Hi guys, it's been a long while. I know I've been on a long hiatus, and I've been thinking of a good way to write this out.
Currently, I'm burnt out on writing fanfiction. I still love all the games I've wrote for and all the interaction and requests I've gotten, but I just haven't had the drive to write for those fandoms. Maybe it's because I've been doing it for so long, first on Wattpad and now on here, but I think it's time for me to step away from fanfic writing for now.
I have been focusing on more original content of my own, such as OCs and drawing, so if you ever wonder what I'm up to you can find my art here:
Follow @cinnoasch-art and get more of the good stuff by joining Tumblr today. Dive in!
But I want to end this off with a big thank you for all of your support thus far. Thank you for giving my writing a chance and to those requests I didn't get to, I apologize. If some of you want, I can post the drafts I had for them (I don't have drafts for all of them unfortunately), just shoot me an ask or reply below. But once again thank you so much and I hope to write for you guys again in the future! ♥️
Hi everyone! I know I've been on hiatus for quite a bit. School's finally wrapping up for me, so I'll be able to get requests done soon! Hope you all have been doing well! Also thank you all for 100 followers! I'm very inconsistent with posting but thank you all for being patient with me! Hoping to get more requests out soon.
A/N: Here is part 2! Once again extremely fun to write. I have received requests and am working on them, so they will be out soon! Story under the cut!
Charmed [1] Here
Word Count: 2852
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March runs a hand through his hair as he tosses another balled up piece of paper behind him. He had already finished his orders for today and now he was hunched over his desk, drawing. Papers are scattered across the desk, many of them have scribbles across them or large X’s drawn on them. He knew what you had said, that you didn’t care if his drawing was good or not. But to him, it mattered. Everything he did, he put his best foot forward. It had to be perfect.
“Woah, it’s like a tornado came through here.”
March glances behind him. “Oh, hey Ryis.”
“Hey.” Ryis replies, walking into the shop. He approaches the back of the shop, peeking over March’s shoulder. “Oh…those aren’t blueprints.”
March jolts and in a frenzy pushes all the papers and pencils off his desk. He looks up at Ryis, face burning in embarrassment. “...there was no point in me doing that, huh? You saw?”
Ryis grins, chuckling. “Yeah, I saw. So, I’m guessing things went well last week?”
“...I mean I guess.” March mumbles. “The only thing that’s not going well is this.” He gestures at the state of the room. “I can’t believe I’m saying this… but I’d rather work on nails than this.”
“It’s troubling you that much?” Ryis asks. He picks up a few papers off of the ground, looking at each of them. “These aren’t bad, you’re definitely progressing.”
“Yeah… but it’s not perfect.”
“It doesn’t need to be.” Ryis replies. He sets the small stack down on the table, and the portrait you gave March catches his attention. “Hm, don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile like that.”
“Trust me, you’re not the only one.” March says as he leans back in his chair. He sighs slightly, his gaze wanders over to the portrait. “...I don’t want to give them something half-assed. Not after receiving something like that.”
“I get that. You want to give them something that invokes the same feeling you had, right? In my opinion, I don’t think it has to be a drawing. As long as it’s from the heart, I think that makes all the difference.”
“From the heart?”
Ryis nods, “Mhm. Just think about it. You’ll figure it out.” He gives a wave as he walks out of the shop. “See ya.”
“What the hell…?” March shakes his head. He stands up, stretching slightly. From the heart…? What did that even mean?
When you drew that portrait, was that from the heart? Heat slowly rises on his cheeks and March pushes that thought away. It was embarrassing to think about. Even more so, it was embarrassing to think about how happy he was whenever he looked at it.
March already knew why that was. Even Ryis had mentioned it last week. Was it because of these feelings that he wanted to give you something that expressed that? Something that was perfect?
Just then the shop door opens and Valen walks in, greeting him. “Good morning March. My, it looks like you’ve been busy. Practicing drawing, I see.”
His face turns red as he quickly starts gathering the papers and pencils off the ground and tucks them away in the desk drawer. He clears his throat, leaning against the desk. “Did you need something, Valen?”
“Yes, actually. I’m in need of some new medical tools. My old ones have dulled considerably.”
“Okay, I’ll get on it.”
“Thank you, March.” Then Valen adds, “You look…distracted. Is there something on your mind?”
March blinks a couple of times, then he sighs. “...sort of.”
“Would you like to talk about it?”
“Don’t you want me to get started on your tools?”
Valen smiles. “Those can wait. Go on, tell me what’s on your mind. Maybe I can help.” She leans against the wall, waiting for March to respond.
“...If you wanted to give someone a gift…” March starts slowly. “What would you give them?”
“Hmm, that depends on the person I’m giving the gift to. Though I assume you’re giving something to a certain someone… say Y/N, for instance?”
“You…better not say anything to them.”
Valen chuckles, “I won’t, you don’t have to worry about that. Let’s see here…” She hums in thought. “Ah, well why don’t we rely on your strong suit then? Y/N did mention in passing that they recently lost a bracelet of theirs while in the mines. Maybe you could do something with that?”
“A bracelet?” He mumbles. He did recall a copper band that dangled off of your wrist, though you haven’t been wearing it as of late if he remembered correctly. “I could make them a new one… maybe silver?”
“I think that would be a perfect gift.”
March nods in agreement, “Thanks, Valen.” He takes a seat at his desk, grabbing a pencil and a blank sheet of paper from the drawer. He glances back at her. “I’ll have your tools done soon, promise.”
She lightly smiles. “I’m not in a rush to get them, so no worries. Good luck, March.” With that, Valen leaves the shop.
March starts to sketch out a few designs. It was no different than working on blueprints. He could do this. This could be just the thing that would tell you exactly what he wanted you to know.
--------------------------------
Friday night rolls around and March walks into the inn, fiddling with the finished silver bracelet in his apron pocket. Now that the day was finally here, he was slightly nervous. Did he go overboard with this? The past few days he had been working on the bracelet, even starting from scratch at some points because he wasn’t satisfied with it. Yesterday he had finally finished it though, the bracelet adorned with a few gems he bought from Balor, as well as some small designs March added himself. It was just some flowers and leaves, though he had to admit adding them was harder than he thought, especially on such a small piece of metal.
Would you like it? Hell, would you even accept it?
“March!”
The sound of Olric’s voice snaps him out of his thoughts. “Come on over, we’re waiting for you, bro!”
March makes his way towards the back of the inn, seeing that he was the last one to arrive. You’re standing in front of the table, your assortment of tools on the ground beside you. Elise, Hayden, Landen and Valen chat amongst themselves, greeting March when he reaches the table. He takes a seat next to Olric and Elise claps her hands together.
“Alright, now that we’re all here, we can get started! Now, as we all know, Y/N has offered to be our model for tonight. I see you have all your tools with you.”
You nod with a smile. “I figured you guys might ask me to do different poses so I thought I might as well bring some props along.”
“Oh, can you pose with the pickaxe first?” Olric asks. “Like you’re in the mines!”
“Then the ax next.” Landen adds with a grin.
As everyone continues to give out suggestions, March rests his arm on the table, lost in his thoughts once again. He hated feeling nervous. It wasn’t a feeling he was used to, hell he rarely ever felt nervous until you moved into town. But at the same time, March felt excited. He never gave someone a gift that was this special, let alone someone he liked. Yes, liked. He was certain of this now. He liked you.
“March?”
He blinks, seeing you wave a hand in front of him. “What?”
“Did you have a suggestion?”
“Uh, no…” He replies, glancing away from you. “Let’s just…get started.”
With that, the group gets to drawing, small conversations popping up here and there. Mainly about your adventures, how you were liking life on the farm, the drawings you brought to show.
“Oh, Y/N. May I ask you a question?” Valen speaks up.
“Yeah, sure!” You smile, leaning on your pickaxe.
“This drawing here.” She says, pointing at one of the papers on the table. “This is the bracelet you mentioned before, right? The one you lost in the mines earlier this week.”
You take a few steps forward, nodding. “Mhm, that's the one! Actually that was given to me before I set off on my first adventure, a present from someone in my hometown.”
“Oh, was it your lover by any chance?” Elise asks.
March lifts his head slightly at that question as you laugh, waving your hands in front of your face. “No, nothing like that. Just a childhood friend of mine.”
“Childhood friends! That reminds me of one of my romance novels. Do you still keep in touch with them?”
“Here and there. We send each other letters every now and then.”
“Do you ever think about going home?” Landen asks. “You must miss it.”
“I do…” You say. “But, I definitely think Mistria’s a place I can call home now.” Your gaze wanders over to March as you continue, your eyes meeting. “The charm of the town, you all…I guess I just fell in love.”
Valen chuckles, “I’m glad to hear that. I’m sure everyone agrees that you’ve become an important part of Mistria now.” She then glances at you and March, posing another question. “That reminds me. Y/N, I had an… acquaintance, we’ll say, ask me what I would give someone if I were to give them a gift. I told them it depended on the person, what do you think?”
You turn your attention to her, thinking for a few seconds. “Well, I do agree that it depends on the person. The gift has to fit their personality or things that they like. But, I do think as long as the gift is meaningful, it still holds value.”
Valen hums in response, smiling as March also turns his gaze towards her. “So…if the gift was homemade and… let’s say from the heart. Would you accept it?”
“I would.” You laugh a bit. “Are we still talking in hypotheticals here? These questions are awfully specific.”
“Of course. I was just curious.”
March lets out a small sigh of relief. He was never telling Valen anything ever again.
Your conversation continues as you continue posing and switching out your tools. Eventually, everyone finishes their drawings and just like last time you go around the table showing them.
All of them had little details added here and there, whether it be crops, animals, even rocks. But each of them had their own appeal. And now came March’s drawing.
“March, your turn.” Valen says.
March slides his drawing to the middle of the table then crosses his arms as he mumbles. “I wasn’t finished with it yet… but there you go.”
You all take a look at the drawing. You could definitely tell that he improved, even if you only had a tiny glance at the drawing club’s work when they first started. You notice he drew you while you leaned on your pickaxe, a soft smile on your face. It was heartwarming, and carefully drawn.
You nod smiling. “I really like how you drew the expression here. Soft, warm. You put a lot of practice in, huh?”
March’s face heats up as you stare at him. He avoids your gaze, looking at the ground. “I just had spare time on my hands, that’s all.”
“Well, keep at it. I want to see a complete drawing one day.” You reply. Then you begin packing up your tools, turning your attention to the rest of the group. “This was fun! I’d love to join again next time.”
“You’re always welcome here, Y/N. You’ve made these past two Friday nights very enjoyable.” Valen says. “Are you heading back to the farm now?”
