Enter Free For All [any universe, any version, just let me know, noisy muse is noisy, etc.~]

[interpolate]

Metaroids could be truly interesting things. To think that a Metaroid from a film projector could create life-like, realistic and, most importantly, solid and tangible images... To consider the power inherent in simple kitchen tools...

Discovering the existence of polygraph machines was trés bien as far as Enter was concerned, and upon corrupting one of these marvelous machines with Metavirus: Shinjitsu, he was presented with a Metaroid that could, through the facilitation of small darts, force the victim to speak only the truth.

What havoc they will wreak together. Magnifique!

Comments

[emperortoughguy]

I nod along while he speaks, then pause when I realize he's not just talking but actually asking me a question.

Then I realize I have absolutely no idea what he asked.

Might as well be honest.

"Uh. What?"

[wheeloffortune]

He doesn't follow my words, and I can't blame him. I'm fairly certain not a single one of my peers would have followed the entirety of that sentence.

I've spent too long lost in police reports and detective novels. I really need to remember that not everyone has my vocabulary, nor should they.

To be fair, Kanji could probably ramble on about yarn related crafts and I wouldn't understand a single word of what he was talking about.

"You're so cute." I blurt out suddenly. Then nearly bite my tongue in half. Why on earth would I say that aloud!?

"I- uh. I-I mean..." My cheeks are burning, and I reach up to tug my hat down slightly. "What I mean is, was that the first attack like that th-that's happened in Inaba? Or have these things b-been happening for a while?"

[emperortoughguy]

Judging by the look on his face, I figure if it were anyone but Naoto-kun they'd start teasing me for being slow. Big dumb Kanji, mostly he's just fit for hittin' stuff.

But it's Naoto-kun, so I know he ain't gonna tease me, he'll just try to dumb it down for me a little.

Only instead he calls me cute.

My hands had gone for a project all of their own accord while we were talking, and the doll falls out of my hands with it's head only half sewn on, stuffing spilling out of it's neck.

I think my face is gonna burn off. Naoto hides his eyes and I look away, towards anything else, the wall, or my futon-

Fuck, no, not my futon.

The wall, then.

"Uh, n-no." His stammering ain't any worse than mine is. "I mean, there's a-always weird shit goin' on but n-nothing like that freaky guy." I try to keep the conversation going without addressing the cute comment.

Not that I ain't curious, but I can tell it made Naoto uncomfortable to say it and I ain't about to harp on it like some of our friends probably would.

"You don't think he was some kinda Shadow or somethin', do ya? Or maybe he was like, somethin' like what happened with that fuckin' cop? You don't think-" I pause and take a steadying breath, hoping enough time has passed to let the awkward go, 'cause I kinda gotta look at Naoto right now. "You don't think Izanami came back already, do ya?"

I pay attention sometimes. It ain't all just hittin' stuff.

[wheeloffortune]

Awkward, stammered moments pass between us, as we each pretend that outburst of mine did not happen.

Not that it was untrue. Kanji is cute, I have considered this about him before, weighed his features in comparison to the others of my age I associate with. Well, the male companions I keep, I've learned as I've grown that I don't find much personal enjoyment in looking at members of the opposite sex.

Opposite gender? That's probably more accurate. From what little I've read on my physical and mental situation.

But I digress, Kanji is attractive. I never thought a ruffian would be my type, but he's has a gentler side. His eyes are pleasant to look at, when I can bring myself to, and he's tall, strong, well proportioned...

I am not making this situation any easier on myself.

"I wouldn't rule out the possibility." I finally say, once I am able to look at him again, and him me. "Though it is probably too early to make that sort of call. It would be worth looking into though."

"Have you stayed close to the other members of the Investigation Team? I speak to Yu-senpai and Rise-chan sometimes, when they're not too busy, and Yosuke-senpai texts me at least five times a day with random inane babble." I try not to laugh at this, but I'm afraid my smile gives away my amusement.

"Are you dating anyone?"

...My eyes go wide, and I find myself clamping down on my tongue again.

[emperortoughguy]

I'm sure it's only a matter of time before shit starts going crazy again. Just the luck of Inaba. I don't like it, and I really don't like the idea that it might be happening again so soon.

I ain't even had my birthday yet.

"You're probably right." I agree, and grin when he asks about the rest of the team.

"Oh, yeah, you know, I see everyone at school in the halls and stuff, Chie-senpai, Yukiko-senpai, Yousuke." I grin awkwardly. "Second year's kinda boring without you and Rise though." I count the members out on my fingers. "And Teddie's still living with Yousuke's family, working at Junes, you know. And that leaves Yu-senpai but you probably talk to 'im more'n I do..."

Then he asks me...

What? What in the fuck is that supposed to mean?

And why, why does he, why would he, I mean, he, why would he care?

"Uhhhhhh."

Super eloquent, Kanji, and real classy too.

"N-no?"

[wheeloffortune]

"Please forgive me." I apologize as soon as my teeth release my tongue. "That was a private question that I had no right to ask, I am not sure what has come over me today."

I stand quickly, trembling a little. I smooth my pants down, though they don't need it, and repeat the action with my shirt.

"I should..." I adjust my hat.

I should probably go.

But I can't manage to get my mouth to work to actually speak the rest of that sentence. It's as if my mouth doesn't know them.

[emperortoughguy]

"Uh."

