Between the Lines
Dec. 8th, 2024 03:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madimpossibledreamerMain Points:
Persona 4 Verdict AU (P4/Judgment Fusion)
Chapter Summary: Picking up Nanako turns out to be more eventful than anyone thought.
Word Count: 1677
Rating: Teen
Warning: There is a fan being creepy but it doesn't rise above anything from Persona 4 (and definitely doesn't get to the level in Judgment).
Sure, it’s an inconvenience, but he’s being paid for this. Presumably. And even if he’s not, he owes Dojima-san a lot, so he’d wait. But he shouldn’t have to. And idols shouldn’t have to put up with this crap.
He’s pretty sure if the guy hadn’t been physically blocking the door, Nanako-chan would’ve already barged out to give him a piece of her mind. She’s always been pretty bold, and it’s been a bit since they’d really had the chance to talk, but he can’t imagine that would’ve really changed.
“Excuse me, sir, do you have some kind of business here?” he asks. It’s not really what he wants to say, but he’s gotten a little better about this whole lawyer-business thing, and keeping your cool in the face of screaming clients is just part of the job.
The man looks him up and down, maybe a tiny bit more enraged when he doesn’t find a fault in anything. He’s gotta remember to thank Shirogane later. The tailored suit’s a good touch in getting pretty much anyone to take him seriously, and he’s got no clue what material got used but apparently it’s good for looking good and for moving around in. Which, uh, he’s a lawyer in Kamurocho, yeah he’s gonna get jumped. Might as well be prepared. (Also, Shirogane seems to have this idea that he goes looking for trouble. For some reason. If he was inclined in being more honest about this, he’d say he knows what that’s about, but he prefers to maintain an air of plausible deniability instead.)
“Of course I do, but do you?” It might or might not be a bluff, but it’s time for one of his secret weapons, apparently.
He even hands it to the guy with both hands. Not that he deserves a proper introduction, but the closer he plays this card game to straight, the more likely the guy’s gonna fold. Training to be a lawyer’s bringing back lessons he’d learned ages ago working in Junes about thinking before he speaks, too, which is essential here. He’s gotta be really careful with his words to make sure he doesn’t misrepresent the situation, or he could be on the wrong side of a lawsuit. “Hanamura Yosuke. I’m a lawyer at the Dojima Law Office.”
The ass pales a little, for the first time having a bit of the bluster knocked out of him. “You’re a lawyer?” he gasps before remembering himself and his own fragile little ego. “Tomonaga Kyuichi.” This business card is handed over reluctantly, but hell, it’s useful for a lawyer to have a guy’s workplace in case of a lawsuit, so much as he doesn’t want the info for a sleazy dude, he studies it and tucks it away anyway, just in case. It’s good he’d had the recent training, though, or he wouldn’t have remembered to bow—not like anybody had been eager to give a teenage kid working in a retail store any respect or business cards. “I’m a local producer with TV Asahi. We’re trying to get Risette on our program.” Not that he says which program—fake cards or just incredibly flustered? “It’d be good to get her name out there.”
“I’m very sorry, but you shouldn’t be bothering the talent with that kind of thing.” And hey, good thing Dojima-san occasionally grumbles about things and he actually paid attention, because this is coming in handy, too. If this is Risette, then she’s got the same manager to Nanako-chan, so he knows the right name to drop. And sometimes the red tape annoys Nanako, which annoys Dojima-san, but here it absolutely might save their collective asses. “The proper channels really should be followed—you should be talking with Inoue Minoru, but you’re probably aware it’ll take some time for all the paperwork. The rules can’t simply be bent, even for such an upstanding member of society as yourself. I’m sure you understand.” He lets a little of the bite, a little of the rage that would really rather him smack this asshole around a bit with his fists, out in just the slightest hints of sarcasm in his voice, but his smile is still deadly polite.
“I—of course…” He’s sweating now. Yosuke can wait to pump his hand in the air until later. “I was thinking this was an exciting opportunity for both us and TakuraPro, but it seems I got a little ahead of myself… There’s no real need for a lawyer here, is there?”
He’s all but pleading.
“Depends on how fast you escort yourself from the premises,” Yosuke suggests and watch as Tomonaga suddenly springs into action and can’t possibly get out of the studio fast enough.