“Yep, early day and all. Good night everyone!”
They all say their goodbyes as you leave the inn and March hurries after you, drawing in hand.
“Y/N, wait a sec.”
You turn as you stand beside Balor’s cart, seeing March jog up to you. “Hey, March. I didn’t forget anything did I?”
“Well, one thing.” He says, handing you his drawing. “You wanted to keep it right?”
“Oh, right!” You take it, tucking it away carefully in your backpack. “You could’ve given it to me tomorrow, but thank you.”
March nods, then he hesitates with his next question. “You’re welcome… uh, can I walk back with you to the farm?”
“Oh, um, sure.”
You turn on your heel as March follows behind you silently. Within a few minutes you arrive in front of your house.
“Thanks for walking with me, March.” You say with a small smile. “Well, good night.”
“W-wait!”
You freeze as your hand hovers over the door handle and you look at March.
“I…” He averts his gaze as he pulls out a silver bracelet from his apron pocket. “This is for you.”
You stare at the bracelet, watching as the moonlight reflects off of it. The gems on it sparkle and you can see small flowers and leaves carved on it. “Did you make this…?”
“Yeah… I heard about you losing your old one, so I just thought you might like a new one.”
“Oh, so you’re the acquaintance Valen was talking about!” You laugh. “I was wondering why you seemed so interested in the conversation.”
March scoffs slightly. “She just happened to visit the blacksmiths and mentioned it.”
“Uh-huh… you are a bad liar, March.”
“… are you going to take it or not?” He sighs.
“Can you put it on for me?” You ask.
March freezes for a second but to your surprise he takes your wrist with one hand, and slips the bracelet on with the other. You were joking when you had asked but you didn’t think that March would actually comply.
“Mhm, perfect fit.” March mumbles quietly. He begins fiddling with the bracelet, turning it around your wrist.
“Uh…March?” You speak up.
He doesn’t respond, though you do see a small smile appear on his face. Then suddenly, he lets go of your wrist, stuffing his hands in his pockets quickly. He clears his throat, “Sorry, I was just… making sure it wouldn’t slip off.”
“It’s okay.” You reply. You chuckle slightly as you smile. “Say, if I made you a matching pair, would you wear it? Ah, but it might get in the way when you work… what about a ring then?”
Then your eyes widen as you quickly realize what you had said. You laugh nervously, averting your gaze. “I mean, you probably wouldn’t-”
“If it’s from you, I’ll wear it.”
You look at March, the moonlight illuminates your surroundings so you can see the blush that appears on his face.
“W-what?” He asks. “Why do you look so surprised?”
“I wasn’t expecting you to say something like that is all…but if you’ll wear it, I’ll make it.” You reply as you look at the bracelet on your wrist. You smile gently as you hold your arm up, letting the light reflect off of the silver band. “I love it, March. Thank you again. I think this is the best present I’ve gotten in a while.”
March only nods, staring at you quietly. In his mind, he could make this moment better, if he just closed the gap between you two. He could hear his heart beating, loud and fast, almost as if it would jump out of his chest. If he made that move, would you reciprocate? Would things change between you if you didn’t? He was aware of how unfriendly he was at first when you moved into town, but slowly you somehow changed that. You had undeniably charmed him.
His gaze flickers to your lips. If he couldn’t say it in words…actions would do just fine, right? Screw it. March gently takes your wrist and lowers it, his hand slides down to hold yours. Then he leans in, pressing his lips to yours. It was quick, chaste, and it was over just as quickly as it happened.
March pulls away, the blush on his face even more apparent now. You’re still trying to process everything, not quite believing what has happened.
“Um…I guess I’ll see you later.” He mumbles quietly, letting go of your hand.
He was slowly regretting going based off of instinct, but in his mind, it felt like the right thing to do. The perfect thing to do in a moment like that.
March begins to walk away, leaving you standing alone in front of your house. But you call out to him and he turns around, seeing you smile.
“I feel the same way.”
He returns the smile, laughing slightly. He doesn’t say anything, only giving a wave as he walks off. He knew you’d visit him tomorrow to talk. His smile only grows larger as he walks home, a slight bounce in his step. A smile that was carefully depicted in a portrait. A smile that everyone had mentioned never seeing on March. A smile of someone slowly falling in love.
I'm opening up requests for Fields of Mistria! I still have a few ideas left that I'm working on writing but I'll post them below so you have them to look forward to! I'll close requests on 9/1 so happy requesting! You can request by either dropping an ask in my ask box or by DMing me!Masterlist link and future fics under the cut!
A/N: I do plan on making a part 2, but still let me know if you want to see it! This was soo much fun to write.
Charmed [2] Here
Word Count: 2173
“March! Look, Y/N drew a picture of me!” Olric grins as he walks into the blacksmith’s shop.
March turns around from his desk, taking the paper from Olric. “...why do you have bunny ears?”
“Oh, that was from when we helped Juniper out with something! Apparently, whatever she gave me made bunny ears appear on my head. Man, I was running laps around the town that day, I wonder, would she give me another one if I asked?”
Olric continues talking as March stares at the drawing. He didn’t know much about drawing, or art in general, but he had to admit it was good. Somehow he could almost picture Olric smiling and running around, just like he was in your drawing.
“They’re really good right? I heard from Ryis they’ve been helping him with some blueprints too. Maybe Y/N could help with some blacksmithing blueprints in the future!”
“Don’t need it.” March grumbles, handing the paper back to Olric. “If anything, we have that under control already.” He sighs, standing up as he starts walking to the door. “Watch the till for me, I’m going to go work on some orders.”
“You got it, bro! Let me know if you need me!” Olric replies.
As March steps outside and sets off to work, he thinks about what Olric had said. He had a point. With the way the town rank was rising, more and more orders came in each day. Not to mention, along with orders came more complicated requests. Of course, it wasn’t a problem, he could handle it easily. Though, extra help couldn’t hurt sometimes.
March shakes his head as he swings his hammer. Nope, not thinking about that. He pushes those thoughts away. If he needed help, he could just ask Olric. But, there was that one time where he and Olric were backed up and you had pitched into help… He sighs heavily. You were on his mind more than he’d like at the moment and you hadn’t even shown up yet. Not that he wanted you to or anything.
He furrows his brow, setting the hammer down. He couldn’t concentrate on work at all. In fact, these past few days whenever you stopped by to say hi, March would always have trouble continuing work afterwards. But now, you haven’t even visited and he was having trouble concentrating. Was something wrong with him? He always felt oddly fuzzy and disgustingly warm whenever you came by. Was he getting sick? No…it was summer, there’s no way that was the case.
March pops his head into the shop, letting Olric know he was going for a walk. He needed to clear his mind and a walk around town would be perfect for that. As long as he didn’t see you or hear about you, he could take a break and get back to work easily… is what he initially thought.
Every place he went, March somehow can’t escape the topic of you. Not only that but no matter who he talked to, they just had to show him the portrait you gave them. And not only that, the stupid fuzzy, warm feeling only overstayed its welcome.
“Ryis? Are you here? I got those nails you needed.” March calls out as he walks into the carpenter’s shop.
“Upstairs!”
He walks upstairs and into Ryis’ room. “Hey, here’s the nails.”
“Thanks. I’m surprised you came to deliver them. I was going to pick them up a little later today.”
“Yeah, I needed a walk. Working on blueprints?” March asks, looking at the papers scattered across the desk. Then his gaze falls on a paper to the side of the desk.
“Oh, that was from Y/N.” Ryis explains, following his gaze. “They helped me out with a project and in return ended up drawing me. It’s nice isn’t it?”
“Nice is one way to put it…” March mumbles. “I’ve been seeing their drawings everywhere. They probably gave one to everyone in town.”
“Except you?”
He scoffs, “Not like I care. They can do whatever they want.”
Ryis only chuckles, grinning slightly, “It’s okay to say you feel left out. If I were you, I’d probably be a bit upset that the person I like-”
“I do not like them.” March says, crossing his arms.
“Uh-huh...anyways, if you really want them to draw you, why not invite them to join in on drawing club this Friday? And you can volunteer to be the model.”
“No way… that’s a stupid idea…”
“Maybe, but it’s an idea. Or, you know, you could just ask them to draw you.”
“Okay, this conversation is over. I’m going home.” March says, walking downstairs.
Ryis chuckles, shaking his head as he returns to working on his blueprints.
On his way back home, March couldn’t help but think of what Ryis said. There was no way in hell he would ever directly ask you to draw him. Wouldn’t that make him seem… weird? Or at least make it seem like he liked you when he definitely did not. March sighs as his thoughts continue to swim around in his head. He was definitely about to regret the decision he just made.
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The rest of the week passes by and you find yourself entering the inn that Friday night after a long day of running around on the farm.
“Hey, Y/N over here!” Olric waves at you from the back of the inn.
You wave back, and walk up to the table, seeing Valen, Elise, Landen, Hayden and March present as well. “Evening, everyone.”
“Oh, dearie you’re just in time! Would you like to join tonight’s drawing club session?” Elise asks. “March here has graciously volunteered to be our model for tonight.”
March stands in front of the table, arms crossed. He looks at you expectedly, almost if he wants you to join.
“Sure, I’ll join.” You say with a smile. You take a seat next to Olric and he passes you a piece of paper and a pencil.
“Perfect!” Elise smiles, she clasps her hands together and gestures to March. “Now, strike a pose, March!”
“Uh, like what?”
“Oh, how about you flex? Show off your muscles!” Olric suggests.
“Flex? Can’t I just stand like this?”
“Oh, that’s a perfect pose!” Elise replies.
Valen nods in agreement. “Yes, it does quite fit the image of a blacksmith.”
March sighs, mumbling. “Fine.” He was seriously beginning to regret this. Still, he places one hand on his hip and very begrudgingly lifts his other arm to flex. “You guys better burn this pose into your brains, I’m not going to stand like this the whole time.”
The group chuckles and you all set off to drawing. The lively chatter of the Drama and Dragon’s group behind you fills the air as well as conversations from the bar. After a few minutes Hayden speaks up, asking a question.
“Say Y/N, have you been drawing for a long time?”
“For a while, I guess?” You reply, as you glance up at March for a second before returning your gaze back to the paper in front of you. “I used to draw a lot of things I saw on my adventures.”
“Really? See any cool animals?”
“What about rocks?” Olric adds.
You laugh slightly, “I can bring some drawings next week to show, if you guys want.”
“Oh, yes please!” Elise chimes in. “You know, your drawings have a sort of romantic charm to them. That portrait you drew of me really brought back old memories.”
