Easier than cleaning my brushes. @breathtakingsight-blog - Tumblr Blog

a quick headcanon-y thing before i forget!

if confronted/captured, yusuke/fox will admit to being a phantom thief. if asked about the other thieves, he’ll refer to them using their codenames, but he’ll deny his friends’ involvement (think how the protag defends his friends during sae’s interrogation -- he’ll reveal his own identity, but he won’t give anything away about his allies).

#out of paint ☥ (ooc)

Confidant - Hallelujah

Hallelujah’s skepticism became, if anything, even more palpable. From his own experience of needing to be on guard against attacks and potential danger all the damn time, he found himself able to determine whether or not someone was an active threat faster and more accurately over time.

Though that didn’t mean the guy was lying, he supposed. Just not as perceptive as Hallelujah.

He remained tense and on guard - Fox could definitely fight, which made him dangerous. But he didn’t seem like he was necessarily looking for a fight…

Though if Fox kept being an asshole, Hallelujah wouldn’t write off losing his own temper, either.

“That is a rude question,” Hallelujah snapped, bristling at the accusatory tone. “And also none of your business. But I dunno what you mean by ‘Shadows.’“ Didn’t sound like he meant the regular, lower-case-s kind of shadows.

“{I think I do,}” Chiro said thoughtfully, head tilted to the side as he surveyed Fox curiously. The demon language was more an expression of feelings and intent and abstract concepts than actual words, and being able to speak to humans was more a matter of mimicking the way human observation gave shape to things. So Chiro could more-or-less understand what humans meant with their words, if he himself was familiar with the concepts, even if he hadn’t heard the specific words used that way before.

“{I haven’t heard that word before,}” the demon went on cheerfully as Hallelujah blinked down at him in surprise. “{But I think it’s pretty similar to demons. But like… only demons in the Expanse? Maybe? Or a concept similar to that, at least?}”

Hallelujah only shrugged. He didn’t quite get it, but he wasn’t about to relay any of that to Fox either way.

“What are you, exactly?” Hallelujah sniped back instead. “Other than an asshole, I mean.”

Fox listened to Chironnupu’s unintelligible chittering with perplexed interest, wishing he could understand what was being said. Hallelujah seemed to be in no mood to translate, based on his snarky remark.

“In the words of one of my allies, ‘A Shadow is the true self that is suppressed—a side of one's personality they don't want to see,’” the masked man explained. “Some Shadows are the physical manifestation of one particularly corrupt person’s desires, while others come from the ‘sea of souls’ linked to humanity’s collective subconscious. Not all Shadows are evil, but quite a few of them are malevolent. That’s why I asked -- I wanted to make sure this wasn’t a trap. I meant no disrespect.”

“My friends and I fought the Shadows of the most unscrupulous people in Tokyo. One of them was the man I considered my father...” His hands balled into fists as he recalled the terrible memory. “I initially refused to believe how despicable he truly was. However, his Shadow was all too happy to tell us how he deprived his pupils of their well-deserved fame and fortune by stealing credit for their artwork.”

“Now, what am I?” he paraphrased. “A human, though I suppose that isn’t the answer you’re looking for.”

He paused to weigh his options. Should he risk blowing his cover? “Just do it,” his Persona urged. “This boy is getting on my nerves.”

So, with Kamu Susano-o’s blessing, Fox continued: “Tell me... Have you ever heard of the Phantom Thieves?”

#fox unmasked ☥ (ic)#hxllclujxh #i think you explained it pretty well!#yusuke vc: how do i keep ticking this kid off without intending to?#he's just really bad at wording things ok #please be nice to him hallelujah

Confidant - Hallelujah

Relief flooded through Hallelujah as the man released Chiro, who immediately dove into Hallelujah’s arms for safety. After clinging to one another for a moment, Hallelujah finally felt it was safe enough to return to human form - he didn’t want this to end up as a fight if it didn’t have to, either.

But he remained on high alert, shifting his body to angle Chiro away from the stranger as he glared at him suspiciously. The fox demon didn’t reply to the apology, only bobbing his head in acknowledgement and making a chittering noise that almost resembled a nervous giggle.

“…I’m Hallelujah. This is Chironnupu,” he answered, wary but willing to let the stranger steer the conversation in a more civil direction. ‘Fox’ was probably a nickname, but that wasn’t unusual in Hallelujah’s experience - lots of Hunters used aliases.

“So, d’you threaten everyone who tries to steal a pencil off you, or did Chiro just get special treatment?” Hallelujah asked acerbically. He understood why people were biased against demons back in Tokyo, but Koi didn’t have that excuse. Besides, Chiro wasn’t just a demon - he was Hallelujah’s best friend, and the only point of familiarity in a strange world. Hallelujah didn’t really care how rational someone’s bias against demons was if it led them to scare or hurt his family.

“It was a visceral reaction due to being startled,” Fox replied cooly. “I have learned to be as cautious as possible after one too many sneak attacks... My response would have been the same if you or anyone else were in Chironnupu’s place.”

He could feel Kamu Susano-o's power just beneath the surface -- ready to attack, but not visible yet. That did not stop the deity from sharing his opinion, however. “The nerve of that boy... I do not trust these two. Stay alert,” he warned.