He’s barely out the door before Risette squeals. “That was so cool!”
Yosuke finally can breathe easy. “Eh. We’re just lucky he’s not up on his defamation laws.” He can say honestly that he wasn’t planning on suing anyone and, in fact, hadn’t even threatened to do so. Just implied it. He’s not actually going to be breaking civil or criminal laws by hurting the ass’s reputation. No matter how much he deserves it.
“And you’d do that for just anybody? You’re not just a fan?” Risette demands, getting a little too close in her stage outfit, and Yosuke feels decidedly uncomfortable, because yeah she’s attractive but also she’s an idol and he’s trying to lay as low as he possibly can, here. It’s hard to tell if her physically flirting is just a test to see what he’ll do or kind of genuine. If the latter, he suspects it’s something along the lines of the release of adrenaline, because he’s not exactly the kind of guy the ladies swoon over, and his life’s already a mess enough without inflicting all that on anybody else. It’s been a while since his idol-crazy teenage years, though maybe some of that was just the shock of becoming an orphan and getting thrown into the world of mature expectations.
Keep it cool, breathe, he reminds himself, and shrugs as casually as he can. “I, uh, I don’t listen to idol music anymore. I’m pretty sure I’ve got the same ‘stay out of it’ instincts as the next guy. I just have more practice ignoring them.” Which is, honestly, a polite way of saying he’s nosy as hell, but like he’s gonna say that in front of an idol. And, yeah, hang on, he really should actually do his actual job as a lawyer, since he butted in. “This is the first time you’ve seen that creep, right? He’s not a stalker?”
“He’s new, but he just wouldn’t leave me alone no matter what I said. I’m really glad you came along.” She shudders, and for a second, he gets the feeling he’s seeing the real woman beneath the idol image. “Don’t worry, I’m going to tell Inoue about all of this, but I’ve got another question for you—you really have no idea who I am?” she demands again, getting even closer, and yeah, this is totally an interrogation, isn’t it?
This isn’t a full courtroom, so he doesn’t have to be honest, but he doesn’t think he’s getting out of this one unscathed, either. She’s sharp. Reminds him a little of Shirogane.
“I vaguely recognize your voice?” he admits, and she looks pleased, but also is definitely going to be following up on that little thread. She’d make a great prosecutor, pouncing on little things like that. Or lawyer, but most lawyers he knows are intimidating, not vaguely predatory.
“I thought you said you didn’t listen to my songs,” she reminds him, and he tries not to dance on his feet a little.
Fine, she wants to play this game, she gets to see his real cross-examination skills. Time to stop letting her keep him on the defensive and bring out that tough side you’d use for a client, Yosuke-kun. “I don’t. What I do on my off time happens to involve a lot of karaoke. True Story, that’s one of yours, right? It’s one of my go-to songs, and yeah, they happen to play a clip of you singing it as the preview.”
She blinks and grins, the sense of danger disappearing. “I would love to hear that firsthand,” and yeah, it’s flirting, but she also seems genuinely lonely. The life of an idol, probably, beneath all the glitz and glamour.
“Oh, I don’t know if Dojima-sensei…” he begins, when Dojima-chan finally walks out.
“Dad’s going to be out late working on the paperwork, because apparently they filled out two of the wrong forms or something, which means he’s not going to be home, and after what happened…” she shivers, glancing back out at the corridor toward the entrance. He doesn’t blame her in the slightest. “Maybe we should go to karaoke.”
He did practically bring this on himself, although honestly like hell he was going to watch some creep prey on a woman and make who knows how many others feel unsafe, so really, this is the preferable one of the two consequences. “Lemme email your dad and then we’ll get a cab.” The response is vaguely ‘don’t try anything with my daughter’ but he’s pretty sure it’s actually supposed to be teasing. Probably. Since Dojima-sensei knows at least vaguely she’s not the one in the family he’s interested in anyway, though seriously, why his heart is still stuck on that jerk is a mystery for another day.
Persona 4 Verdict AU (P4/Judgment Fusion)
Chapter Summary: Picking up Nanako turns out to be more eventful than anyone thought.
