I'll face myself.

(( RP blog for Naoto Shirogane from Persona 4. Willing to RP with OCs and any fandom. There will be spoilers, however I'll do my best to avoid them in our RP if you ask me to. ))

[whitebelldetective-archive]

Why did I disappear for two months. I don't know what I should still reply to.

[marukyuidol]

[Treating herself as though she was two-dimensional…and yet, that was how she felt. When word got out that she was actually so stressed about her manufactured personality that she needed to take a hiatus, and when they learned that she was entirely different from how she behaved on television and in public, they were so…disappointed, most likely due to the difference between “Rise” and “Risette”, not to mention that they believed in someone who was completely fake. It was overwhelming to see the change in every single fan of hers; “Hey, don’t you realize that Rise’s a huge fake? She’s totally different from how she is on TV.” “I’m done with Risette…I always thought she was such a great singer and role model, but now that it’s true that she really is fake? Jeez, who gets people’s hopes up like that?”]

[All she ever heard after her hiatus were dozens of rumors being spread about her; when she moved into Inaba and took strolls without allowing her grandmother to know, it was not only to get a chance to get out without being recognized for a change, it was also an opportunity to listen in on what the other citizens discussed, and every topic was fixated on the idol. Hell, dozens of people even gathered around Marukyu to catch a glimpse of her; normally, that would’ve excited her grandmother, and it did, even if only for a moment, but when she realized that they weren’t customers…she was disappointed, and it was all because of her own granddaughter. Nobody came for their tofu; it was all just to see if Rise really was a fraud, and once they got their answer, word spread like wildfire. In fact…]

[Those who relieved her of the burden were actually now her best friends; she recalled them entering the shop, warning her that she was in danger, and while she may not have acted on how she really felt…the idol was honestly touched. Everyone had indirectly been vicious towards her, spreading rumors of her fabricated personality, convincing others to quit obsessing over her because they were only interested in how she appeared on television. Her own biggest fan, who sent her fanmail every day, had to pretend to stop cheering Risette on because her friend couldn’t stand the falsity of the idol. And yet…there were people who actually accepted her, despite her personality, even rescued her from her shadow when she was nearly murdered.]

[One of them, despite not technically rescuing Rise herself, was Naoto; and the idol still considered the azurette to be a close friend. That’s why the brunette had been so concerned about how serious Naoto’s demeanor was; whether or not it was her actual personality presenting itself, the way she behaved what honestly somewhat distressing. Rise herself acted like that once, and after that, when she started becoming all carefree…it was like Risette was taking over again, yet…maybe Naoto was right. She was the smarter one, after all, and…everyone did have different aspects to them. There was no reason for Rise to feel as though Risette was a completely different person, and yet…]

…Y-Yeah, you’re right, Naoto-kun. Risette is another part of me, even if a majority of her was just me pretending to be happy-go-lucky…I…guess it was just confusing back then. Besides, when everyone was calling me fake, I guess it just…sort of got to me. [With a slight sigh, Rise tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and returned to the matter at hand.] But…Naoto-kun, I’m really sorry. I had no right to say those things to you…just like Risette is a part of me, your serious nature can be a part of you, so you really don’t have to change yourself just because we’re concerned. It’s just impossible for me not to be concerned b-because…I care about you, and…I know what it’s like to feel like you have to change yourself in order to make others happy.

[whitebelldetective-archive]

Was it alright for her to be saying the things that she said when one would consider the regard she holds herself in? Should Naoto really be here telling Rise to just be herself and let her personality shine through no matter which side of the dice it may be on at the moment when she herself was planning and attempting to make a change to herself?

Perhaps it was wrong, to some extent, but she felt as if there was a huge difference here between her situation and Rise's, no matter how many similarities there were. One thousand tiny common traits couldn't nullify one large difference. Here was Rise, denying an entire part of herself. Or, she was, previously, up until now. There was no reason for her to feel that Risette was an entirely different person, or even, for that matter, like she had to pick one way of acting. Naoto hoped that her friend had truly realized that. But in her case, things were different. It wasn't a matter of denying herself, covering any part of her, or even picking one side of her in particular to constantly showcase. It was a matter of her over serious nature not only becoming a bore or a bother for the people around her- She had legitimately caused her friend concern through her attitude!

