe he was a bully or cruel or whatever—but then, somehow, Yosuke noticed and immediately acted on it. "Man, don't take me seriously. I'm a jerk sometimes. Though if I'm teasing you, it means I'm comfortable, so that's a good thing." It was his turn to hesitate, but then he continued with a smile. "Feel free to hit me if I'm being an idiot. I've gotten used to it." His smile slipped slightly. Maybe not everyone would have noticed, but the Fool wasn't one of those people. The sudden reaction and quiet, unvoiced sorrow spoke of loss, something Souji was intimately familiar with. Unfortunately.

His new neighbor might have some unfortunate social tendencies, but somehow he'd been able to read the Fool, even when Souji wasn't entirely certain whether Naoto, Rise, Teddie, or even Yukiko would've caught it every single time. And he apologized. The words may not have sounded sincere, but the tone in which they'd been said—he'd been trying to lighten the mood. "I'll do that." He'd loved wandering around, meeting everyone in Inaba, checking in to their daily lives. Maybe for someone else, it would've been nosy, but for Souji he took a genuine interest in those whose names he didn't even know, like the lazy student who'd worked at Inaba's Junes, and the shy student with the crush on the unnamed senpai in the library, and Riddle Senpai, even though half the time he couldn't understand the thick accent. He'd dreaded going back to the city, because even if the Investigation Team went with him, he thought it would be impersonal again. Even a shallow acquaintanceship was something, but it seemed that this guy might just be a better neighbor than that. "But I've met worse."

Yosuke snorted and fiddled with his headphones. "That's hard to believe." He went quiet and stared out at the window again. It'd begun to rain. If it was Inaba, Souji would've asked whether this man was interested in a mega beef bowl. It wouldn't be too expensive, since he still probably could finish one, even if Yosuke couldn't. "And I got what you were actually saying." He winked, which should've seemed odd. It…somehow fit the brunette's personality, though. "Yeah, I've got a roomie, who wouldn't stop bugging me yesterday for a study session. I dunno, he can be as annoying as me, really, but he means well, and I think he'll like you. So you've got at least a couple people on this floor who aren't faceless robots."

"He wasn't the one from yesterday, though." Souji turned serious in a heartbeat. The difference didn't really show on his face, which most people still would've called emotionless, but in the tone of voice. He wasn't going to push—much. If Yosuke wanted to talk about it, he would. If not, well…they had just met yesterday, after all. It was understandable.

The brunette froze a little, then let out a laugh that didn't fool anyone. "Yeah, no. I just…out of painful breakups, that ranks up there. I just have the worst luck with my love life."

Out of the responses Souji had been expecting, that hadn't been one of them. An abusive parent or roommate, perhaps, or… His brain had to restart to process the information. And he had to be careful about the way he phrased his reply, or it'd hurt even more. Luckily, his brain was used to improvisation. "Well, once the universe stops messing with you, it'll have to come up with something good to make up for it, right?"

Yosuke shakes his head and laughs, looking down at the floor. "You're really the optimist, huh." It's not a question. It's fond and wistful and maybe something else that Souji can't identify. "Well, it's not as if you're wrong, anyway. I've had to go through a lot of shit, but…eh, just sitting and thinking about it and letting that color the rest of your life isn't really any way to live. It's happened enough, though, that…well, I guess I'm a survivor, if that's not an extremely over the top way to put it. I fall on my ass and I just get right back up again." He wipes away a few tears, but that smile isn't half-hearted or a disguise.

At the same time, he's being entirely truthful, and there's an entire iceberg of stuff that Souji doesn't know beneath the surface. He places a hand on Yosuke's, and gets a raised eyebrow in return. His new neighbor…friend, he wants to say, but isn't sure how true it is just yet…probably isn't as much of a person for touch as he is. Few people are. But at the same time, he can't help himself sometimes, which probably hadn't helped the rumors. Sometimes, he goes with what would comfort him first, and only later realize that what works for him doesn't work for anyone. "Do you need me anymore, or would you prefer to get more of your mysterious 'errands' done?"

That earns a chuckle and a less cloudy expression. "Hah. I already got all the errands done, and I still don't get what's so weird about just saying 'errands' in general. I mean, it's not like I’m going to write a grocery list of 'first I'm gonna go here and then I'm gonna go there'. But if you had other stuff to do—like unpack, 'cause I know that takes a while—I completely get it. And I'm better now." He yawns and stretches. "I probably should start studying soon anyway, as lame as that is."

He feels hesitant about pushing himself onto someone who might not even want him around, but given that it sounds like the other guy feels exactly the same way, it gives him the courage he needed. How weird it is that he can face down Shadows and human monsters with barely a trembling sword, but some social interactions (the ones he can't fake, or the ones where he's scared he'll mess it up) are still terrifying. "Seven Sisters University?"

The gaze turns slightly wary until he explains with the slightest of smiles on his face, "I'm joining after midterms. It's why I moved here."