Word Count: 1677
Rating: Teen
Warning: There is a fan being creepy but it doesn't rise above anything from Persona 4 (and definitely doesn't get to the level in Judgment).
Yosuke might not be the smartest guy around, but he can put a few clues together. Clues like, Nanako was supposed to be done half an hour ago, but she’s taking an awfully long time in that dressing room, for some reason. Clues like the absolute loudmouth making an ass of himself who’s probably audible throughout the studio. Clues like the fact that one of her fellow idols is trying to extricate herself while being polite and not ticking off the jerkass and there’s no sign of a manager in sight.
Sure, it’s an inconvenience, but he’s being paid for this. Presumably. And even if he’s not, he owes Dojima-san a lot, so he’d wait. But he shouldn’t have to. And idols shouldn’t have to put up with this crap.
He’s pretty sure if the guy hadn’t been physically blocking the door, Nanako-chan would’ve already barged out to give him a piece of her mind. She’s always been pretty bold, and it’s been a bit since they’d really had the chance to talk, but he can’t imagine that would’ve really changed.
“Excuse me, sir, do you have some kind of business here?” he asks. It’s not really what he wants to say, but he’s gotten a little better about this whole lawyer-business thing, and keeping your cool in the face of screaming clients is just part of the job.
The man looks him up and down, maybe a tiny bit more enraged when he doesn’t find a fault in anything. He’s gotta remember to thank Shirogane later. The tailored suit’s a good touch in getting pretty much anyone to take him seriously, and he’s got no clue what material got used but apparently it’s good for looking good and for moving around in. Which, uh, he’s a lawyer in Kamurocho, yeah he’s gonna get jumped. Might as well be prepared. (Also, Shirogane seems to have this idea that he goes looking for trouble. For some reason. If he was inclined in being more honest about this, he’d say he knows what that’s about, but he prefers to maintain an air of plausible deniability instead.)
“Of course I do, but do you?” It might or might not be a bluff, but it’s time for one of his secret weapons, apparently.
He even hands it to the guy with both hands. Not that he deserves a proper introduction, but the closer he plays this card game to straight, the more likely the guy’s gonna fold. Training to be a lawyer’s bringing back lessons he’d learned ages ago working in Junes about thinking before he speaks, too, which is essential here. He’s gotta be really careful with his words to make sure he doesn’t misrepresent the situation, or he could be on the wrong side of a lawsuit. “Hanamura Yosuke. I’m a lawyer at the Dojima Law Office.”
The ass pales a little, for the first time having a bit of the bluster knocked out of him. “You’re a lawyer?” he gasps before remembering himself and his own fragile little ego. “Tomonaga Kyuichi.” This business card is handed over reluctantly, but hell, it’s useful for a lawyer to have a guy’s workplace in case of a lawsuit, so much as he doesn’t want the info for a sleazy dude, he studies it and tucks it away anyway, just in case. It’s good he’d had the recent training, though, or he wouldn’t have remembered to bow—not like anybody had been eager to give a teenage kid working in a retail store any respect or business cards. “I’m a local producer with TV Asahi. We’re trying to get Risette on our program.” Not that he says which program—fake cards or just incredibly flustered? “It’d be good to get her name out there.”
“I’m very sorry, but you shouldn’t be bothering the talent with that kind of thing.” And hey, good thing Dojima-san occasionally grumbles about things and he actually paid attention, because this is coming in handy, too. If this is Risette, then she’s got the same manager to Nanako-chan, so he knows the right name to drop. And sometimes the red tape annoys Nanako, which annoys Dojima-san, but here it absolutely might save their collective asses. “The proper channels really should be followed—you should be talking with Inoue Minoru, but you’re probably aware it’ll take some time for all the paperwork. The rules can’t simply be bent, even for such an upstanding member of society as yourself. I’m sure you understand.” He lets a little of the bite, a little of the rage that would really rather him smack this asshole around a bit with his fists, out in just the slightest hints of sarcasm in his voice, but his smile is still deadly polite.
“I—of course…” He’s sweating now. Yosuke can wait to pump his hand in the air until later. “I was thinking this was an exciting opportunity for both us and TakuraPro, but it seems I got a little ahead of myself… There’s no real need for a lawyer here, is there?”