Of course she would want to change that part of her, at least to some extent. Why wouldn't she? She was so uptight that her friends were worried for her. That she'd never have fun or enjoy herself. It bothered her to even consider some of the other thoughts they may have hidden away regarding her nature. Naoto was already certain, absolutely convinced that it was an obvious fact, that she ruined her friends' fun a vast majority of the time. Hadn't she done just that a moment ago, by acting so serious and destroying Rise's holiday fun? If that were the case, what could they think that they hadn't hinted at?

It wasn't as if she wanted to entirely discard her serious personality. That would be idiotic. Not to mention, in all likelihood, impossible. She couldn't and wouldn't let that part of her go for good. But it wasn't impossible for her to, at the very least, be more easy-going when necessary, she hoped. There were times when it was called for to act the way she usually tried to- proper, formal, and mature. With her friends, was that really how she needed to act all of the time? Look at how much Rise had been enjoying the holiday fun before Naoto put a damper on it. Wouldn't it be nice if she could be the same way sometimes?

"I really am childish, aren't I?" There was a certain irony behind the amused tone her words were laced with. Giving a sigh, the detective shook her head before speaking up again. "Please don't be mistaken, Rise-san. I don't mean to deny any part of me. I'm well aware my serious nature is a part of me, and there's really no arguing against that point. The issue is that I don't want that single way of acting to stand on its own. I'd like to be able to have fun the same way you do sometimes, but-" There was a pause, during which the girl shifted her weight turned her gaze towards the ground. "It's difficult for me. Not because I don't enjoy myself! It's just that... I get embarrassed sometimes."

[tomboychariot]

On her way through the Classroom Building, Chie witnessed some student physically shoving at a first year who looked absolutely terrified, and understandably so! Not only was the older male much bigger, but he made it his job to seem as intimidating as possible in the way he towered over, his constant teasing laced with cruel laughter.

Unable to stand aside and do nothing, the Chariot got involved, placing herself between the two.

As expected, it turned out that the overgrown bully didn’t have a single reason for giving any trouble. Preying on the weak for fun was clearly the only aim here, and that alone just so happened to tick her off like nobody’s business. However, when the first year behind her tried asking for his backpack -only for the older male to let out a disgusting snort in response- Chie’s brow twitched as she stepped up to point a finger an inch away from the guilty student’s face. “You stole his backpack!?” Who gave this jerk the right to pull something so nasty??

"He wants his backpack back, so spit it out already! Where’d you hide it, huh? You’d better tell-” Half tempted to shake it out of him, that though was temporarily put on hold when her name was called out. Head turning toward the source, it seemed that the short moment of distraction had granted the bully enough time to spit out a nasty insult before heading for the hills. 

"Naoto-kun—- HEY! We’re not done yet-" She snapped after the one making a beeline for the exit.

"Get back here!" Darn it! He got away… UGH.

[whitebelldetective-archive]

Ah, it seemed Naoto's arrival had served as the distraction the bully needed to escape. She couldn't help but to feel a bit guilty about that. Surely the student would have a hard time discovering where his missing backpack was if the culprit behind its disappearance had run off. Although the bully wouldn't have been eager to give an answer, she was certain that Chie would be able to get some sort of information out of him, considering her nature. But that wouldn't happen now if he had run off.

Well, he was already gone. It was possible that they could track him down, but to do so they'd have to leave this kid here right now, and even then there was the chance that he would get away given his head start. For the time being, she decided to make a mental note of what the bully had looked like. Something would be done about him, if not now, then sometime later.

"I'm sorry, senpai. I didn't mean to give him the opportunity to run." She sighed, irritated with herself, but shook it from her mind before continuing. "Try to calm down. I'll have him reported later for terrorizing this student."

Naoto turned her attention to the boy. Although clearly shaken, and within good reason, he didn't seem to be harmed. If the bully had made this a physical confrontation, he hadn't taken it too far. That was a relief. Stealing an underclassman's bookbag was bad enough without causing him any phsyical harm. It seemed quite possible that the reason it hadn't gone so far was because of Chie's involvement. You could always rely on her for that.

[rhythmicthief]

Of course they would follow. At least it would get them away from curious ears. He tried to ignore them and just walk home, but it was hard considering that they were following him, and that’s not exactly a thing people normally do with him.

