I feel like maybe I should list the ways Yuuto basically abused Mao bc it's something that's, well, a thing but I need to write down so I can interpret Mao's mental health correctly?))
Kinda so my scatterbrained self won't forget))
Tw: Child abuse
[[MORE]]
Emotional:
Yuuto raised Mao by himself from when Mao was three; between then and about age 8 of 9 he spoiled Mao and generally treated him like a good parent would their child. He praised him when necessary and sometimes a little extra. He spent time with him, he took Mao to fun places as rewards or for the hell of it and basically made Mao perceive him as a super hero. That being said, he wished to use that as higher ground for how he treats Mao now.
Now that Mao was getting to an age where he could think for himself, Yuuto began manipulating him to make Mao act in ways he wanted him to act.
Mao has a different opinion? No that's wrong and Yuuto should know why because he's the adult.
Mao wants to be a little self indulgent? How could he be so cruel and selfish after all his one parent has done for him?
Expressing an emotion Yuuto deems innapropriate? Silence and ridicule or "Have you ever thought about how I feel?"
He also ridicules Mao over his mannerisms and the way he dresses saying he's too feminine. He often compares him to other teens in Mao's age range, namely Akechi considering he's a famous detective at 18.
He's done this so much so to train Mao as if he were a dog to think of Yuutos word being the be all end all of any and everything.
Mental:
Adding onto the emotional abuse, Mao was taught that he should think of himself last and put his father, image, and education before all else in that order. Which, obviously, resulted in Mao thinking less of himself which he also gets punished for since he had become cowardly as a response.
Due to certain punishments and events, Mao have some things that irrationally frightens him. Some of which being doing ANYTHING his father is against or outside his schedule even if it's small, small/tight spaces, he's uneasy if it's too dark, he finds relationships (especially romantic and sexual ones) frightening.
Mao feels he has to constantly prove his worth in order to be loved by his father that's done so much for him. After all, "there has to be a reason why he's not as nice as he used to be right? Father says it's himself so he has to change so father can love him again."
Yuuto has also instilled the fear of Mao feeling like he's always being watched (and currently technically that's true) to the point where he doesn't have to manually track Mao to find out he did something wrong. Mao wears guilt from even the tiniest thing on his face to where all Yuuto has to do is ask "What's wrong son?" And he'd spill
Physical:
It's no surprise that Yuuto beats Mao. The frightening thing is how massive Yuuto is compared to his son.
When Mao was much younger, he would have him kneel on rice as punishment and as a result Mao has faded scars on his kneecaps. He was also forced to stay in a locked closet from hours on end without food or water or being allowed to go to the bathroom. Crying would make Yuuto keep him in there longer and being silent was a 50/50 chance of getting out early bc Yuuto would forget about him on occasion. Then he'd be ordered to clean himself up/any mess he made and go to bed. The next day was always "Son, I don't like punishing you. It hurts me too..try harder so we won't have to do this."
Now, in his older years, Yuuto deems him big enough to withstand an actual hit. Do he tends to slap Mao across his face as a warning (reminder that Yuuto is a massive lad). An actual punishment would be bounding Mao's hands behind his back so he can't shield himself then striking him any and everywhere with a belt/something he could use as a whip. On one occasion he has choked Mao just to scare him as well.
Yuuto, wishing to preserve his image, has taken Mao to get cosmetic surgery more than once if he ever accidentally left a mark that scarred...however he kept the one across Mao's nose to serve as a reminder since Mao covers it with a bandage anyway.
It's nearly 1am so I probably missed some things but I think for the most part I got a lot of my thoughts down here))
Getting back to his blog again after a few years, I feel like it would be fun to dive into Yuuto as a character since he plays a huge part into Mao's struggles and behavior as well as his catalyst into breaking away from his chains to join a rebellion against the rotten desires of mankind.
Yuuto Fujimori, a narcissistic, prideful, smug bastard; easy to hate, complex to understand.
Yuuto gorges himself on the sin of pride; he builds everything in his world in his image. His expensive wardrobe is endless, his physique is immaculate, the public adores him, and he has a son that bares striking resemblance to him. Everything has to be perfect in this way or else it ruins the illusion not of himself not to the public, but how he views himself period.
Yuuto, while a disgusting creature of a man, at the end of the day is just…some guy. He pays his bills, he eats 3 meals a day, he deals with traffic, he reads the paper just like anyone else. As much as he sees himself through these grandiose rose tinted glasses, he just can't stand the idea of him just being like anyone else around him; it shatters his perception of this godly figure he sees in the mirror. But where did this all start?
Well, since P5 failed us with cutting out the Will Seed cutscenes, let me add insight with Yuuto's memories.
Growing up he had, surprise surprise, good parents. They provided for him financially and emotionally; sure they're traditional but they did good by him at the end of the day. That being said, Yuuto also had a normal childhood. The only notable difference is that there's a Uni established by his family for generations; unfortunately, that's where it started.
Yuuto was naturally gifted with knowledge, added onto his father being a very wise man. He picked up academics quicker than others which, naturally, garnered praise. In his early years, he was praised endlessly by his classmates, teachers, and parents. He was used as the perfect example as a student all the way until high-school. This was when he realized there's others that can be better than him; So, craving the spotlight, he worked hard to outdo everyone around him. But even here isn't when the switch flipped he was simply an arrogant teen at this point. He naturally went onto college to do the same and graduated and went into the working world.