“I’ll say!” Landen grins. “That portrait you drew of Errol and I reminded me of the good ol’ days.”
Small conversations between you continue as March finally relaxes his arm. Everyone was practically singing praises about your portraits. He couldn’t quite understand what charm they were talking about though. He had seen your portraits of other people…but maybe he couldn’t understand because he never got one from you?
March slowly steps closer to the table. He was curious. He had heard from Balor once that you mentioned you drew people based on what you thought of them. What exactly did you think of him?
“Are you… moving closer to the table, March?” Valen asks with a slight smirk. “You know the rules. You’ll get to see everyone’s drawings when we’re done. Y/N’s included.”
He freezes in place, his face heating up. “I was just…pacing.”
“Mm, well I’m sure we’re almost done, so be patient.”
“March, can you lift your arm up again?” Olric asks.
He sighs, flexing his arm again, mumbling underneath his breath. “No way am I doing this ever again.”
About ten minutes later, everyone finishes drawing and Elise smiles, waving March over to sit down. “I think everyone’s finished! Would anyone like to go first, or shall I start us off?”
“You can start us off, Elise.” Valen replies. “And… we’ll let Y/N go last since they’re the new recruit.” She glances at March as he frowns slightly at that statement. “Unless… March would like to choose who goes first?”
“Whatever is fine.” He mumbles, resting his chin in his hand.
And so, everyone showcases their drawings. You couldn’t help but smile as they explained certain details they added. It was pretty amusing to see that everyone had drawn March frowning.
“Am I seriously frowning in all of these?” March asks as he looks through the current drawings strewn across the table.
“Well, we did tell you to smile some.” Landen says with a chuckle. “But it looked like you were lost in your own little world this whole time.”
“We still have Y/N’s drawing to look at.” Valen adds. She smiles lightly at you and everyone turns their attention towards you. “If you would, Y/N.”
You nod as you slide your paper to the middle of the table.
“Oh!” Elise exclaims. “You drew him with a smile!”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen March smile like this.” Valen muses. “What made you draw him with one?”
“Ah,” You rub the back of your neck sheepishly. “It just felt right, I guess. March…does a lot for Mistria, we all do. I can’t quite explain it… but a smile fits him better, don’t you think?”
“Hm, how thoughtful.” Valen says with a small grin. “What do you think about it, March?”
March stays silent as he stares at your drawing. An unexplainable feeling wells up inside of him as he looks at it. The feeling was similar to what he usually felt when you were around but… it was more clear in a way. There was something soft about it. Something…warm. It was different than when he saw your portraits of other people. March himself wasn’t even sure if he had ever smiled like that. But he was certain of one thing, he liked this feeling.
“Is he…smiling?” Hayden asks.
“I think he is.” Landen replies. “Huh, you don’t see that often.”
Then March lifts his head, the small smile from before disappears quickly as he stares at the group. “What? Why are you staring at me like that?”
“Oh, nothing.” Valen says. “Well, I guess we can wrap it up then. Actually, Y/N, why don’t you be the model for next week, you wouldn’t mind would you?”
You shake your head, “If anything I’d be honored.”
“Perfect. See you all next week then.”
With that, everyone cleans up the table and says their goodbyes. Some stick around at the inn, while you leave, seeing March had left in a hurry.
You spot him walking back toward his shop and you call out to him. “March!”
He turns around, hands stuffed into his apron pockets. “Oh, Y/N. Thought you'd be heading back to the farm.”
“I wanted you to have this.” You say, handing him the drawing.
“...why?”
“I um…” you laugh slightly. “If I'm being honest, this is the only drawing that I felt confident with giving you.”
“Confident? …you mean you’ve drawn me before?”
“Yeah, actually… I was just never sure if you wanted them or not… but you seemed to really like this one, so I thought you might want it.”
March takes the drawing out of your hands, staring at it again for a few seconds before looking at you. “Thanks, Y/N. I appreciate it. I’ve never gotten something like this before.”
You nod smiling, “No problem, I’m just glad you like it! I’m expecting your drawing in return next week then.”
“Even if it’s bad?”
“If it’s from you, then it doesn’t matter to me.” You say a bit softly. Then you clear your throat. “Anyways, night March, see you later!”
You turn on your heel and wave as you head back to the farm. March waves back and starts walking back to the blacksmith’s, staring at your drawing once more. Maybe he should ask to see those other drawings you did. He smiles slightly, that feeling from before creeping up on him. He was looking forward to next week.
A/N: I've been obsessed with Fields of Mistria so I decided to write for it! Its a little bit different from what I usually post but it was really fun to write! Story under the cut!
Word Count: 1432
“Okay… I think I got everything.” You mumble as you double-check your backpack.
After Errol and Eiland reopened the mines, you had spent everyday there gathering copper and all sorts of materials. You’d been wanting to upgrade your tools for a while now, though technically, you could just buy them from March and Olric. Sure, it was easier to just buy; you’d probably have an easier time dealing with everything on the farm and in the mines with better tools. But, you wanted to actually forge your tools yourself. There was just something about that feeling you got after a hard day's work on the farm. You wanted that same feeling in everything you did. Especially after last week when March gave you a copper hoe and told you he thought you were in over your head in running the farm. Of course, you didn’t necessarily need to prove anything to him, but you wanted to show that you were serious about helping Mistria.
And so, you set off into town, checking the request board, greeting people as you pass by and finally you stand in front of the blacksmith’s. To your surprise, March wasn’t hammering away at the forge like usual, but just in case you decide to check if he’s inside the shop first.
“Oh, Y/N! Mornin’!” Olric greets with a grin as you peek inside.
“Good morning, Olric. Is March here? I just wanted to ask if I could borrow the forge.”
“He’s out on a job right now, so he’ll be back later. Go ahead and use it! You don’t have to ask, I’m sure March won’t mind!”
“Thanks Olric!”
With that you head over to the forge and get to work. For the most part, you had expected this to be smooth sailing. March had made it look so easy after all…well probably because he’s been doing it forever. At first, it wasn’t too bad, you had managed to forge yourself a durable copper sword. And then came the fatigue.
As you hammer away, attempting to forge a new copper pickaxe, your arms feel like they’re about to give out. You would’ve thought that all of that mining and farm work would have made you stronger. In a sense it did, though probably not enough to continuously forge weapons for hours on end. Well, hours for you at least.
“Hey, Y/N, how’s it going? Need some help?” You look up to see Olric step outside from the shop.
“Oh, hi Olric.” You sheepishly smile at him. “Could you take a look at my sword, actually?”
“Sure!” He walks over, picking it up and nodding as he looks it over. “I think it looks pretty good!”
“Thanks! Though, I’m sure March would have some criticisms about it.”
Olric chuckles, “Maybe. But hey, it’s good for your first time! Oh, here.” He hands you a glass of water. “Drink up! You’ve been at it for a while.”
You set the hammer down, taking the glass. “Thank you. I have to say blacksmithing is harder than I thought. I didn’t expect to be here this long.”
“Well, you’re new to it, so it’ll take some time. But, before you know it you’ll be done within a matter of minutes. And, breaks would help. No use in overworking yourself.”
“Right, thank you Olric.” You down the glass of water and smile. “Alright, quick little break and then back to work!”
“That’s the spirit! Good luck Y/N!”
With that Olric leaves, heading off in the direction of the inn. Meanwhile the hours pass by as you continue working, taking small breaks along the way to give your arms a rest. Soon the sun begins to set, and you start on your last tool. You don’t notice March walking back to the shop as you focus on the task at hand.
“Oh. It’s you.” You hear his familiar voice and look up to see March standing there as you swing the hammer down.
“Hi March. How was your job?”
“Fine.” He replies absentmindedly as his focus turns to your newly forged weapons on the ground. “You’ve been here all day?”
“Yeah, I wanted to get all of them done. Did you need the forge? I can stop if you-”
“Just keep going. Not like I’m going to get much done now.”
With that, you keep on hammering as you see March pick up your sword from the corner of your eye. He turns it around in his hands, inspecting it carefully. He doesn’t say anything but you definitely see him frown. Then his attention turns to you and his frown deepens.
“Your form is all wrong.”
You turn your head and stand up straight, handing the hammer to him. “Do you mind showing me then?”
March lets out an annoyed sigh as he takes the hammer from you. You move out of the way so he can take your place in front of the anvil. To be honest, you never watched March all that closely when he worked. Mainly it was because whenever you did, he would grumble and glare at you, saying that you were distracting him.
“Hey.” March snaps his fingers. “Stop daydreaming. I’m only showing you once, so pay attention. If you mess up, you can’t blame me.”
“Sorry. I’m watching.”
March begins to demonstrate, explaining that you needed more force when swinging the hammer down. You couldn’t quite put your finger on it, but somehow, this seemed to be different than you remembered. Didn’t he always use two arms when swinging? So maybe you were doing it wrong this whole time, but why was he still showing you the incorrect way?
“Got it?” He asks, pushing the hammer into your hands. “Your turn.”
You take it as he moves out of the way. Like you’ve been doing, you place one hand on the anvil and grip the hammer. Then you swing down.
March grumbles as he steps up behind you, holding your arm with one hand and placing the other beside yours on the anvil. “Like this. You need to keep the tension in your arm.”
You stiff up unintentionally as March brings your arm up and swings it down, hitting the metal with a clank.
“There.” He steps to the side, letting go of your arm. “Now you try.”
You nod, adjusting your grip on the hammer and swing it down. You glance at him and he only gestures for you to continue.
Within a few minutes, you set the hammer down and look at your finished copper shovel with a grin. You nod to yourself proudly as you look at the tools in front of you.
Then March clears his throat, “You sure look proud for someone who took forever.”
“Well, yeah. I'm happy I was able to do this all by myself. Besides, you helped me out, so thank you for that.”
“Yeah, well, your form was still wrong.”
“Huh?”
“You're supposed to use two arms. Makes the process a whole lot faster.” He says with a slight smirk.
“... And you didn't think to tell me that? Or show me correctly?” You glare at him.
“Well, I just thought you'd remember at least, since you're always around here.”
You blink a few times, gears turning in your brain. Then this time you smirk and March frowns. “What?”
“Oh nothing. But, I must say, you're a sly one, March.”
This time March blinks, unsure of what you're getting at. “What are you talking about?”
“You know, giving me that hoe was one thing, but if I didn’t know any better I’d be starting to think you might not dislike me all that much.”
He scoffs, crossing his arms. “Whatever. Just make sure you do it correctly next time.”