Once he got close to his apartment, he turned around to face Naoto. “Alright, what do you want?” he said, bluntly.

[whitebelldetective-archive]

"'If you really want to talk about this, I highly suggest going somewhere private.'" Naoto repeated his words in a dull tone. Had he simply forgotten what he said immediately after saying it before?

"Is this really something you could walk away from so easily?" He was aware that she knew, but seemed more than willing now to just leave without finding anything else out. You'd think one of the most wanted criminals in Paris would be more uneasy about a stranger finding out his identity. Even though she didn't plan to say anything, he had no way of knowing that.

[rhythmicthief]

Raphael’s expression became serious. Can’t this guy take a hint? Or maybe they’re too dense. Either way, Raphael needed to leave. With or without Naoto. Such a topic shouldn’t be spoken about in such a public area. They should at least know that much.

Raphael sighed. “If you really want to talk about this, I highly suggest going somewhere private. You never know who’s listening.” Raphael turned around and started walking.

[whitebelldetective-archive]

It seemed highly ironic that he would care so much about someone listening in when his weak disguise was taken into consideration. How was it that none of these people saw through it? Anyone who has a good look at him with his Phantom R getup on and without it should easily be able to tell who he is. Still, there was no point bringing that up. Parisians were odd.

Odd or not, Raphael had a fair point. Not only did he have a fair point, but he had just began walking off after he made that comment, which Naoto took as her cue to follow.

[progressivesun-blog]

[۞ -] The detective’s understanding, regardless if they hadn’t spoken much (if at all) at school over this was oustanding, at least to the musician. Shifting her schoolbag and trombone case to hopefully make it a little more comfortable, she offered a shaky smile at her words of comfort and encouragement. It was something to be appreciated coming from the azurette, after all. Ayane had heard all too many rumours circulate about the “roboticness” of the Detective Prince - that she could feel no emotion.

She didn’t believe them.. of course not. At first.. maybe. But she always tried never to follow rumours as they are often twisted versions of what the truth actually is. Perhaps Naoto simply was not one to express her emotions very well or often. That didn’t make her a robot. Goodness, if she listened and followed every rumour then Tatsumi-san was in a biker gang and Risette-chan had appeared on some strange channel at midnight in nothing but her unmentionables.

Still, Ayane was a very formal girl, perhaps even overtly so when speaking with people she deemed worthier than herself (which was everyone) and adults. The Sun had a feeling that perhaps Naoto may appreciate that approach more than what most students did - love letters in shoelockers in all. Even to this day, she had seen some student or another attempt it. A small part of her was inwardly glad for her lack of confidence in that department, that she could never follow through posting a love letter to anyone.

But that was getting off-topic. Naoto was waiting for an answer. Shaking her head a little, she attempted a smile that came across as a lot more shaky than she intended and forced - no, willed herself not to bite her lip or tongue.

"A-Ah, well.. I.. I was thinking that.. since we’ll walk the s-same way if you wanted… to walk together with me?"

She had done it. The dimunitive girl had just asked that. She felt as if she had run a marathon course and gotten the gold medal, regardless if Naoto accepts or not. Baby steps, after all. Even if her mousy voice had all but retreated on her after she finished that sentence, nothing but a lump in the back of her throat.

She would understand if Naoto had other plans, though. Ayane merely set up a mantra in her head to repeat to not worry if she did decline, because honestly - she assessed the odds of her actually accepting and they came up slim.

With her voice quietened to near nothing, hazelnut hues gingerly rested to look at Naoto’s hat (as it was far far more easier than establishing eye contact, and she looked as if she vaugely was looking in her direction). Even despite this; expectency of an answer gleamed within her eyes, and had she not been hampered down with her bag and case, she would of nervously fiddled with her fingers.

[whitebelldetective-archive]

Perhaps just a gentle push towards her question was all Ayane needed to speak up. She was such a shy girl. Naoto had been aware of that for a while now. Even when she had first began attending the school, when she wouldn't speak to any other student if it could be helped, when she would go out of her way to avoid too much interaction with them, she had been very aware of them the entire time. She made her observations from a distance back then. Although, she's heard more about people since she really began socializing.

