People watching had been a longtime hobby of his and now it was something that more often than not put food on the table for both Futaba and himself during their stay here. Working a normal job just wasn’t possible and so he’d taken to doing random portraits of people who left impressions on him as he saw them. It was nothing too grand, but some may consider it unsettling to see a young man sitting in the same spot every day, sketchbook in hand and a slew of poorly put together art supplies that he’d managed to scratch together one way or another. It wouldn’t be like this forever, at least that’s what he tells himself.
He’s well into his day, a canvas already filled with colors and shapes of all different kinds when Ryuji’s familiar voice speaks up to him. Yusuke doesn’t move, just continues on with drawing before finally looking up to where Ryuji stood in front of him. “Painting. I have to make a living somehow. A starving artist must not go hungry. It’s become my duty to provide for Futaba as well.” Though all they ate these days were cheap ramen noodles and took the occasional visit to the soup kitchen downtown.
“Did you just get here? I checked for everyone’s name in the number directory and hadn’t come across yours even once.”
The calm expression on Yusuke’s face, as well as his words, somehow put Ryuji ill at ease. He couldn’t quite pin down the reason, though instinct led him to believe it was the familiar way the other boy sat there, canvas in hand, as if he had done this many times over. Or that expression, did you just get here?, the implication that Yusuke had been in this city a long time subtle but clear. But Ryuji had never been a big thinker, and these reasons didn’t immediately jump out at him. So, he simply scuffed the heel of his sneaker against the pavement and shoved his hands in his pockets before speaking again.
❝ Futaba’s here, too? And... you’re providing for her? ❞ Even for Ryuji, the idea seemed almost comical. After all, Yusuke could barely feed himself most of them time, foregoing food for art supplies, so the fact that he was getting food for another made Ryuji skeptical. ❝ She’s not starving, is she? The boss would kill you if she is. ❞ At the mention of the Leblanc shopkeeper, he couldn’t help but frown slightly, the fact that he couldn’t visit the coffee shop hitting home to where he was.
❝ But, dude... where the hell are we? It’s not some weird Palace, is it? My clothes didn’t change, and I haven’t seen any Shadows. ❞ Good deductions, based on who was making them. ❝ I mean... I just woke up here a couple of days ago. That’s not normal. right? ❞
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