“Sure thing.” You grin. Then you start gathering up your tools, stuffing them into your backpack. “Oh by the way, here.” You say handing March a perfect copper ore. “I found it in the mines, thought it’d be more useful for you than me.”
March raises an eyebrow at you but takes the ore. “...huh, I could make something really nice out of this. Thanks, Y/N.”
“Mhm, see you later.” You wave as you pick up your things and head back to the farm.
March only watches as you leave, then looks down at the ore in his hand. His mind wanders back to earlier when he had grabbed your arm. He frowns, stuffing the ore into his apron pocket as he starts walking towards the inn with a heavy sigh. “I need a drink.”
Since persona is becoming popular again with persona 3 and 4, can you make some Akihiko x Reader, and a Shinjiro x reader
A/N: Sure thing! Sorry this took so long! I'm in the process of getting the Shinjiro one done and will link it once it's finished so thank you for your patience!
Troublemaker (Shinjiro x Reader) here
Word Count: 2354
-------------------
Memories of You (Akihiko Sanada x Reader)
You let out a sigh as you stare at the notes in front of you. Nothing was making sense to you today. You couldn’t focus, let alone clear your mind. You didn’t even know what was bothering you, all you knew was that you felt sluggish.
“Y/N.”
You flinch in your seat as you look up, seeing Akihiko standing beside your desk. “Oh, Aki. Hi.”
“Hey. You okay? You look like you’re daydreaming.”
“Yeah… I couldn’t focus today.”
“Is something bothering you?”
You sigh again as you lean back against your chair. “Well, that’s just the thing. I don’t even know if there is something bothering me. I just feel… off today.”
“I see…” Akihiko mumbles quietly, then he speaks up. “Well, want to go on a walk with me before heading back to the dorms? Fresh air always helps clear the mind.”
You hesitate for a second before smiling. "Yeah, I think that's just what I need."
Grabbing your school bag, you follow Akihiko out of the classroom. Normally you’d head back to the dorm on a day like this, but you felt like this little outing would help you get rid of whatever this feeling was. It wasn’t often you got to hang out with Akihiko either despite the two of you dating. He was always busy with boxing and you were always busy with your own club, not to mention Tartarus exploration during the Dark Hour. But even so, you cherished the time you guys spent together, no matter how short.
As the two of you step outside of the school, Akihiko slows his pace slightly so you can walk next to him.
"Are you sure you're okay?" He asks.
"I think so. Why do you ask?"
"You've just seemed out of it these past couple of days. Not to mention the problems with summoning your Persona."
"Ah, right… It seems to be like this every year around this time, huh? It’s weird, it’s like… there’s something that I’m forgetting… but whenever I try to think about it my heart hurts.”
“Well, don’t stress about it. I’m sure you’ll remember it when the time’s right. But on the other hand if it’s stopping you from being able to summon your Persona… that is an issue.”
“Yeah… I guess I won’t be much help in Tartarus for a while, huh?”
Akihiko places his hand on top of your head, ruffling your hair. “Hey, leave Tartarus to us. We can handle it. You need to focus on yourself for now.” His hand lowers to grab yours as he smiles. “...And I’ll be here for you. Whatever you need, I’ll be right there beside you.”
“Thank you, Aki.” You smile, chuckling slightly. “Sometimes I wish I could have your strength.”
“My strength? I don’t think I’m strong at all… at least not yet.”
“In my eyes you are. You face things head-on. You don’t run away when things get tough. That’s not to say I’m not worried about you sometimes… but you protect what you care about. That’s better than what I could have done…?” You trail off.
What you could have done? You aren’t sure why you had said that but in the moment it just slipped out. A hazy memory flashes through your mind, though you can’t make sense of it.
“Y/N?” Akihiko waves his hand in front of your face and you flinch.
“S-sorry. I was just thinking. Why don’t we take the scenic route today? I think that’d help a lot.”
“Yeah, sure.”
---------------------------------------
“Hm, it's really crowded today.” You say as you and Akihiko weave your way through the busy crowd.
The two of you were walking near Naganaki Shrine; Akihiko had suggested it, saying that maybe it would take away the odd feeling you had.
“Yeah, I think the summer festival is next weekend right? People are probably checking out the shrine.”
“Oh, right! Have you been, Aki? The festival I mean.”
He hums in thought, a small smile forming on his face, “Yeah, I used to go with Miki and Shinji. What about you?”
“My parents used to take me! Every year, I would challenge Natsu to the…” You pause as the hazy memory from before resurfaces in your mind, it was a bit clearer this time.
Voices, sirens, the smell of copper…
“Natsu?” Akihiko asks. “Is that a friend of yours?”
You shake your head, touching your temple. “I… I don’t remember… why can’t I remember?”
You don’t realize that you’ve started walking faster. Akihiko calls your name, yet you don’t hear him. The only thing you know is that you need to get out of here.
What are these memories? Who is Natsu, why didn’t you know who they were? Why were these memories showing up now?
You’re too lost in your thoughts to notice the commotion that begins around you. People scream, moving out of the way as a car drives recklessly, swerving across the sidewalk.
You freeze when you hear the sounds of a tire screeching as memories suddenly flood your head.
Blood. A body lying on the ground.
Suddenly you’re pulled out of the way into a warm embrace as you hear the car crash. The wind rushes past you from the impact.
“Are you okay?” You hear Akihiko ask.
“Y-yeah… thanks.”
You step back and your eyes land on the clock. It’s 5 p.m.
Another flash of memory. Smoke rising up into the sky. The clock rings, signaling that the hour has passed. It’s 5 p.m.
You gulp shakily. What the hell was going on?
“Um, Akihiko. What’s today’s date?”
“Today? It’s the 8th of August. Why?”
You shake your head as you turn away from him, “It’s noth-'' Your gaze fixates on the scene in front of you. A young kid lying on the road. Blood surrounding them. The cars that collided were smoking. A slightly older kid was kneeling on the ground in front of them, tears falling from their face.
“Natsu? Natsu! Wake up! Please!”
“Oh my gosh, that’s terrible….”
“That’s a lot of blood… I hope they get them to the hospital soon.”
“Natsu, open your eyes!”
“We have to take your sibling to the hospital. You can come with but please notify your parents as well so they can meet you there.”
“We’re going to need a statement about what happened here but your parents need to be present. Can you tell me their phone number?”
“Tch. It’s their fault for tripping over my foot. Let’s get out of here.”
“But shouldn’t we give a statement too? What if they-”
“And get myself caught up in that mess? No thanks. You really think they’ll say something now? Just look at them.”
“... I’m sorry Natsu….”
You come back to reality as you start to feel nauseous and turn away. “I-I have to get out of here…”
Your breathing becomes rapid as everything in front of you becomes blurry. You clutch your chest and close your eyes shut, hoping that this feeling would go away. You didn’t want to remember that day.
“Y/N? Hey, hey, look at me.” You hear Akihiko’s voice next to you.
You shake your head, your breathing accelerates as you clench your hand tighter, your nails digging into your skin.
“Y/N. Look at me. Please.”
You slowly open your eyes and turn your head to look at him. Your breathing is still rapid as memories of that day keep on flashing through your mind.
“Good, good. Here, let’s get you somewhere quiet. I’m going to hold your hand, okay?” He says.
You nod as Akihiko gently takes your hand in his and leads you away from the accident.
After a short walk, you find yourself sitting on a bench. You’re still breathing heavily although holding Akihiko’s hand makes it a bit easier to calm down.
Once you get your breathing back to normal, you try to speak, but no words come out. Rummaging through his bag with his other hand, Akihiko takes out a bottle of water and hands it to you. “Here. Take your time.”
You nod, letting go of his hand to open the bottle. You take small sips before recapping the bottle as you sit in silence. Your body felt numb as if you were dunked in a cold bath of ice water. Your hands shook slightly but it wasn’t as bad as before.
You clear your throat as you look at the ground. “I’m sorry.”
Akihiko turns to look at you in surprise. “Huh? What for?”
“I really freaked out back there… you shouldn’t have had to see that.”
“I’m glad I did. If I wasn’t with you, you might’ve ended up hurting yourself somehow.”
“...I guess so.”
Silence settles between the two of you again. You weren’t sure what to say. What could you say? Were you even ready to talk about what had happened? …No, you needed to talk about it. For yourself. For them.
“...Akihiko? I want to explain.” You say looking at him.
“Are you sure? You don’t have to if you’re not ready.”
You shake your head. “I need to.”
Akihiko only nods as a gesture for you to continue.
“I had a younger sibling… Natsu. We did everything together, we were practically inseparable. I guess in a way we were similar to you and Miki. One day… no, that’s not right. Today is the anniversary of Natsu’s death. That accident in the street made me remember…not only that but it was the exact same situation. ” You let out a breath as your hands begin to shake. “I can’t believe I forgot about it… no it’s not that I forgot. I pushed the truth away… I wiped them out of my memory completely… what kind of older sibling am I?!”
You turn away from Akihiko as you stare at the ground. “...it’s pathetic right? How does someone just forget about someone else like that? I caused so much heartache for my parents… it’s no wonder they let me live in the dorms. A child who couldn’t even remember their sibling meanwhile they held all of those memories.” Tears begin to fall as you lay your head in your hands. “Why couldn’t I have been strong like you had been with Miki? ”
He stares at you. He was at a loss for words, he didn’t know what to say to comfort you.
“...I wouldn’t say I was strong.” He mumbles quietly.
You look up at Akihiko. “What do you mean?”
He lets out a heavy sigh. He fiddles with his gloves as he looks at the ground. “When Miki died… I felt so powerless. I couldn’t do a thing to save her. Earlier, and just now when you said you wish you were strong like I was… it made me feel happy. But truthfully, I don’t feel that way at all. I ran from it. I pushed myself into boxing and ran from that powerless feeling. This whole time I’ve just been blindlessly chasing after every opportunity to get stronger… just to ease my guilt.”
“Akihiko…” You wipe your tears and grab his hand gently. “I guess we’re one in the same in that sense. I’m sure Miki doesn’t blame you for what happened. You’re her big brother, how could she blame you?” You chuckle a bit sadly. “You remembered her, and though you did push yourself into growing stronger, you did it with her in mind. That’s more than I can say for myself…” You shake your head, letting go of his hand. “Sorry…you just told me something so personal… Yet here I am bringing the subject back to myself. I’m pretty selfish aren’t I?”
“You have every right to be selfish. And I’ll be here with you every step of the way.”
“Really? You’re not…ashamed of me?”
“No, of course not. We process things differently, grief included. You have nothing to be ashamed about and neither do I. If anything, I think Natsu would be happy that you remembered them.”