It was really a wonder that Ayane, being so shy, was talking to Naoto like this now, even if the detective had been the one to initiate the interaction by showing up with the instrument case. When you take into consideration the fact that many other people, most of them far less reserved than Matsunaga, didn't have the nerve to speak to her sometimes, it was pretty impressive really.

Ah, now there was just the matter of what Ayane had actually said, or asked rather. Walking together did have certain implications. A quiet walk would probably be awkward in most people's eyes. Unfortunately, Naoto wasn't very good at holding up a normal yet interesting conversation with many people. Typically, when it came to casual speak, she didn't really excel, and she usually relied on the other person to really lead the conversation. But with her own faults and Ayane's general reserved nature, that may not work out so easily.

Still, as she had considered before, it had taken a great deal out of the girl to even ask Naoto to join her on the walk. Her behavior, namely the sound of her voice, was a huge indicator of that. And she had been meaning to become more social. There was still that stigma that she was distant and robotic, even now that she had begun opening up a bit to a few close friends. It seemed the answer here was a fairly obvious one.

"I'd like that, actually." She answered after her moment of consideration. Perhaps she should look happier about it, considering the way she worded her answer, but her expression hadn't done any changing. There were still those concerns from before on her mind. Hopefully, it wouldn't be as difficult as she imagined. After all, if Ayane invited her to walk with her, then maybe she had some topics in mind that she wanted to discuss? That seemed a bit like wishful thinking.

[rhythmicthief]

He pondered for a moment. And by that, I mean he just looked like it. He knew exactly who they were—well more that they existed. He didn’t get to know them much, the two of them only spoke for a bit.

"Hmm…no, can’t say I have." Raphael shook his head. "Sorry. Do you happen to remember the name of the person?" He was probably digging his own grave by asking that. That wasn’t a good thing to ask, Raphael.

[whitebelldetective-archive]

"Of course. I remember you were called 'Phantom R' at the time." Ah, not so subtle, was she? No, Naoto wouldn't make any effort to pretend she didn't immediately recognize him. Honestly, there was no reason for her to, and when you really thought about it, there was no reason for him to pretend either when it's already too late to fool her.

"How long do you plan on playing this game? Whether you remember me or not, I know who you are, and you're well aware of that. Your facade is getting you nowhere." 

[kagesgone]

Whitebelldetective started Following you

An unsettling feeling crept upon the tiny scientist that day. A residual feeling of sorts, like a sixth sense that somewhere, somehow, there was someone in need of the Shadow. This was a feeling that it could only equate back to those days long gone where it once served as a miniature boy garbed in superhero-like clothes, layers of blue which resembled the appearance of a moth. Such an appearance wasn’t all that alien to the Shadow, but the necessity for it to take on that form was lessening more and more as weeks went by.

Was its host ever going to come back…? Had all the crimes in the Shadow world really been solved? Or maybe those that were left didn’t matter… Well, darn it, the Shadow still felt like IT mattered, at least. Naoto wouldn’t just run off like this and forget about all their time together.

The Shadow puffed out its cheeks and located the nearest TV-like appliance. Any monitor would do, and the Secret Base was certainly full of them. This feeling of dread and defensiveness… there had to be a reason for it, and with the curiosity of a cat, it would make sure to find the source of it. Even in the human world, if Naoto was in trouble, then it was the Persona’s job to do something about it, right? Well, the little Shadow liked to think that way, anyways.

[whitebelldetective-archive]

How had Naoto ended up in this situation? Just moments ago, this day hadn't been any different from usual. She had been lingering in school as was typical of her before returning home. It was only one decision, one small action, that had caused her situation to take such a drastic and horrible turn. She had stepped outside, and to a part of the campus where you wouldn't usually see students at this time of the day, only to see that that wasn't the case at all today. There were students there after all, and, to her great surprise, the three of them were each brandishing some sort of weapon.

What had happened next transpired so quickly that the detective hardly had time to think, and it seemed unlikely that the other students had either. One of them, a large boy, clearly an upperclassman, stepped forward with a pocket knife in his hand. Only a few seconds after she had come across the lot of them, Naoto had found the knife held up to her, dangerously close to her throat. She stood frozen in her spot, alarmed and quieted by just how fast she had found herself in this situation. Her own silence didn't stop the other students from speaking however. The bigger one, the one that had stepped forward with the knife, was particularly vocal about what he thought. He immediately began telling his comrades that there was no way Naoto wouldn't alert the police. Not with her relationship with the force. And they were certain to end up in major trouble unless they did something to shut her up right then. The other two nodded in agreement with him.