Fox did not need his Persona’s help to sense the suspicion and displeasure coming off the young man in waves. If his quick analysis of the duo was correct, Chironnupu was the Mona to Hallelujah’s Joker. It was understandable that he would be highly protective of his friend, especially around a stranger who had just tried to capture the creature.

“Pardon me if this is a rude question, but... It’s obvious neither of you are completely human. What are you, exactly? Are you... Shadows?” The last part came out more accusatory than intended.

#fox unmasked ☥ (ic)#hxllclujxh

Confidant - Hallelujah

Chiro squirmed in the scary human’s grip anxiously, trying to pull free. Whoops, he’d picked the wrong person for his pranks, this time. Apparently, just because most people in Koi weren’t familiar with demons and could be easily caught off-guard by his mere appearance, didn’t mean that was the case for all of them.

Fortunately, he hadn’t flown too far ahead of Hallelujah. His friend should be within earshot.

“ME SORRY! ME ONLY WANT PLAY!” Chiro protested with as much innocence as he could muster (being: not much), before switching to the demon language and baying out, “{Halle! Help! A scary man caught me!}”

Hallelujah had been halfheartedly jogging to try and catch up with Chiro, but at the sound of his friend crying out for help, he immediately broke into a run, and skidded around the last corner in seconds.

Rapidly assessing the situation as well as he could - man with a sword, wearing a mask, firmly gripping a struggling Chironnupu - Hallelujah decided that it was better to show his hand than risk not being able to transform in time to save Chiro.

So after only a second’s hesitation, Hallelujah shifted to demon form.

“Let go of him, asshole!” Hallelujah snapped, and hoped the stranger mistook his fear for Chiro’s safety as something more, uh… intimidating.

“Did you say... Play?”

The former Phantom Thief tried to comprehend the creature’s words, but his confusion was only made worse once it started to speak in another language. Apparently it was a cry for help, because immediately a young man came sprinting around the corner.

And then he transformed.

Fox could not help but gasp a little, even though it was far from the weirdest thing he had ever seen. He reluctantly obeyed the young man’s order, releasing the creature from his grasp.

As he picked up his scattered art supplies, his mind started reeling. Just who was this kid? Hopefully, he was trying to intimidate him and not actually looking for a fight. He had not battled with his Persona in quite some time, and he was thus very rusty. It was best he try to diffuse the tension.

“Well, your little friend tried to steal my pencil right out of my hand,” he defended, choosing to ignore the vulgar word choice. “It gave me quite the scare.”

The masked man sighed. “However, if I understand correctly, it was meant to be a harmless prank...” He shifted his focus from the young man to the creature. “I accept your apology, and I offer you one in exchange. I’m sorry for overreacting. I hope you aren’t hurt.”

“...If you two don’t mind answering, who are you?” he paused. “Ah, how rude of me, I didn’t introduce myself. I am Fox. I wish we were meeting under better circumstances.”

#fox unmasked ☥ (ic)#hxllclujxh #yusuke vc: this kid would get along with ryuji

Confidant - Hallelujah (@hxllclujxh)

A mysterious masked figure leaned against a streetlamp, scribbling away on a notepad. If one were to try and peek over his shoulder, one might get a glimpse of a heavily-annotated map of the surrounding area before meeting the sharp edge of the young man’s sword.

Fox scrutinized his drawing in the flickering light, going over the route he had navigated earlier in his head to make sure everything matched up. Finding a small error, he moved to correct it -- and noticed an odd creature holding the other end of his pencil, trying to slip it out of his hand.

“EH!?” He nearly squawked in surprise. “Hey, let go! This is my favorite pencil!”

One hand instinctively went to his blade, and the rascal got the message. It released its hold on the pencil and attempted to run away, but Fox was not about to let it escape. Casting aside his drawing supplies, he quickly captured the fleeing creature. It struggled and wriggled, but his grip remained firm.

Now that Fox could get a good look at the little scoundrel, he noticed it was rather... Fox-like. What was this thing? Was it someone’s pet or familiar? Why did it go for his pencil? It seemed to be just a mischievous imp -- if it had been sent by an enemy of the Phantom Thieves, it would have knocked the mask off his face and revealed his true identity.

“What exactly do you think you’re doing? Stealing from people isn’t very nice, you know,” he admonished. (Oh, he was such a hypocrite.)

#fox unmasked ☥ (ic)#hxllclujxh

gee, thanks tumblr for being a lovely functioning website that messed up my notifications...

i’m really sorry for the delays -- for some reason, my activity page isn’t working properly. if i haven’t yet written a starter for you or replied to a starter you wrote for me, please let me know. there’s a good chance the notification got lost in the void and i didn’t see it.

#out of paint ☥ (ooc)

Confidant - Kasen Kanesada (@kihinshi)

Yusuke was sitting on a bench, trying to cram just one more doodle onto his paper. The page was already covered in sketches of people, buildings, animals, plants, and everything else that was surrounding or had passed by his spot. Eventually giving up, he set aside his pencil to admire his handwork -- he could already see flaws, but for an exercise in drawing from real life, it was not too shabby. (Knowing him, though, he would grow to despise it within forty-eight hours.)