"Dude!" The grin on Yosuke's face is delighted. Possibly beyond reason, but Souji's not about to complain. "That's awesome! Maybe we can drag you into study sessions too, then! I always feel so awkward trying to explain concepts I about half understand myself." Then his neighbor's whipping out a bright orange phone. "Gimme your number, so we can meet you, or figure out when you're in so we can kidnap you for food."

"You have an unhealthy obsession with my cooking," Souji remarks, internal smile remaining internal. He finally lets a lip twitch, which turns the protests into amused annoyance. For the first time since moving, though, the leader of one of the most famous superhero groups in Japan has found solid footing again. He feels suddenly not as overwhelmed. He's got this, and he always had.

This is why he loves helping people.

Due to Teddie's frustration at their being unable to catch Jiraiya, they'd gone and patrolled the city, stopping enough small crime to be able to level up. Due to the whirlwind of a day getting his new place together and then dealing with his new neighbor's problems, he hadn't gotten a chance to head to the Velvet Room, but since mostly everything was unpacked and in its proper place and he'd put rice in the slow cooker, he had time now. Souji smiled, thinking about his new neighbor. He really seemed to be doing better, other than that outburst at the very beginning. The need to go out so early in the morning was worrying—perhaps Izanagi should keep an eye on him should he run afoul of any of the city's various criminal organizations—but on the whole he seemed to be taking it a lot better. Of course, no breakup was especially easy, or so Souji had observed, but he could be there for his new neighbor, assuming the student wanted the help.

The news was babbling about some sort of arson cases. Souji frowns cautiously. It seems like that’s something he’s going to have to deal with, soon. Of course, there’s no ‘calling dibs’ system, persay, no matter how good of an idea Teddie thinks it is, but somehow, he has the feeling it’s an issue that they’re going to have to deal with, and sooner rather than later. “Police finally noticed the trend,” and he frowns even deeper at that. That means that the perpetrator is good at hiding his tracks, and that this has probably been going on for a while. Well, Naoto-kun will bring it up, since she can’t ignore her real job for her work as Sukona-Hikona. Any information thought important enough to share, or whether she thinks they should get involved…Naoto-kun’s reliable enough, he doesn’t have to worry about Shirogane living up to expectations.

Unfortunately, given that this arsonist or fire-manipulator or whatever else it might be has gone undetected this long, they won’t catch the villain and make the city safer tomorrow. This may take a while. Rather like back in Inaba, really—dealing with that supervillain (or, really, string of supervillains) had been a little rough. Why did I think I might get a bit of a break in the city? He asks himself with a sigh.

Teddie, or, really, formally Kintoki-Douji (not that anyone calls him that), is angry and convinced that Jiraiya’s up to no good and that he’s just evil through and through. Kunohana Sakuya didn’t say much, but she was worried about something, and given her role it wouldn’t be utterly surprising if she’d had a precognitive dream again or something, shared by the Velvet Room (since it was thought to be the source of the superheroes’ power). Given that she wasn’t actually sharing any of the details, though, she didn’t know much. Yukiko being utterly noncommittal means that she doesn’t know enough to feel comfortable speaking about what she knows or suspects.

That leaves Souji. He’s poured for hours over the information on Jiraiya, and found that SEBEC has been…well, not falsifying data or giving utterly made up information to the media. But there’s been a lot more purpose to the vigilante’s movements, and a lot less malice, than has been attributed to him before.

He could’ve finished them off. Surely, knowing their reputations, he would know that leaving them alive would allow them to track him down and try again. Teddie had thought it a ‘play fur sympathy’, but that seemed…off.

It was…less emotional than he’d expected. Of course, if the accusations of sociopathy, of an evil mastermind, meant anything, that made sense, but it didn’t fit with the rest of the data. Jiraiya had been all right with being caught, with being punished for everything he had done, but had resisted then because there was something he hadn’t done. He’d occasionally targeted other groups, but SEBEC was the big target.

Some sort of grudge. A mission that he thinks only he can accomplish. It was hard to tell whether the vigilante was delusional, carrying out the vendetta over some imagined slight. Certainly it was possible. The man had appeared sane when they’d last met, but then, so had Magatsu-Izanagi, and he’d been anything but.

The man was harshly practical. Anything that could help him in his self-imposed crusade was of value; anything that wasn’t was discarded. He’d forged himself into a weapon.

So in all likelihood, he’s not completely sane. The next question is, probably to what degree.

Every indication says that Jiraiya works alone. From his own observations and psychology, Izanagi’s inclined to agree. Unfortunately, that makes things more difficult. If he had accomplices, they’d be more likely to make a mistake. As it is, Jiraiya’s intelligent and hasn’t made an obvious mistake yet. There’s a grudging admiration growing in him. At least he’s not quite as psychotic as Magatsu-Izanagi. Misguided, clearly, but unlike what the propaganda says, not a danger to all.

Still, he has to be stopped. Why? That’s the best question to answer. That may lead to the vigilante.

He wonders if Naoto’s asked the question. He wonders if the Detective Prince has considered that question, or whether Shirogane is still off balance. A quick text tells him that the option has been considered, but the Detective has forgotten to pass it on. He feels a little more reassured. They’ve cracked a case before. They will again.