She should say something. The detective should speak up with something witty to confuse them and take the students off guard long enough to find a way to escape. No words formed though, and she stood there in a stunned silence, unarmed and listening to the sound of her own increasing heartbeat. Surely, if there were someone nearby she should get their attention, but there wasn't anyone, was there?

[rhythmicthief]

Of course they’ve met, Raphael knew that just as well as the other. But the way they met then and now wasn’t exactly…desirable. If only he was in his Phantom R outfit things would be much less awkward. Or if he met them in his current outfit. Either way, matching outfits would be ideal.

"I tend to remember faces, so…" Raphael said "Unless my mind’s failing me today, I really don’t think we’ve met." He straightened himself up a bit. "Allow me to introduce myself, maybe it’ll help this case. My name is Raphael, and this is my pal, Fondue." Fondue yapped for reassurance.

[whitebelldetective-archive]

Whether or not this was an alternate of the boy she had met before, Naoto was not convinced one way or the other. One thing she was entirely certain of, however, was that this was definitely Phantom R. Everything matched up; his appearance, voice, mannerisms, even his dog. Although the locals were easily fooled, she wouldn't be tricked by a facade this simple and easy to see through.

"I see. Well then, it's nice to meet you, Raphael. And your pal as well." She said the last bit while nodding in the direction of the dog by the boy's side. "I suppose I should also introduce myself. I'm Naoto Shirogane. That wouldn't happen to ring any bells?" She asked this as if she didn't already know the answer, when, in fact, she knew what she would hear next.

[whitebelldetective-archive]

tomboychariot

The final bell of the day had rung some time ago, and the hallways had, for the most part, cleared out. Yet, as per usual, Naoto lingered in the school even after a majority of the students without club meetings to attend had left. Her main reason for sticking around so long was usually to speak to her friends, and that's exactly what she had done today. Rise and Yukiko, the two she had been speaking to up until this point, both had to leave not long after school had ended, and the detective wandered down another hallway after parting ways with them.

It was when she visited her locker for the last time that day, planning to leave soon after, that Naoto found herself pausing to listen to a sudden noise resounding down a hall. It was shouting. And there was no denying that that voice belonged to Chie. But what was it that she was yelling about in the middle of the school? As angry as she sounded, she sincerely doubted this was because of one of Yosuke's inappropriate jokes.

Closing her locker, Naoto quickly found the hallway that the shouting was coming from. There was Chie, and she was with two other students. One was younger, clearly a freshman. He seemed rather timid and upset. That would explain why her friend was yelling at the other student, an older boy with the look of someone whose fun had just been spoiled entirely.

"Chie-senpai," Naoto began, making herself loud enough to be heard, "What's the problem here?"

[rhythmicthief]

Raphael was taking a walk with his dog. He didn’t have anything to do today, so he was just trying to kill time.

"So, Fondue" he said, "what do you think we should do?"

"Woeuf!" his companion replied. Raphael didn’t always know exactly what Fondue was saying, but he knew the dog well enough to know that it translated to ‘eat’.

"You always say that, Fondue." Raphael said, looking a bit disappointed. "We can’t do that all the time, no matter how much we want to." Fondue whined softly in reply.

Being too busy talking to his dog, Raphael almost bumped into someone. He flinched, half expecting to bump into them. “I’m sorry” he told them.

After hearing what the other had said, he was shocked. They recognized him? That wasn’t good at all. Especially since they’ve only met once or twice, at most. He couldn’t even remember their name. It was probably best to start acting dumb.

"Again? I’m sorry, but have we met somewhere before?"

[whitebelldetective-archive]

How incredibly unsurprising the boy's response was. Of course, if this was Phantom R, and Naoto was entirely certain that it was, he wouldn't just outright say that he was. Especially if this was what he considered to be his 'disguise' while out in public. Really, that was just pitiful. How was it that local police force hadn't caught him yet?