He was startled from his examination by a loud growling. Glancing around and finding nothing that could have made the sound, it slowly dawned on him: he was a starving artist, literally. He felt so hungry, he could have eaten his sketchbook.

Not entirely trusting his biological clock, he turned on his phone to verify the time -- to his surprise, it was already afternoon. He must have spent more time people-watching than he thought... Yusuke’s tendency to focus intently on a task was both a blessing and a curse.

Unfortunately, he could not simply stop by Cafe Leblanc for curry -- he was in Koi now, so he had to find another source of sustenance. He awkwardly stood up (his joints felt stiff, which was likely a result of not moving for several hours) and approached a friendly-looking man with purple hair. He seemed to be a local, or at least someone who could recommend a place to eat.

“Excuse me... Do you know of any good restaurants around here?” Right on cue, his stomach grumbled. The noise was quiet enough that only Yusuke really heard it, but his cheeks flushed out of embarrassment anyway. “I just moved to Koi, so I’m not familiar with the area yet.”

#fox unmasked ☥ (ic)#kihinshi

Confidant - Kaito Momota (@lumnessence)

Yusuke hummed lightly as he stirred the pot one last time. He had yet to figure out all the secret ingredients in Sojiro’s curry, but this recipe was easy to follow and spicy enough to help get his creative juices flowing. Plus, he would have plenty of leftovers in case he became a bit too inspired and spent the next week in an artistic frenzy.

He had anticipated a shopping trip, especially for the more uncommon spices, but the kitchen already had the required ingredients. It was as if someone had anticipated his every need...

Suspicious.

As Yusuke spooned rice and curry onto a plate, he felt the familiar icy grip of paranoia around his heart. The cupboards stocked specifically for him, coupled with the items he had received as part of his welcome gift, meant someone knew quite a lot about him -- more than he would like them to know, probably. He wondered how they ascertained his identity without any concrete evidence.

With the first bite, the rich spices warmed his entire being, dispelling his worry. Curry always brought up fond recollections of Cafe Leblanc. He could almost smell the brewing coffee and hear the laughter of his friends...

Yusuke’s trip down memory lane was cut short when he heard someone enter the room. “Hello there,” he said, standing up from his chair to give a slight bow. “I am Yusuke Kitagawa. You must be my roommate, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He gestured towards his plate. “I made curry, you’re welcome to have some -- and don’t worry, I’ll be sure to clean up the kitchen once I’m done eating.”

#fox unmasked ☥ (ic)#lumnessence

Confidant - Conan Edogawa (@shrunkendetective)

Yusuke had barely registered someone hopping up on the edge of the water fountain beside him, and he was far too busy to care. That is, until he sensed the boy trying to discreetly observe him drawing.

He usually did not mind people watching him work, but considering he was doodling a certain man with unruly dark hair and piercing eyes, wearing a long black tailcoat and a white mask... Well, better safe than sorry.

A little voice inside his brain -- the Fox part, he assumed -- warned him to stay alert, but not do anything suspicious. Thus, he turned the page as casually as he could, and he started to shade a much more innocuous sketch of a group of trees. He tried to find his ‘happy place’ again, but he could no longer ignore the feeling of inquiring eyes scrutinizing his every move.

There was an appropriate ‘meme’ for this moment... Futaba had said it one day, and everyone thought it was hilarious. Everyone, that is, except for Yusuke. He was hopelessly lost when it came to internet humor. Thankfully, his Persona remembered: “You are thinking of the meme, ‘What’s with this sassy lost child?’”

Kamu Susano-o, an ancient deity who was likely thousands of years old, knew more about memes than him. Wonderful.

Taking a deep breath and banishing the rest of his sarcastic thoughts, he turned to his audience. “Hello there,” he greeted the young man, smiling slightly. “Do you like art, too?”

#fox unmasked ☥ (ic)#shrunkendetective

Confidant - Akira Kurusu (@jokarnofuru)

Yusuke stared down at a certain item he had received as part of his welcome package. The fox mask seemed so ordinary, sitting there innocently on his new bed like it was not a conduit for the power of a literal deity who also happened to be a manifestation of his personality.

What gods had he managed to irritate this time?

He analyzed his options. It was already dark outside, which reduced the chance of getting caught – and even if they did notice his absence, they would assume he was out exploring the city, which would be sort of true... Provided this was not some sick, twisted joke.

Curiosity eventually killed the cat -- er, fox. Yusuke put on the mask, his fingers trembling. Immediately, his clothes transformed into his Phantom Thief attire in a flash of blue light. While Kamu Susano-o was not actually speaking to him, he could almost hear the “What took you so long?” his Persona was thinking.

If his powers were back… No, he did not want to think about that possibility. Going through it once was bad enough, he would hate to do it again.

Fueled by adrenaline (and giddy delight, if he was being honest), Fox opened the window and climbed up onto the roof of Chamomile Apartments. To his surprise, someone else was already there… Someone very familiar.

His heart nearly stopped in shock.