This was when things started to turn sour.
To become the president of a uni, usually you would have to start as a professor and make your way up to a dean then a president not to mention you have to compete with other coworkers that wants this opportunity and you would have to be approved by a board. Yuuto was under the assumption that his father would immediately pull him into their family's uni as a professor; however, his father did not wish for Yuuto to be coddled with the instant gratification of being pulled just because they're related. He wished for his son to taste the real, grounded, world and go out and get a job on his own and gain skills you can't learn by sitting in a classroom. Yuuto obviously had the medal to push himself all these years ; he was reasonably well equipped to handle himself as an adult…But that's not what Yuuto saw.
What he took from his father wishing him to learn life skills on his own was, in his eyes, a betrayal. How dare he take away his birthright? Why should he have to go about the common folk for a job!? He's clearly better than them, his peers growing up could easily attest to that! What didn't help was the constant rejection no matter where he went; it wasn't that he wasn't good…just not as good as the next guy…
Of course, Yuuto eventually landed a job at a school..a grade school. He grinned and bared his years there, being (what he felt) subservient to his coworkers as he eventually landed a job in a high school, then a college now that he had previous years of experience under his belt. Finally, his father offered him a position as a professor in the family's uni, which drove Yuuto crazy, to say the least.
Just a professor? Hasn't he done enough this time!? He expected to be bumped up to Dean at this point!
And just as things got sour, it turned downright bitter….
Yuuto bided his time, smiling in his family's and students' faces as he played his role as professor for a few years until…well…'suddenly' President Fujimori caught ill.
The man was old enough as is, this kind of sickness could just kill him!
Yuuto's mother and father moved far out into the countryside, hoping the clean air would help his deteriorating health.
After a few calls and forged papers, the old dean was kicked out and Yuuto was bumped up to president with just the snap of his fingers.
When he finally got his hands on his degree-granting license after doing away with his own family is when he finally got the taste of feeling unstoppable; he was absolutely drunk on the taste of feeling godly.
The first year had hidden himself away in a empty hallway between the practice building and the main building to be out of the sight of other students and staff. The day had been rough as usual but this time Mao had the misfortune of sitting on some thumbtacks that were planted in his seat. He didn’t go to a bathroom stall for risk of someone dousing him with water (again) so he opted for a no traffic hall to pluck out the pins painstakingly and patching himself up. He gave a heavy sigh as he finished up, only to feel his heart leap into his throat at the sudden presence of an upper classman.
Mao’s back immediately hit the wall as he looked up to Akira, trying to figure out what to say. Had she seen any of this? He surely hoped not…Wait..isn’t she that student..?
“I–! Um! W-What are you doing–?! I-I mean…Isn’t..there somewhere else you should be..?”
“E-Easy, easy!”
Her hands quickly go up as she takes a step back after starling him, “I’m…I’m sorry,” Akira gently told him, “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
She had taken to go through all pathways around the school that weren’t overly crowded. It was nice not having to always hear the whispers and being fully aware all eyes were on her.
She had spotted him just as she turned the corner, it was obvious he was hiding, but Akira decided to check up on him. She could faintly hear the sounds of pain from where she stood.
“Are you alright? Do you need to go to the nurse or something?”
Mao relaxed slightly, seeing the other back from him as if he were some frightened animal. Had she wanted to hurt him, she surely would have taken the opportunity since no one was around, right?
Well, that's the logic the first year decided to hang onto as a reason to not bolt.
"I..." he started, twiddling his fingers. "N-No, I'm fine--! I-I promise. I don't need help--!" Mao tried to reassure, shooting the girl a nervous smile. "I-I just...um.."
Mao looked to his feet as he fell silent and shifted uncomfortably.
The first year had hidden himself away in a empty hallway between the practice building and the main building to be out of the sight of other students and staff. The day had been rough as usual but this time Mao had the misfortune of sitting on some thumbtacks that were planted in his seat. He didn’t go to a bathroom stall for risk of someone dousing him with water (again) so he opted for a no traffic hall to pluck out the pins painstakingly and patching himself up. He gave a heavy sigh as he finished up, only to feel his heart leap into his throat at the sudden presence of an upper classman.
Mao’s back immediately hit the wall as he looked up to Akira, trying to figure out what to say. Had she seen any of this? He surely hoped not...Wait..isn’t she that student..?
“I--! Um! W-What are you doing--?! I-I mean...Isn’t..there somewhere else you should be..?”
How do you feel about being disliked by some people?
"Well, I mean..." Mao trailed off, shuffling nervously.
"I don't know...I guess it doesn't bother me too much...? I don't have time to worry about people being mad about me. All I do is...help others and study...What's to dislike about that..?"
Mao clenched his teeth, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides as the question settled into his mind. Did he not feel like who he is..? Were his 'accomplishments' simply from influence? Or did he have any merit into it? Was he truly living? Or was he surviving under a certain someone's rule...?
The boy shook his head; no..no, that couldn't be true. No one would use and abuse their own flesh and blood.
Right...?
"No? I do not believe so? My own abilities are my own and I am certain of it."
"Ah, well." Mao adjusted his glasses and did his best to give a warm smile.
"Quite often! While I do focus closely on my studies, I attend the student council as well as the school newspaper. And aside from that, I help out any clubs that need an extra hand or assit in any school wide events! It's tiring, but I love serving my fellow classmates and faculty!"
discoholicmusic
pixelskylines
gummygunk
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