Keeping that in mind, there was also the distinct possibility that this wasn't one of the two Phantom Rs she had met. Wasn't it because of the fact that there were so many of him that one night that she had even spoken to him to begin with? Considering that 'alternate universe' theory, this could easily be another version of him that she hadn't met.

"Only once. It was a short-lived meeting, so I wouldn't be overly surprised if you don't remember." 'If' being the keyword here. Somehow, the detective had the distinct feeling that he did remember though. A feeling, of course, wasn't enough to say for certain, but... Well, she would see how things went from here.

[sillagereves]

—{ ✑ } Rhyme sighed happily as she skated around the plethora of people that crowded the Shibuya streets. It was seldom that she ever ran into a car, which in retrospect was kind of odd. But for years, health enthusiasts had been pushing people to “go green” or “get healthy” by riding bikes or walking, but it was just now taking on. It was good to see people getting more active. It made it safer for her to skateboard wherever she went instead of walking.

Today though, she was out on a mission. Her bi-weekly allowance had come in, and she needed to buy a few things for Gabriel before she even thought about getting stuff for herself. The only problem was that she didn’t know where the pet store in Shibuya was, or if there even was one. Did people in Shibuya have pets? She never saw any pet food or pet care products in the grocery or convenience stores.

It was troubling.

The wind whistled past her ears as Rhyme zipped down the street, shifting herself only a few times to kick off and retain her speed. She had scoured half of Shibuya already. There was nothing by CAT Street, but she wasn’t surprised. Rich people always thought that they were too good to have pets, because pets were too messy and didn’t make them more money than they had.

Losing her balance, Rhyme’s skateboard shot out from under her. She threw her arms out to catch herself, only to cringe as the palms of her hands made contact with the hard concrete. She sat there like that for a moment before flipping over and sitting on her bum. She cringed again as pain shot up from her knees. She sighed, this was the third time this week she had fallen like that. She was out of practice apparently. How embarrassing.

As  she heard a voice, a rather pleasant sounding voice, Rhyme looked up from her bleeding knees. “I-I’m okay!" She blurted out, knowing exactly what she was asking. "I’m sorry, did I hit you or something?" She asked, looking at the extended hand. She looked at he own hands, soiled and bleeding slightly, and just helped herself up.

[whitebelldetective-archive]

Naoto brought her hand back to her side as the girl helped herself up instead. Judging by the state of her hands, which the detective had just now gotten the opportunity to see, it was no surprise that she chose to do so. It wasn't likely that using Naoto's hand to pull herself up would feel very good to the fallen skateboarder. Not with her own being so cut up and bloody.

Well, the girl didn't seem to be too badly hurt, which was nice, but not all too surprising. It didn't seem as if she had been performing any kind of stunt before, or Naoto surely would have noticed her before her tumble. Simply falling off of a skateboard the way she had was unlikely to cause anymore damage than skinned knees and beat up hands. Although, just walking by wouldn't have been right at all. She would have stopped whether things had been more severe or not.

"I see. That's good." Naoto shook her head before continuing. "No. You haven't hit anyone, to my knowledge." There hadn't really been all that many people in close proximity when she had heard the fall before. Even the detective herself had been a reasonable distance away from the other girl before her crash. It was unlikely that anyone was near enough to have been hit, and for the most case, it seemed not many people had noticed the girl had fallen at all Yet, despite that, she was concerned about having hit her, as if she hadn't been the one who had just taken that nasty tumble.

Taking a few steps in the opposite direction, Naoto knelt down to pick up the skateboard that had been rolling off slowly. It had actually put a bit of distance between itself and its owner. She was lucky it hadn't rolled off into the streets. Anyway, the detective turned back to the girl and held the board out to her without a word.

[whitebelldetective-archive]

Except, someone doesn’t just tell a Gengar to leave. Someone also doesn’t just tell the aforementioned Gengar to leave when he is busy enjoying himself. Especially when he’s enjoying himself by bothering another. That’s just what Gengars do, isn’t it?

❞Aw, c’mon! Don’t be like that! Youse gotta lighten up and have a li’l fun, buddy!”

How incredibly unsurprising that that didn't work. She hardly expected it to. This... thing, floating and cold as it was, was obviously not the type to give up his endeavors simply because he was asked to. Still, she should find a way to rid herself of him sometime soon. His presence alone was unnerving.