“...even if it’s the bad memories?”
“Even the bad ones.” He looks up at you with a soft gaze. “Right now it probably hurts, remembering everything… but in the end, you’ll be able to smile. You’ll be able to think of all the good times, and smile for them.”
You stay silent, tears begin to well up in your eyes once again. All these years, you always felt this heavy feeling weighing on your heart. Once you joined SEES during your 1st year, that feeling only got heavier. You could never pinpoint what it was until today. Maybe because you didn’t go back to the dorm like usual? Maybe you were always subconsciously avoiding it.
If it weren’t for Akihiko, these memories would’ve never come to light. You probably would have gone about your life without knowing that someone so important to you was just lost in your mind.
You exhale, standing up as you look at the sun set on the horizon. “Aki, do you want to go to the summer festival next week?”
“Huh?”
You turn to him, smiling. “I want to go. For Natsu. Maybe invite my mom and dad… tell them I’m sorry for everything.”
Akihiko stands up, he kisses your forehead, bringing a hand up to ruffle your hair. “I think that’s a great idea. I’m proud of you, y’know.”
“It’s all because of you. If you didn’t ask me to go walk with you, I don’t think I would’ve remembered.”
“Maybe, but in due time you would have. The bad memories are just as important as the good ones. They’re what make us who we are.”
You laugh slightly. “Getting philosophical, are we?”
“Heh, I mean I’m not wrong am I?”
“Nope. Sounds like something you would say.”
Akihiko laughs as he wraps an arm around your waist. “Let’s head back to the dorms. We’ve had a long day.”
You only nod as the two of you begin walking. Memories were indeed precious, both the old and the new. Some things may change in life, but those memories will always be there. Forever.
I'll be closing requests for now since I have a good bit to get through! Requests will open back up once I get through my current ones and I'll post when they reopen! For now here's the current lists of requests I'm working on.
Akihiko x Reader/Shinjiro x Reader
Phantom Thieves w/ a S/O from Smash Bros
Shinjiro x Reader (Continuation of the Valentine's Special)
Ryoji Mochizuki x Reader
Ann Tamaki x Younger Brother! Reader
Akihiko + Mitsuru HCs
SEES Valentine's Special - Girls Side
Thank you all for your support and I hope to reopen requests soon!
A/N: Happy Valentine's Day! I didn't have time to make any for the girls but I might post some later! This was also my first-time writing Shinji so hopefully he's not too out of character. Enjoy!
Word Count: 2886
Minato Arisato
You sigh slightly, turning a box of chocolates over in your hands. You were definitely making this out to be more of a big deal than it was. The school day had ended and you were still sitting there in the classroom. Yukari and Junpei had already left to go back to the dorms and Minato had wandered off somewhere as per usual.
You were planning to give this box of chocolates to Minato, just to show your appreciation for everything he’s done for SEES. But your nerves got the best of you. This morning, you had walked to school with him and when you tried to give him the box, you immediately went silent when he looked at you. And at lunchtime when you saw him in the hallway, you had turned on your heel when your eyes met.
You lay your head on your desk sighing once again. “Darn it…”
“Who’s that for?”
Your head shoots up from your desk as you look to see Minato standing next to you. You didn’t even hear him come in.
“Minato! You’re still here. O-oh, um…” You stammer. You look away, tilting the box towards him. “...They’re for you, actually. Just as a thank you for everything you’ve done with SEES and all.”
“Oh. Thanks.” He takes the box and you let out a sigh of relief.
“ …you were really nervous, huh?”
You look at Minato, seeing a slight smirk on his face. “You noticed…?”
“Kinda hard not to. You avoided me all day.”
“Not my fault…”
He chuckles, “Thanks anyways. I appreciate it. Next year though, it’d be nice to see your face when you hand these to me.”
Your eyes widen and your face flushes as Minato grins. “Wanna head back to the dorms? We can share these.”
You laugh slightly as you stand up. “You’re really something sometimes… yeah, let’s head back.”
You follow Minato out of the classroom, the two of you chatting quietly. Maybe things didn’t go as planned, but in one way they worked out. Next year, you definitely would face him with a smile.
Junpei Iori
“Dude, did Y/N give you chocolates?” Junpei asks as he sits on the couch next to Minato. Akihiko was also present, sitting on the couch across from them.
“Yeah.” Minato replies, “Why?”
“I also got some too.” Akihiko adds, looking up from his boxing gloves. “What? They didn’t give you any?”
Junpei groans. “No… I mean Yuka-tan, Fuuka and Mitsuru-senpai gave me some, but that’s more of a teammate thing right? I dunno, I feel like Y/N and I are… more than that, or something.”
Neither Akihiko or Minato respond and Junpei groans again. “Oh c’mon, you guys have nothing to say?”
Minato shrugs. “Did you ask them out?”
“...no. I mean not yet at least.”
“There’s your answer then.”
“Dude, you're no help at all.” Junpei sighs, leaning his head back on the couch. “Did I do something wrong?”
“Maybe you just need to be patient. I don’t even think Y/N came back to the dorms yet.” Akihiko says.
“But the day’s almost over! …Okay, I’m going to look for them!”
Junpei gets up and heads out the door without another word. Meanwhile Mitsuru and Yukari enter the lounge from upstairs.
“He has a bit too much energy don’t you think? Should he really be worried about whether Y/N is giving him chocolates or not?” Yukari says with a sigh.
“Hey, let him be. He’s gotta put that energy to use somehow.” Akihiko replies.
Mitsuru sighs. “If only he’d have that amount of energy when it comes to his studies.”
---------------------------------
“Huh? My package hasn’t arrived yet? But I got an email saying it arrived today…” You say to the mail carrier.
“I’m sorry. It was expected to arrive today, but due to unforeseen conditions, it’s been delayed.”
You sigh. “I see… Well, thank you then. Could you give me an estimated arrival date?”
“It should arrive in about 2 days.”
“Great… thank you again.”
You exit the post office sighing once again as you start walking back towards the monorail. Well, there went your plans for the rest of the day. You wanted to surprise a certain someone with a co-op game the two of you mentioned playing together a while ago. You should’ve known there was no way that the game would actually arrive on the day of. Sure, it could have been better planning on your part, but the whole thing had slipped your mind up until last week.
Suddenly you hear a familiar voice call your name.
“Y/N! Finally, I found you!”
You look up and see Junpei running towards you.
“Junpei? What are you doing here?”
“I’ve been looking for you. Damn, I had no idea where to look so I’ve been running around all over the place.”
“Oh, I was on my way back to the dorms anyways. Were you worried about me or something?”
He chuckles a bit nervously. “Uh, yeah something like that.” Then he looks behind you. “The post office, huh? Picking up something?”
“Ah, yeah I was, but it turns out it’s not here yet.” You smile slightly. “I meant to order it way earlier, but I forgot. Kind of silly of me to think that it would actually arrive today.”
“Was it something for Valentine’s Day?”
“Yeah actually… wait, why are you asking so many questions?”
“N-no reason… Why are you getting so defensive?”
You cross your arms, looking at Junpei with a smirk. “Ohh, I see. You were looking for me because you were expecting a Valentine’s Day gift, right?”
Junpei scoffs. “No, why would I be expecting something? Valentine’s isn’t even that big of a deal.”
“Uh-huh… so I guess you don’t want your gift when it arrives then.”
His face lights up. “Wait, you got me something? For real?”
“And here I thought you were worried about little ol’ me.”
“Hey, who says I wasn’t?”
You laugh. “I’m just teasing. I appreciate you coming to look for me, even if it was only to get your gift.”
“And if my gift is right in front of me?”
A beat of silence passes and Junpei laughs nervously. “That was lame, forget I said anything.”
“It was a little lame… but I don’t mind it.” You say, whispering the last part. “Anyways, let’s head back to the dorms.”
“Did you say something? Something along the lines of ‘ I don’t mind it’?”
You don’t say anything as you start to walk past him.
“Hey c’mon! I’m just playin’!”
Akihiko Sanada
“Hey guys,” You say walking downstairs into the lounge. “What are you up to?”
“Oh, hey Senpai.” Junpei says with a grin. He and Minato were sitting at the table with a large pile of small boxes in front of them. They were all wrapped nicely with ribbons. “We’re just going through Akihiko-senpai’s Valentine’s Day gifts.”
“Uh, isn’t that an invasion of privacy?”
“Not necessarily. He gave us permission to look through them. You should’ve seen him when he came back to the dorms. He had no clue what to do with all of it. He said we could take some if we wanted. Man, getting all of this from girls and he just gives it away?”
“Well, it’s not like he’d eat it all anyway.” You say, then you look over at Minato. “I didn’t think you’d be taking some.”
Minato shrugs. “Free SP items, I’m not complaining.”
“Right…so where’d Akihiko head off to?”
“I think he said something about going for a run towards the shrine. He left not long ago so you could probably catch up to him.” Junpei replies.
“Thanks, see you guys later.”
You set off towards the shrine hoping to find Akihiko. When you arrived, the sun was setting, the pink and orange hue gently enveloping the area. You spot Akihiko sitting on top of the jungle gym, looking at the sky.
“Hey there Mr. Popular.” You say walking up. “You look worn out.”
“Y/N? What are you doing here?” Akihiko asks, a surprised look on his face.
“I heard from Minato and Junpei that you might be here. Mind if I join you?”
“Yeah, come on up.”
You climb up the jungle gym and Akihiko gives you a hand to lift you up. You sit next to him, looking up at the sky. “So, you had quite a day, huh? I saw Junpei and Minato with your gifts in the lounge.”
Akihiko lets out a sigh. “Yeah. You wouldn't believe the amount of people in my classroom during lunch. Even the teacher had trouble getting them out of there.”
“Heh, I bet. I could hear those girls from down the hallway. ‘Sanada-senpai, these are for you!’ ‘Happy Valentine’s Day Sanada-san, please accept these!’ And so on and so forth.”
He hums in reply, chuckling slightly at your impression. Silence settles between the two of you as you continue to watch the sunset on the horizon. Then Akihiko speaks up.
“So, what brought you all the way over here? You weren't looking for me were you?”
“I was actually.” You say, handing two small boxes over. “You're probably tired of hearing this, but Happy Valentine's Day, Aki.”
Akihiko freezes when he hears the nickname and his face flushes, his ears are tinted red. You laugh a bit when you see his expression. “Sorry, it slipped out. I must've picked it up from Shinjiro. I’ll be more careful.”
“N-no! I mean…” Akihiko clears his throat, taking the boxes. “It's fine. You can call me Aki… if you want.”
You smile. “Maybe I will. It's pretty funny to see you like this.”
