🎧 homophonic | pcs | yukichi (fukuzawa)

[silicone]

There's no need to fear the past. The past is just a memory.

(in retrospect i regret my choice of filter name)

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[allmenare]

[It can be mcdonalds so he can get a senior coffee even though he doesn't want one.]

You left Earth?

[silicone]

[ eiden talks through the "senior coffee" schpeal so that fukuzawa can focus on something equally as annoying but not a dig to his not-old age. ]

Mm, yeah... I touched this weird gemstone for a job I was working on and ended up in this totally different world on a place called the Klein Continent...

[ he just sips his iced mccafe. it's fine. ]

[allmenare]

[A real life isekai...]

I was going to say that sounds too fantastical to be true, but it does sound similar to an ability that belongs to someone I know.

[silicone]

[ yeah... ]

An ability? Is there magic where you're from, Fukuzawa?

[allmenare]

It's not magic, or at least it's nothing like the magic here. Abilities are...extremely specific, I suppose. One of my subordinates can create objects, but only using a specific kind of notebook paper and the object has to be small enough to fit on the paper.

Not many people have them either.

[silicone]

Wow... [ he does look genuinely fascinated because what the fuck, that's a dope power?! ] With notebook paper? That's amazing.

[ he hums ] I can't really... do magic on a whim so much as I'm like a battery. When I ended up in Klein, I found out that I have a lot of magical energy inside of my body—essence. My clan members can use it if they need to, and I can use it to try and regular the elemental altars around Klein.

Do only some of your subordinates have them? [ a beat ] Do you?

[allmenare]

Most of them do. The Armed Detective Agency has a Gifted business license, and since there are very few jobs that can employ a Gifted- those who have abilities- we tend to get a lot of applicants.

[He pauses there though, and if he didn't feel so safe with Eiden he might not have admitted to the next part:]

I do have an ability, yes.

[silicone]

[ eiden's love language is learning about other people, that's just a fact. he's sticky, standing close by fukuzawa's side as they make their way to the new district. ]

There's... really crappy for anyone who's Gifted...

[ he frowns because he doesn't really like that. ]

What kind of ability do you have? Is that a thing I can ask or... [ because he realizes maybe he's prying. ]

[allmenare]

There are options, but most of them are with the government, which is a direction I didn't want Ranpo to take.

[Whoops suddenly lore.]

It's fine. My ability, All Men Are Equal, gives all of my subordinates more control over their abilities, letting them utilize them to their maximum capabilities with ease. It also creates a connection between myself and everyone else affected by my ability, so I can feel their presence and general emotional state.

[silicone]

[ he didn't expect the lore... :o ]

That's an incredible ability, I'm... really impressed. I've never heard of anything like that before. To do that, you have to really trust the people you work with too, your subordinates.

... Who's Ranpo?

[allmenare]

[Oh. He's always seen his ability as a support, to boost up the truly impressive people. He's not used to getting praise for his.]

It's why I'm very picky about who I work with. I have to trust those people whose powers I unlock won't misuse them.

[He pauses though, considering how to talk about Ranpo.]

Ranpo is... [His son, but he'll never say that in as many words.] ...many years ago, I found a young boy who had an amazing gift for solving mysteries. If he had been at that trial Saturday, he could have taken one look at the clues and instantly picked out the culprit. That's what his ability is: seeing the connections between objects and people and drawing correct assumptions based on that. Super Deduction.

But he sees the world in a different way from you and me, and he can be naive at times. From the moment I figured out he had an ability, I could see exactly how unscrupulous people would use him. So I took him in. The thought being, if I kept an eye on him, then I could chase away anyone who meant ill.

[silicone]

[ eiden watches him the whole time, his arms wrapped around himself with his hand holding his coffee. he holds his cup closer towards the end, a smile forming on his lips. it edges somewhat towards... sad? confused? content? ]

You care a lot about him, then. [ eiden smiles then, meaning it. ] He's really lucky to have you. I know I'd definitely feel so lucky, thinking differently or not.

[ it slips out, by accident. fukuzawa feels like a very safe place right now. ]

[allmenare]

...I do, yes. And...

[He trails off, unable to finish his thought: that he is growing to care for people here too. Eiden being one of them.

So he'll reach over to pat Eiden on the head instead.]

[silicone]

[ oh he... looks at him and hesitantly leans into it because maybe he definitely wants those right now (he is 23) pats. ]

I wouldn't be me, at the end of the day if that were the case, though... [ he laughs a little. ]

[allmenare]

...I've taken in a lot of strays since Ranpo. I'm sure you would fit right in.

[silicone]

I'm a little past the age of a young stray, don't you think?

[allmenare]

While most of my strays have been children when I found them, a couple have been adults. Dazai wasn't much younger than you when he joined the Agency.

[silicone]

[ he tilts his head a bit. dazai is definitely an author he's heard of but i think icly he's not going to put it together... ]

Huh, you have a lot of strays it sounds like, Fukuzawa... maybe this is a hobby?

[ with a little fondness ] It's okay, I kind of have strays of my own back in Klein.

[allmenare]

That's not the word I would use for it.

[But then Eiden mentions his own strays, which catches Fukuzawa's attention.]

Do you now?

[silicone]

You're a fascinating guy, Fukuzawa...

[ offering him a small smile. ]

And yeah. It's... complicated. But they're all great guys. Good hearts. [ he pauses, thoughtful. and then. ] For the most part?

[allmenare]

There's always that one who is a bit persnickety, isn't there?

[silicone]

That's... such a nice way of putting it.

[ but he snorts a little. ]

[allmenare]

Brevity is the soul of wit.

[Also it's important to be at least somewhat polite.]

[silicone]

Ultimately, it's all about learning where they're coming from.

[allmenare]

Oh? Is that how you win them over?