"I'm perfectly capable of 'lightening up', but I don't feel that it's necessary at the moment, when it's so much easier for you to leave."

[whitebelldetective-archive]

rhythmicthief

That case that had ended up bringing Naoto to Paris wasn't quite closed yet. There wasn't much she could do at this point in time but wait for some news before her next course of action could be decided on. How unfortunate, really, that this bit of free time she had, she spent just wishing for the case to close so that she could return home already. Now she found herself just passing time in the city, waiting for some sort of information from the local station. She was never good at playing the role of the tourist.

It was while she was walking in search for a decent cafe she hadn't already visited that she stumbled upon a familiar-looking boy and his dog. And by 'stumbled upon', I mean 'nearly walked into'. And by 'familiar-looking', I mean, after a second of looking at him, Naoto immediately recognized him as Phantom R, that infamous thief that she had spoken to before.

"Oh, it's you again." The detective spoke, giving the boy a glance over. "...Is this supposed to be your disguise?"

[progressivesun-blog]

[۞ -] Naoto’s usual low-toned voice brought a small comfort to the musician when it became apparent she was not put off by the request at all. She was also inwardly grateful that the detective didn’t bring notice to her behaviour or cheeks, as many students whom had never seen her quirks liked to point out - and further her humiliation. Her gaze shifted upwards before she caught sight of the case in her vision, prompting her to straighten up.

Delicate hands reached out and relieved the detective of the weight - her shoulders sloping suddenly at the added pounds to her already carrying a schoolbag packed to the brim with textbooks and other such necessities. She could feel her muscles protest over it through a dull ache, but she had all but gotten used to carrying the instrument and work over the school year, and would only further to do so in the days to come.

The redness and heat of her face gradually reduced as her quick induced anxiety smoothed into norm. She inclined her head in respect for the azurette. 

"If you say so, but you know that I am sorry regardless. It’s not.." A hesitence and a quick bite to the lip - followed by an annoyance over the action, as she desperately was trying to break such a habit. Shaking her head, she forged onwards with a slight waver to her waning voice.

"I-It’s not often that I f-forget something like this. I must seem like a- a.. scatterbrained dope." Ahah, and there was her self-pity. She tried not to wallow too deep, especially not in front of someone like Naoto. Ayane swallowed roughly, gaze averting once again.

"Oh, you’ve been more than helpful. I-I would of dreaded to think what would of h-happened if I left it there all night.. I can’t afford it to get damaged." Literally, she muttered that last part under her breath, a small stab of.. something in her voice - hate? Definitely not from her. She turned on her heel, facing the direction she was in once again, head inclined to her briefly.

"Um.." It seemed as if she wanted to ask something, but her confidence had now been spent. She lingered, shifting weight between one foot and the other, waiting for Naoto to prompt and say something instead.

[whitebelldetective-archive]

At first, Naoto was relieved. After Ayane accepted the instrument, it became clear from her general body language and the way her cheeks returned to their normal color that she was beginning to relax. At the very least, she was more relaxed than she was a moment ago, which was a plus in the detective's eyes. Despite her usual calm composure, she could become easily flustered herself sometimes, and she was well aware of how embarrassing it could be just to be seen that way.

However, her relief about Ayane's more relaxed behavior only lasted momentarily before the girl began to speak again. Her self-confidence must really be in poor condition for her to say such things about herself over something like this. Even if this trombone was as important to her as it seemed to be, saying these things so suddenly was a bad sign about how she viewed herself.

"No, that's not true at all. You're having an off day, aren't you?" Naoto asked, although the question was a little redundant. The answer was as clear as day. "Everyone has them occasionally. To call you a scatterbrained dope for that would be the same as calling everyone else that as well."

Hm. Perhaps she wasn't the best at this sort of thing. Up until recently, Naoto had hardly ever found herself in a position where she felt the need to comfort someone. At least with the investigation team, she felt more comfortable speaking, but she rarely ever spoke to Ayane. There were certain boundaries she need not overstep least she abandon formalities all together. Yet, saying nothing at all when the girl was speaking so poorly of herself would be cruel.