“Hey, don't tease me.” He sighs. Then he starts to open one of the boxes. “Hm, dark chocolate?”
“Yeah, you don't like sweets that much right? I figured you might like it better than milk chocolate.”
Akihiko nods as he takes a piece out, popping it into his mouth. “It’s good. Not too sweet, and it has some bitterness to it. This is something I wouldn’t mind having every once in a while.”
“Good, cause I know how to make them.”
“You made these?”
“I asked Shinjiro for help… which is probably where I picked up calling you Aki.” You chuckle nervously. “If you want I can give you the recipe.”
“Hm, how about we make it together then? It’d probably be good for me to learn how to make something more complex anyways.”
“Sure. We can get Shinjiro to join in as well.”
“Heh, he’d probably just yell at me whenever I do something wrong.”
The two of you laugh as Akihiko goes to open the other box. He unwraps it, revealing a small keychain, a pair of boxing gloves to be exact. He looks at you, holding it up. “You got these for me?”
You nod. “I saw it at Paulownia Mall one day and you came to mind. Sorry, it’s a bit cheesy, isn’t it?”
Akihiko shakes his head, a small smile appears on his face. “No, I don’t think so at least. Hearing you say that you thought of me… it’s a nice feeling. I’ll have to put this on my bag so that way I can think of you when I see it.”
This time you freeze at Akihiko’s words, you can feel your face flush as you try to come up with a response. You weren’t even sure if he realized the effect of his words.
“Hm? What’s wrong? Your face got all red… well it is getting a bit chilly, huh? Do you want to head back to the dorms?”
“Ah… yeah, let’s head back.” You say with a smile. You climb down the jungle gym and Akihiko follows you down.
“Hey actually, how about we get some beef bowls? It’ll be the perfect thing to warm you up.”
“Okay,” You say, winking playfully before you take off running. “Last one there is paying!”
“H-hey! You got a head start, that’s cheating!”
Shinjiro Aragaki
“Okay, and now we wait…” You mumble quietly, putting a tray of chocolates into the fridge.
You’re currently in the kitchen, attempting to make a batch of chocolate for Valentine’s Day. Well, before the end of the day that is. Yes, you were a bit late, but for good reasons. Shinjiro was always away from the dorms so you couldn’t really ask for his preferences in sweets. At this point, it wasn’t any secret who you were making these for since you had to ask the other SEES members for information. Interestingly enough, there was no one in the dorms so you figured they all had plans for today.
You let out a sigh as you lean against the counter. To be honest, you weren’t exactly sure what led you to make chocolates for him. Maybe curiosity? Despite having been a part of the team for a while, you barely knew anything about him. You weren’t the most stealthy person; so when you tried to follow Shinjiro once, he immediately caught you and told you to go back to the dorms. You did try to follow him again a few times after that, but of course failed. He didn’t seem much for conversation either so you never really talked to him, but you suppose you should have tried harder if you were really curious about him.
Just then the dorm doors open and you step out of the kitchen to see who it is.
“Oh, you’re back early today.” You say, seeing Shinjiro walk inside.
He looks up at you then averts his gaze. “Yeah.” He glances around. “...it’s quiet today. Guess you’re the only one here?”
“Mhm, looks like everyone has plans.”
Shinjiro stays quiet for a moment then looks at you again. “Are you making chocolate? I smelled it when I came in.”
You nod. “I’m just waiting for it to harden. Want to wait with me? I could use the company, and you could be my taste tester.”
He lets out a sigh, stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets. “I might as well. Not like I got anything better to do.”
“Perfect!”
You turn on your heel, walking back into the kitchen as Shinjiro joins you. Once he steps into the kitchen, his attention is drawn to the bowls on the counter. “You added filling?”
“Yeah, it’s dark chocolate so I figured it would be a nice contrast. You aren’t allergic to raspberries are you?”
“No.”
After that curt response, silence fills the space. Well, this was more awkward than you wanted it to be. Your gaze falls onto the bowls and you walk over, picking one up and bringing it to the sink.
“Uh, do you want to dry these after I wash them?”
Shinjiro only nods as he picks up a drying cloth and you start washing the bowls. It's only when you hand him a bowl to dry that he says something.
“...So, I heard you've been asking about me.”
You freeze slightly, then you chuckle. “Yeah, I have. Let me guess… Junpei?”
“Yeah.” Shinjiro sighs. “Y’know, if you wanted to know about me… you could’ve just asked.”
“I know. I just didn’t want to bother you.”
“You could just say you were intimidated.”
“No-no! I wasn’t. I’m not…well, maybe a little, but I was only asking the other members for good reasons.” You say handing him the last bowl. You turn off the faucet and dry your hands. “Those chocolates in the fridge are for you.”
Shinjiro looks at you in surprise. “Me?
“Yeah, I guess you can consider them as… friendship chocolates? I was wondering what you liked in terms of sweets so I was asking around. I guess I went with raspberry filling since it's close to the color of your jacket.”
He looks at his jacket. “...I guess.” He sets the bowl down along with the towel and leans against the counter. “Well, next time, you can just ask me. We’re teammates right? You don’t have to be scared to ask me stuff. It’s not like I’ll bite or anything.”
You laugh a bit. “Right, I’ll keep that in mind.” Your gaze turns towards the clock and you walk towards the fridge. “I think they might be done now.”
You take the tray out and set it on the table, touching one of the chocolates to see if it’s solid. You nod happily and pick one up to give to Shinjiro. “Here!”
Instead of taking it with his hand, he leans his head down to pick it up with his mouth. You freeze once again when his gaze meets yours, then he raises his head, chewing the chocolate.
“Hm, not bad. This is your first time making it right?”
“O-oh, um yes.” You say, glancing away from him.
“Next time, you should try to add more cocoa powder for the bitterness. You were going for dark chocolate, yeah?”
“Yeah, I wasn’t sure how much to add.”
You feel his hand fall on top of your head as he ruffles your hair. “We can make them together next time then. Don’t look so down.”
Persona (game of your choice depending which is more fitting) gang's reaction to the Reader using a cardboard box by hiding himself within the box and remaining inconspicuous, and also uses it to escape the notice of enemy sentries and surveillance cameras (Basically like Solid Snake from Metal Gear Solid)
A/N: Hi Anon! Thanks for requesting! So so sorry this took so long! This is my first time doing a character reaction request but I hope you enjoyed it! Had a lot of fun doing this one, so please feel free to request more!
Word Count: 2765
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Akira
Akira wouldn’t be fazed at all. Maybe just a bit surprised on the inside, but on the outside, a blank stare or maybe a small smirk of amusement. He would wonder where you hid the box though. Under your coat? No, there’s no way you could hide a box of that size under your coat. How did you carry it anyways? Whenever you would hide, the box always seemed to pop out of thin air. But even though your hiding methods were peculiar, the box did serve its purpose.
Besides Futaba, Akira was the first person to join you in your box hiding shenanigans. He was always looking for new things to test out while exploring palaces and this method proved to be fun. You could see the glint of mischief in his eyes as he would pull a box out of thin air and hide under it. As a Shadow approached, Akira would stand up, letting the box fly off of him. The Shadow would notice and immediately charge at him, weapon drawn. Then just as quickly as before, Akira would pull out another box and hide himself under it. You could hear him chuckle as you watch the Shadow look around in bewilderment. The glint of mischief, the tiny glimpse of a smirk that you saw before he hid back under the box; it was just like a cat toying with a mouse.
Ryuji
He would be the one who would loudly shout “what the hell” and end up making you all retreat from the palace. But honestly Ryuji would probably get the reference. He probably never played the series before but he’s most likely seen it in memes and such.
"Oh they're doing that hiding under the box thing!" (Futaba would probably get offended by this remark.)
At first Ryuji would find the idea dumb. There’s no way that hiding under a box would actually work, right? It was huge, and stuck out like a sore thumb. Even he would be able to notice that it was out of place in the palace. But once he sees that the Shadows completely ignore the box, Ryuji would eventually use it to his advantage. Like Akira, Ryuji would also want to test his luck with the shadows. The first idea he had was to sneak up behind the Shadows, put the box over their head and ambush them from behind. A lot of extra work to do when you could just normally ambush them but it put a smile on Ryuji's face whenever he pulled it off.
Ann
Much like Ryuji, she’d probably be surprised when she sees you hide under the box, but she’d be more composed about it. Ann wouldn't normally want to hide under a box, but she would do it if it meant staying undetected and not having to leave the palace. She might complain a bit at first, since it seemed to be a hassle having to lay on the ground; but she’ll quickly get used to it.
One time while you all were taking a break in the safe room, you noticed Ann drawing faces on her box. When you asked her about it, she told you that she thought the faces would bring more life to it. You had to agree, the doodles were cute. So then you started drawing on your box too, and eventually all of the Phantom Thieves were doing it. It turned out to be a neat little stress reliever from exploring. But somehow, it ended up turning into a competition of whose box looked the best and you were appointed as the judge. As a joke, you voted for Ryuji which ended up making Yusuke snap a paintbrush in half.
Yusuke
Yusuke wouldn’t have much of a reaction to be honest. Just like his reaction to Morgana the first time, Yusuke would just see it as something normal. To him, it’d just be your way of escaping enemy surveillance. Yusuke probably would also come up with different ideas of using the box. Seeing Akira and Ryuji attempt their ideas made him curious. If he painted on the boxes would they become noticed by the Shadows? The answer was no, as the paint only added some flair. Interestingly enough this led to Yusuke collaborating with Futaba on an idea she had. With Akira’s permission and yours, you ended up being an art project. Specifically, Futaba wanted to have Yusuke paint the boxes and sculpt them in a way that could be worn like a costume.
Within a few days, you showed up at the hideout inside of a beautifully painted cardboard costume of Futaba’s favorite Featherman. Yusuke and Futaba were proud of their collaborative creation; both of them explained the details that went into it. The rest of the Phantom Thieves were impressed to say the least, that was until you all went into Mementos. The costume was meticulously detailed, the paint gave off a very metallic feel for something made out of cardboard. The only problem was that you couldn’t move very well in it. When Makoto asks how Yusuke and Futaba got you to LeBlanc, they pull out a hand trolley that they used to wheel you there. Although the use of the costume was short-lived and never got to see any action, it neatly sits in Futaba’s room for the time being. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll actually be able to use it.