He’s all but pleading.
“Depends on how fast you escort yourself from the premises,” Yosuke suggests and watch as Tomonaga suddenly springs into action and can’t possibly get out of the studio fast enough.
He’s barely out the door before Risette squeals. “That was so cool!”
Yosuke finally can breathe easy. “Eh. We’re just lucky he’s not up on his defamation laws.” He can say honestly that he wasn’t planning on suing anyone and, in fact, hadn’t even threatened to do so. Just implied it. He’s not actually going to be breaking civil or criminal laws by hurting the ass’s reputation. No matter how much he deserves it.
“And you’d do that for just anybody? You’re not just a fan?” Risette demands, getting a little too close in her stage outfit, and Yosuke feels decidedly uncomfortable, because yeah she’s attractive but also she’s an idol and he’s trying to lay as low as he possibly can, here. It’s hard to tell if her physically flirting is just a test to see what he’ll do or kind of genuine. If the latter, he suspects it’s something along the lines of the release of adrenaline, because he’s not exactly the kind of guy the ladies swoon over, and his life’s already a mess enough without inflicting all that on anybody else. It’s been a while since his idol-crazy teenage years, though maybe some of that was just the shock of becoming an orphan and getting thrown into the world of mature expectations.
Keep it cool, breathe, he reminds himself, and shrugs as casually as he can. “I, uh, I don’t listen to idol music anymore. I’m pretty sure I’ve got the same ‘stay out of it’ instincts as the next guy. I just have more practice ignoring them.” Which is, honestly, a polite way of saying he’s nosy as hell, but like he’s gonna say that in front of an idol. And, yeah, hang on, he really should actually do his actual job as a lawyer, since he butted in. “This is the first time you’ve seen that creep, right? He’s not a stalker?”
“He’s new, but he just wouldn’t leave me alone no matter what I said. I’m really glad you came along.” She shudders, and for a second, he gets the feeling he’s seeing the real woman beneath the idol image. “Don’t worry, I’m going to tell Inoue about all of this, but I’ve got another question for you—you really have no idea who I am?” she demands again, getting even closer, and yeah, this is totally an interrogation, isn’t it?
This isn’t a full courtroom, so he doesn’t have to be honest, but he doesn’t think he’s getting out of this one unscathed, either. She’s sharp. Reminds him a little of Shirogane.
“I vaguely recognize your voice?” he admits, and she looks pleased, but also is definitely going to be following up on that little thread. She’d make a great prosecutor, pouncing on little things like that. Or lawyer, but most lawyers he knows are intimidating, not vaguely predatory.
“I thought you said you didn’t listen to my songs,” she reminds him, and he tries not to dance on his feet a little.
Fine, she wants to play this game, she gets to see his real cross-examination skills. Time to stop letting her keep him on the defensive and bring out that tough side you’d use for a client, Yosuke-kun. “I don’t. What I do on my off time happens to involve a lot of karaoke. True Story, that’s one of yours, right? It’s one of my go-to songs, and yeah, they happen to play a clip of you singing it as the preview.”
She blinks and grins, the sense of danger disappearing. “I would love to hear that firsthand,” and yeah, it’s flirting, but she also seems genuinely lonely. The life of an idol, probably, beneath all the glitz and glamour.
“Oh, I don’t know if Dojima-sensei…” he begins, when Dojima-chan finally walks out.
“Dad’s going to be out late working on the paperwork, because apparently they filled out two of the wrong forms or something, which means he’s not going to be home, and after what happened…” she shivers, glancing back out at the corridor toward the entrance. He doesn’t blame her in the slightest. “Maybe we should go to karaoke.”
He did practically bring this on himself, although honestly like hell he was going to watch some creep prey on a woman and make who knows how many others feel unsafe, so really, this is the preferable one of the two consequences. “Lemme email your dad and then we’ll get a cab.” The response is vaguely ‘don’t try anything with my daughter’ but he’s pretty sure it’s actually supposed to be teasing. Probably. Since Dojima-sensei knows at least vaguely she’s not the one in the family he’s interested in anyway, though seriously, why his heart is still stuck on that jerk is a mystery for another day.