Naoto blinked when Ayane turned suddenly, half expecting the conversation to end here. Ah- but wouldn't it be odd that the girl who had been so formal before wouldn't even give any parting words before leaving? The quiet 'um' caught the detective's attention as she looked the other over. Shifting weight, clear hesitation- There was definitely something she wanted to say, but she seemed to be lacking the courage to say it.

"Was there something else you wanted to mention, Matsunaga-san?" Naoto questioned, measuring her tone carefully.

[progressivesun-blog]

[۞ -] Usually, Ayane would of never of misplaced a thing - let alone her precious family’s trombone. Her day had been nothing but rushing to and back between band room, her class lessons and the office to organize an upcoming band trip to the senior’s home than she had just been so preoccupied.

The moment she got out of school grounds, the poor girl would be catching the bus to the elderly’s home to finalize the arrangement, as her band captain had misplaced phone numbers.. Oh, her mind was so focused on many different things, that she hadn’t realised that she was carrying a lot less than usual, or that her hands didn’t seem to be tied up. It came to a surprise when a call of her name was heard. Freezing up briefly; a flash of panic fluttered through her before settling on a light chewing on the inside of her cheek.

Turning around to face the one, she relaxed only a touch when it was a noticible face. That wasn’t to say Naoto and herself interacted much - they were merely first years with shoe lockers within similar placement. Her cheeks brightened as she felt a sense of importance bestowed upon her that the one ‘Detective Prince’ whom she looked up to actually was speaking to her.

"A-Ah..? S-Shirogane-san..? Is something wrong?" she managed to squeak out in formality; hazelnut hues roaming the detective’s person until settling on a black case that was strikingly familiar. She furrowed her eyebrows - before a snap of recognition hit.

"Oh! That’s my trombone! I couldn’t of.." she trailed off, answering her own question. Evidently, yes, she did indeed forgot it.

"My goodness.. I am.. I am so sorry for troubling you like this, S-Shirogane-san. Please, a-accept my apology." Her cheeks burned and the girl bowed deeply; gaze averting and finding the floor suddenly all the more interesting.

[whitebelldetective-archive]

Naoto found Ayane's reaction to be an unsurprising one. It was true that the two had hardly ever interacted, but it wasn't as if she had never taken notice of the other before. Nor would it be true to say that she had never heard someone else speaking of her. That sort of nervous behavior she was showing now - stuttering, speaking in an overly formal manner, and becoming red in the face merely from being spoken to - all seemed to be what was typical of her.

Considering that, the detective didn't react much to the other's behavior. She took note of it, of course. She always paid attention to that sort of thing. But perhaps it would help to put Ayane at ease if she could see that Naoto wasn't at all bothered by being requested to return her instrument to her. She really was quite nervous, apparently. Honestly, if anyone else had reacted so drastically, she would have been more than a little shocked.

"There's no need to apologize, Matsunaga-san. It was no trouble." Naoto responded offhandedly, and she meant it. Really, she hadn't gone out of her way at all. They were just outside of the school, and she was headed in this direction whether she had agreed to return the instrument or not. Although, she supposed Ayane wasn't aware of that. She was really making it seem like a bigger deal than it actually was.

"I'm just glad to have been helpful." The detective spoke as she held out the case. Of course, that action may not even been noticed if the other girl continued to pay more attention to the ground rather than Naoto. At this point, she was a little alarmed at how red Ayane's face had become.

[honoringkalos]

"Right! So that’s why I did," Lily commented, a smile on her face. She was glad that Naoto didn’t think of her as weird for phrasing it the way she did, she just couldn’t think of any better way of putting it, that was all. "And I dunno if it’s a code name or not…for all I know, it’s his real one…wouldn’t be surprised. I’ve met people with stranger names," Lily said. On her journey, she had seen all kinds of people, and…wait.

What had the other girl just said? She tilted her head a little, frowning. “Excuse me, but…did you say Japan…? Uhm…what exactly..is a Japan?”

[whitebelldetective-archive]

"Huh?" Normally, Naoto would comment on what Lily had first said, but that latter bit had caught her full attention immediately. She had never heard of Japan before? That was strange, to say the least. Ah, could this have to do with what was mentioned to her before? The alternate universe theory? For the time being, she wouldn't jump to that conclusion, but keeping it in mind would be a good idea.

"Japan is an island nation. A series of islands, really. It's a rather well-known country."  She hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Where are you from, exactly?"