Makoto
Makoto would probably tell you to stop messing around at first. Saying something along the lines of “now isn’t the time to play hide-and-seek with the Shadows.” She apologizes to you for saying such a thing once she sees that the Shadows don’t pay any attention to the box. At first, Makoto wasn’t sure how to approach the situation. While yes, the box was actually an ingenious hiding method, but she had her doubts about it. Wouldn’t it just be easier to hide like you always did? The box did seem a bit inconvenient to pull out every time, and it did make ambushing enemies a bit slower.
It wasn’t until Akira called a meeting per Futaba’s request that Makoto’s doubts were… somewhat relieved to say the least. You all sat through a 2-hour presentation about the Metal Gear Solid series, Solid Snake and the possible pros and cons of using the box to hide while in Palaces. At the end of it, everyone’s attention turned to Akira as he sat in the back of the room, his arms crossed. The only thing he said was “Okay.” as he pushed his glasses up and gave Futaba a thumbs-up. With a loud cheer from Futaba, the room filled with chatter as Makoto only sighed with a small smile. To be honest, now she was completely terrified of what this could possibly bring on. But, this should be fine for the most part right? After all, you guys were still young. You should still be allowed to have some fun while trying to change society.
Futaba
To say that Futaba was ecstatic when she saw you hide under the box, was an understatement. A very severe understatement. Like Ryuji, she lets out a loud cheer which ends up attracting the Shadows’ attention. Luckily there was a safe room right around the corner, so you and the Thieves duck into there. Once inside the safe room, Futaba would ask you a bunch of questions. Such as have you played the games and if so which was your favorite? Were you a 100% completionist or the type to play it once and be done with it? And so on and so forth. Futaba becomes a lot more invested in actual palace exploring rather than just navigating once the other Thieves start using the boxes to hide as well. She would beg Akira and Makoto to let her join in on ambushing Shadows. Even with all of the pleading from Futaba, they deny her request. This rejection ended up being futile anyway since you suggested that she join you in a Showtime Attack. And no one could stop you, not even Akira. Let’s just say that your Showtime was… too chaotic for anyone to stop you.
After that, you’d always hang out at Futaba’s place, playing different games with her. Eventually it got to the point where Futaba would end up hosting small game parties in Akira’s room. It was friendly at first, just you all playing games together. At least it was friendly, until Ryuji suggested Mario Kart. Akira jokingly refers to that night as “the night the Phantom Thieves almost broke up.” You guys don’t mention that night. Ever.
Haru
Haru’s reaction would be similar to Yusuke’s, she wouldn’t see much wrong with it. In fact Haru would find the idea very cute. Hiding under the box and then ambushing an unsuspecting Shadow? What fun! Everytime Haru would pop out from underneath the box, she’d have a bright smile on her face as she swung her axe down. She also probably played a part in trying to convince Makoto that using the boxes to your advantage was a good thing.
In any case, Haru enjoyed the box method, if anything she was one of the people who really showed the advantage of it. She’d carry Morgana in one of the boxes if neither of them were chosen to be in the team lineup for the day. Seeing as the Shadows don’t notice the box, Haru would suggest that she wanted to try something. Of course, Akira gives the okay and before Morgana can even process what’s happening, Haru tosses the box towards a Shadow, leading to a successful ambush. She apologizes to Morgana for not warning him, and promises to warn him next time. He wanted to reject the promise, never wanting to be thrown again, but he couldn't bring himself to say no to Haru. This would end up being a mistake on his part as Haru came up with new ways to ambush Shadows. One of them included sliding the box with Morgana in it across the floor like a bowling ball. This soon became his least favorite thing about Palace exploration but as long as it was only Haru that was doing it, he was fine. There was no telling what hell the rest of you would unleash if he allowed them the same permission.
Morgana
Just like Makoto, Morgana would also tell you to stop messing around. He’d tell you that you’d have time to play after you all were done exploring the Palace. Of course once he sees that the Shadows ignore the box, he doesn’t say much about it anymore. He’d actually become intrigued about how it worked. Morgana knew that the effect of cognition was strong, seeing as that the guns you all used were actually loaded when inside of Palaces. But could that effect actually extend to making a box unnoticeable by the Shadows? It was just an ordinary box, what was so special about it? He’d ask you about it, wondering if it had something to do with your cognition of the box. The first answer you provided was that you had no clue of how it worked. After you thought about it some, your 2nd answer was that it was simply the will of the game mechanic. Morgana figured it was best to just let the conversation die there after that.
Morgana is most likely one of the only members of the team who doesn’t use the box that often. Well, more like even if he wanted to, he can’t. The box was a one-size fit all type of thing, that is for humans. When Futaba and Haru tried to convince him to join them, he refused at first. He was already fast enough to ambush normally, so adding the box would just be an extra step and a waste of energy. But of course, they kept trying to convince him, saying that it was a team spirit thing. Morgana would never admit it, but he was glad that Futaba and Haru wanted to include him in it; even if it was something as silly as this. Well, he was happy until the box he pulled out was the same size as the ones you all used. It was almost as if he pulled out a comically large spoon. It didn’t help when the box fell on top of him and he popped out from underneath it and everyone simultaneously said “aww”.
Akechi
Pre-third semester Akechi would just go along with it. If he needed a place to hide, he would hide under a box. He'd be a bit confused when he first sees you hide under it and then even more perplexed when the rest of the Phantom Thieves follow your lead. But he understands that it proves to be useful when you get yourselves in a tight spot.
Now with third semester Akechi, he would absolutely loathe having to hide under the box. That would be the last thing he would resort to if he had no other choice. Even if you tried to force him under it to avoid having to retreat from the palace, he would try to brute force his way through the enemies. He’d still see the usefulness of hiding underneath it, but he much rather fight than hide at this point. To your disappointment, Akechi tends to try and avoid any situation that could possibly lead him into having to hide. However, on the rare off-chance that the situation is unavoidable, Akechi scowls when he has to pull out the box. You and the other Phantom Thieves can't help but laugh a bit when you see him throw the box off angrily as he stands up and simply continues navigating through the palace.
Sumire
Sumire’s reaction would be similar to Ann’s, surprised at first but quickly regains composure. She would ask you a lot of questions, mainly due to her wanting to do everything in her power to help the Phantom Thieves. Even if it was a bit bizarre to her at first, Sumire would just go with the flow. She didn’t question it and if anything thought it was fun. To her, it was somewhat of a team bonding sort of thing. Everyone followed your lead when the situation called for it, well some did it reluctantly, but Sumire felt as if it brought the team closer together.
Since she was a new addition to the team, Sumire was excited to learn and help out in any way possible. She’d watch you guys do different tactics to ambush the enemies, then she’d do it herself. You couldn’t help but be proud of her when she turned around after the battle asking “Senpai, did I do it correctly?” Eventually Sumire came up with her own ideas of ambushing while using the box to hide; she even pushed for Akechi to join in on the fun as well. Of course he refused, and then Sumire asked for everyone’s help in trying to convince him. She wanted him to feel like a part of the team, and also maybe show a genuine smile. In the end, he begrudgingly agreed. It was fine until Akechi started getting a bit too… creative you could say. In a sense the “jump” in creativity could be due to your convincing statement that the box ‘was just another way to strike fear into the heart of your enemies’. Yeah, not the best thing you could have said, but it sure did the trick.
Soon, Akechi was having a little too much fun with using the box to ambush that it put the whole team on edge. You were beginning to think that it was a bad idea. A very bad idea seeing that Akechi’s antics only got more violent as time went on. One day Sumire decided to copy Akechi, an idea that you, along with everyone else, advised against. But of course she reassured you all, saying that if anything this would make things less tense. And so, Sumire copied one of Akechi’s methods; it didn’t have the exact murderous intent that Akechi had but it was a good effort. Akechi only stared at Sumire when she asked if she did it correctly. It surprised all of you when he laughed and told her it was a good attempt and that he’d gladly teach her how to do it properly. Well, at least Sumire was right in that the box ambushing brought the team closer together.
Is it ok if I request an Akira scenario where he's helping Y/N achieve her 'true persona'? How would he react when she achieves her persona? Or, different case scenario, how would Y/N react to Akira's "new form" when he gains HIS persona. dunno if this would work out, I've kinda forgot parts of the plot of Persona so I don't rlly remember where or when exactly this happened-
A/N: Hi anon! I'm so so sorry this took so long! I hope you enjoy!
You let out a sigh as you stare at your phone, occasionally typing some words and then deleting them a few seconds later. Tomorrow, the Phantom Thieves were going to steal Maruki’s treasure and fix reality once and for all. You were a bit nervous, but you had faith that things would turn out the way you hoped. The only thing that was bothering you however… was Akira. Besides the short conversations you had with the team during palace exploration, you hadn’t talked to him outside of that. You really wanted to, but you just couldn’t bring yourself to text or call him.
It was silly honestly. He was your boyfriend, yet here you were unable to talk to him. When you two first started dating, Akira told you that he would always be there for you, no matter what. Whether you needed to vent, talk or just wanted his company, he’d be there. Yet what about you? You hadn’t been there for him when he started the infiltration on Maruki’s palace. You had a hunch that things weren’t right from the start of the New Year, yet you couldn’t bring yourself out of that ‘perfect reality’. You wanted things to stay like that, even if he wasn’t by your side. Even if that was what you wanted the most.
Suddenly your phone rings, playing a ringtone you knew far too well. You glance at the screen seeing Akira's name and you answer hesitantly.
"Are you using our text messages as your grocery list again?" He asks.
“Wha- no, why would you ask that?”
“Well, you were taking a long time to type so I just figured you were typing your grocery list out.”
“I wasn’t typing out my grocery list for your information. Shopping’s the last thing on my mind right now.” You sigh. “Anyways, how’d you know I was typing? Were you waiting for me to text you?”
Akira chuckles, “I mean when your girlfriend suddenly cuts you off, a guy can’t help but wonder if he did something wrong.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong, Akira. It’s just… you know things have been hectic. We’ve been so busy lately with Maruki and everything else.”
“So busy that you can’t talk to me?”
You stay silent. He was right after all. Akira had made sure you all finished planning out a path to the treasure long before the deadline. You had plenty of time to talk to him, but you just felt guilty every time you thought about it.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.” He sighs. “It’s just… I miss you;, you know? We’ve barely talked since this whole thing started. And I’m not blaming you, it’s my fault too but if there’s something wrong, I want you to tell me.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you worry. I know it’s late, but I want to talk to you… can I come over?”
“No need, I’m already heading your way. Just wait for me, okay?”
“Okay.”
You hang up and put your phone down on the couch next to you. You were glad that he called but you also felt terrible. The last thing you wanted to do was make him worry, make him feel as if he did something wrong. You hated hearing him like that. Sure, you two had your fights sometimes but this was different. Not only did you betray his trust, but you broke your own promise to him.
Akira must have been closer than you expected because a few minutes later you hear a knock on the door. You go to open it, greeting him with a smile. “Hey.”
“Hey.” He replies a bit out of breath. “You weren’t waiting long, were you?”
“Please tell me you didn’t run here.”
“I didn’t. Definitely not.”
You roll your eyes as you pull him inside and close the door behind him. “Liar. Come on in, before you catch a cold.”
Akira chuckles, “I only did what you told me to. Besides, I was going to show up uninvited, but I’m glad I called you first.”
“So that’s why you said you were already headed over… Well, thank you for calling first.” You clear your throat. “Anyways, um, sit down. Would you like some tea or hot chocolate?”
He shakes his head, “No thanks.” Then he takes a seat on the couch, patting the empty space next to him. “Come here. You don’t have to be so nervous.”
“I’m not nervous…” you mumble as you sit down next to him. “Okay maybe a little, but it’s just because we haven’t talked like this in a while. Like… a serious conversation like this.”
“Would you believe me if I told you I was nervous too?”
“No. You’re always so calm and collected. If you are, I can’t tell.”
“Then here,” Akira says, taking your hand and placing it over his heart. Even through his winter coat, you could feel his heart beating at a quick, steady pace. You glance up, meeting his gaze as he smiles softly. “Now, do you believe me?”
You nod, unable to tear your eyes away from him. Just how lucky were you to have someone like him in your life? Someone that easily washed away the doubts in your mind with a single action. Someone that was so kind to you even after how you treated him. With a simple action and a smile that melted your heart, Akira washed your guilt away. It’s hard to believe that your ‘perfect reality’ didn’t have him by your side.
“If you keep staring at me like that, we might not get any talking done at all.”
Drawn out of your thoughts, you quickly pull your hand away from Akira’s chest. “S-sorry, I was just thinking…”
“It’s okay. Still nervous?”
You shake your head. “Nope, nerves are all gone. Thank you.” With a deep breath, you start. “Well, first of all, I wanted to apologize for how I’ve been these past few weeks. I didn’t mean to cut you off like that, and my intention wasn’t to make you think you did something wrong. It’s just… I felt guilty.”
“Guilty?”
“Mhm… the truth is, I knew from the beginning that this reality was off. I’m not sure how I knew, it was just a hunch really. But, instead of telling you, I pretended to not know. It’s just seeing everyone so happy… it wouldn’t feel right taking that away. Yet in the end, I guess we all made up our minds anyway…” You look down at your hands, fiddling with the hem of your shirt. “The main thing is that I should’ve been there when you first infiltrated Maruki’s palace. And yet I wasn’t. Despite you always being there for me, I couldn’t even be there for you…”
“So you knew…”
You nod, feeling Akira’s gaze. You knew that if you looked at him, you might just end up crying. He didn’t sound mad, if anything it was more surprise and slight disappointment. To be honest, you weren’t sure why you made that choice of not telling him. Maybe it was just how you were, you always had a habit of hiding things from people, even if you didn’t mean to.
To your surprise he ruffles your hair, and you look up, seeing him smile. “I’m not upset. So don’t look so sad. I’m a bit hurt that you didn’t tell me, but it sounds like you had your reasons, right?”
“...yeah. I didn’t want to see our friends have what they wanted the most taken away from them.”
“And what did you want? You probably weren’t affected by Maruki’s reality because you didn’t have it.”
“I…” You hesitate. Would it be selfish of you to say what you wanted? He was already right here next to you. Just like you wanted originally. However, voicing your thoughts aloud was different. If you told him, what would he think?
“There’s that look again.” Akira says with a small chuckle as his gaze turns towards the ground. “It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me now. Or ever, if you don’t really want to. But just know that whatever it was, it wasn’t selfish of you to think that way… I mean, all of us, me included, we have our selfish ways, don’t we? That’s why this ‘perfect reality’ came about anyways.”
It wasn't often, but very rarely you saw this type of expression on Akira. It was distant, but there was also a feeling of longing. As if he was trying to come to terms with something.
“...perfect reality…” You mumble quietly. Then your eyes widen in realization.
Tonight was the last day for Maruki to contact Akira. You felt stupid for forgetting something so important. Then you look at Akira. Did he have that same look throughout all of this? That look of loneliness? That look easily told you who else was on his mind.
"Maruki contacted you… right? To be honest it slipped my mind… even though it was something so important."
Akira nods. "Yeah, he contacted me."
"And Akechi was there too?"
He looks at you surprised. "How did you-"
"The look on your face. The last time I saw you with that expression was when he died. You two were really close, huh?"
“...yeah.” Akira sighs. “Somehow, Maruki heard of what happened to him and in order to give us another chance at being friends, this reality came to life.” Akira runs his hands through his hair. “If we don’t go through with taking back our reality… Akechi will be alive, and if we don’t… well the answer is obvious.”
You stay silent, not sure of what to say. What could you say to this?
“It’s a lot to take in, right? You’d think it’d be a simple decision after everything. But when someone’s life is being used like that…like a bargaining chip… it just feels wrong.” Akira shakes his head slightly and glances at you. “What would you do if you were me?”
There was that expression again. How were you supposed to answer him when such a sorrowful expression painted his face?
“I…” You begin hesitantly, trying to find the words to say. “I’d go through with what we started. Of course, using someone’s life like that is just wrong, but I think it’d be best if we went through with it. I think Akechi wouldn’t be able to stand knowing that we turned our backs on what we originally planned to do. If we did that… it’d just seem like his sacrifice in Shido’s palace was for nothing… at least that’s how I feel.”
Akira chuckles, “Sounds about right.” He sits up, leaning his head back to stare at the ceiling. “I thought the exact same thing.”
“You already gave Maruki your answer then… So why ask for my opinion?”
He hums in thought, a smile appearing on his face. “Because your opinion is important to me. Why do you think I was in such a rush to get here, to talk to you? During this whole thing, I’ve heard everyone’s opinions on what they thought we should do about this reality. Yet the one person whose opinion I wanted to hear the most, the person whose opinion is the most important to me, never contacted me to talk.” Akira turns to you, a soft expression on his face. “You know I’ll always be here for you right? No matter what. So don’t keep your feelings or thoughts locked inside.”
You blink a couple of times, feeling tears start to prick at your eyes again. You chuckle slightly as you look away from him. “You sure do have a way with words. Makes sense that you’re our leader…” With a sigh you face him with a smile. “I’ve made up my mind. No more keeping to myself. It wouldn't be fair to you, making you worry. I want to be someone you can rely on too.”
You couldn’t explain it but somehow, you felt different after you told Akira that. As if your soul felt stronger somehow, as if a voice in your head told you that you had changed. You weren’t exactly sure what this feeling was, but you knew that you wanted to give back to Akira after all he’s done for you.
You hear him chuckle, about to say something but you place a finger on his lips. “Nope, I know what you’re gonna say. That you already rely on me for a lot, but let me have this okay? I want to trust in this feeling that I have, that I can be stronger for you and the team. If I can’t truly confide in you, then who am I to even wish for you?”
“You… So that was your wish?”
“I-” Your face reddens in embarrassment as you take your hand away from his face and avert your gaze. You didn’t even realize what you had said.
“Oh, what happened to ‘no more keeping to myself’?” Akira teases. “C’mon, be honest now.”
Your face reddens even more as you look down at your hands, mumbling slightly. “I wished for you.”
“One more time? I couldn’t quite hear you.”
“I wished for you! There, happy?” You shout as you look at Akira. He had the widest smirk on his face. You grab the pillow next to you and smother him with it. “Wipe that grin off your face…”
“What? A guy can’t be happy that his girlfriend wished for him? You don’t have to be so embarrassed. Y’know it’s cute that you’d wish for something you already have.”
“Just please… shut up.”
He laughs and suddenly you feel his hands on yours as he lowers the pillow so he can look at you. “But seriously, I’m really happy you told me, even though you said it without realizing. You said it with such conviction, I wasn’t sure if I heard you correctly. You feel… stronger.”
“Yeah, yeah. You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”
“Mm, I think I can prove otherwise.”
You laugh as you look up, meeting his eyes again. “Yeah? And how can you-”
In one swift motion, Akira closes the gap between the two of you, his lips pressing onto yours. It was quick and sweet; you didn’t even have the time to react with how fast it happened.
As he leans his forehead against yours, you can hear him whisper, a bit of playfulness laced in his voice. “Believe me now?”
Hi all, it’s been a while. Yes, I’m still alive and I’m really sorry for not updating more! School has been kicking my butt and I haven’t had time to write nor have I had good ideas in a while. Thought I’d take the time to showcase some upcoming fics I have planned along with requests I’ve had in my inbox. For those who requested fics, once again super sorry that they’re not done yet! I hope to get them out soon. Anyways without further ado, the upcoming fics I have planned + a few lines of dialogue from the ones I have started so you can look forward to it! (Side note: names of fics that have asterisks (*) beside them are subject to change since idk what to name it yet)
Persona
- What You Love the Most Hurts the Most (Goro Akechi x Hanahaki! Reader)
"Have you ever been in love?"
“Love? Don’t make me laugh.”
"I thought as much. Who could ever capture the heart of the Detective Prince?"
"It's not a matter of capturing my heart. Love is…painful. From my experience, love has done nothing good for me. All love has done is take."
- *Memories* (Akihiko Sanada x Reader - Request)
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"I think so. Why do you ask?"
"You've just seemed out of it these past couple of days. Not to mention the problems with summoning your Persona."
- Shinjiro Aragaki x Reader (Request)
- Ryuji Sakamoto x Akechi’s Sibling! Reader
“You...actually know my name?”
“Yeah, Ryuji Sakamoto. Is it surprising that I know your name? I mean you do sit behind me after all.”
“I know that. I’m just... I thought you... argh, just forget it.”
“Oh come on, you can’t just start a sentence and not finish it. Tell me.”
“I just thought you were one of those types of people. Y’know, the ones who...care about themselves and no one else.”
- Zero (Goro Akechi x Reader)
- Akira Kusuru x Reader (Request)
- Persona Character Reactions (Request)
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Genshin Impact
- Albedo x Reader
“If you’d like, I can read you a bedtime story. Klee always has me read her one when she has trouble sleeping.”
- Kaeya x Reader
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Haikyu!
- Kenma Kozume x Reader
“Can you stop hogging my best friend? We have practice soon.”
“He’s my boyriend, I have a right.”
- *A Game of Homework* (Suna Rintaro x Musician! Reader)
“Why am I the one always stuck doing your homework?”