Come on, Kanji, get it together. Answer him. Say something.

I stand up too, and take a step closer to him, shaking my head. "No, it's alright, I mean, it's not. It's not super private or anything, I don't mind, I really don't..."

He pulls his hat down over his eyes and I know exactly what he's thinking even though he hasn't said it yet, and before I really realize what I'm doing I grab his arm just above the elbow.

"You don't have to leave."

[wheeloffortune]

My arm tingles where he garbs me, but not from the pressure of his hand, not in the normal, physical reaction sense of my arm being squeezed too hard.

No this is very much in the same category of physical reactions as my burning cheeks.

"I don't?" I look at up him, and blink. "I don't."

"I do not want to leave."

[emperortoughguy]

I don't quite realize I'm holding my breath until he says he doesn't actually want to leave, and then it all comes out in a rushed sigh.

"Good," I say, almost without thinking, and then I immediately take a step back from him and consider our options for second before I return to my crouch, guessing if he really wants to stay he can sit back down in the chair.

"I mean. If you gotta go, you gotta go, that's totally fine. I wouldn't want your granddad to be mad at you or nothing."

[wheeloffortune]

He crouches down again, and it is really quite amazing how tall he is. Crouched down like this, he is only a small amount shorter than I. Or perhaps I am just feeling extra small today. How irrational.

I miss the weight of his hand around my arm. It is an unusual sort of longing. A new one, one I should take time to process...

"Kanji-kun, I believe there is something very wrong with me. I see, to be suffering from an extreme lack of judgement, the kind I have read comes from imbuing significant quantities of alcohol. But as I have not recently, nor have I ever, imbued alcohol, I can only conclude that something else, possibly illness or something more supernatural, is effecting me."

I step closer to him, staring at his face.

"I must ask your forgiveness for what I am about to do, for it is crossing a line that I fear you do not want crossed. However, I find I am unable to stop myself."

I lean down the short distance between us, and press my lips against his.

[emperortoughguy]

I stare kinda blankly at Naoto as he starts rambling. I'm not even entirely sure I'm following what he's saying, 'cause it doesn't seem to make much sense, even if I translate it twice down from Naoto-speak into normal-speak then down again into Kanji-speak. Sorta seems like he's saying that he feels drunk but he's never been drunk, but then I wonder how he knows how it feels if he's never had a drink, and then I'm trying to figure out what he's expecting me to forgive him for because I'm a little distracted as he moves closer, and with me crouched down like this and him standing up, he's almost a head taller'n me and I have this fleeting thought that he probably likes that, but then he's standing right between where my knees are cocked out and he's leaning down and

Oh.

Oh!

I almost pull away just out of confusion and being startled but the much smarter part of me holds me still and knows that if I pull away first, Naoto might not ever come near me again.

And damn it, no matter what, that's the absolute last thing I want.

So I stay very very still, and I clutch at my own knees so I don't grab him because I don't want him to think I'm forcin' him to do nothin' he don't want, and... and my lips part, just a little bit. So... So I can taste him better.

[wheeloffortune]

What on earth has come over me!?

Why am I doing and saying these things? It is not at all like me, I am a rational person, I rarely even lose my temper...

Oh, Kanji's lips are softer than I had ever anticipated. Soft and warm and not at all unpleasant. I confess, I have never kissed anyone before, so I do not have a lot of examples to pull from for comparison, but this, this is...

His lips part, and my cheeks go hot. He is not pulling away, not shrieking and flinging himself across the room. Not yelling and demanding I get the, ahem, hell out of his room.

He is responding naturally, and I, being a human, find myself responding similarly. Fascinating.

I breathe out a sigh through my nose, and part my lips in answer to his.

[emperortoughguy]

I slowly start to rise from my crouch before I fall over, gotta equalize my center of gravity. I don't pull away from Naoto as I do it, though, I keep our mouths together somehow.

Alright, now I've got to admit that I've gone and got myself sunk a bit too deep, way out of my depth in fact, totally screwed.

I've never kissed anybody before, unless you count quick pecks to Ma's cheek when absolutely positively no one else can see. Which is a totally different thing from this anyway! This is...

Romantic, is the word, and my heart is pretty rapidly crawling its way up my throat like it wants to crawl down Naoto's and hide there in his chest along-side Naoto's own heart, and wow, that's kind of morbid, Kanji. But sorta romantic too. And I berate myself silently and the whole time I'm just bent down with my neck at an awkward angle and my lips pressed against Naoto's and both of our lips are parted and we're just... holding there, and I realize that neither of us knows what comes next.

Well, shit.

Well, I don't know how kissing's supposed to go, but Rise's made me watch enough of her videos and dramas with her that I know one thing that makes her squeal at inhuman pitches every time it happens. And I know I can do it, and while I'm not sure it's normally something two guys get up to... Well, except it sort of was, when Rise was in that one drama where she cross-dressed to get into an all boy's school and it happened, and while that's obviously not the same thing as me and Naoto, not at all, I think the principle stands, and besides, my neck hurts so I gotta do something about that.

So I put my arms around Naoto's waist (gods damn, he's small though) and squeeze tight but gentle, and I lift him up off his feet.

That's a little better, now at least I can breathe.

[wheeloffortune]

He stands, and I become acutely aware of how tall he is. I am always aware of it, especially when he stands next to me, even thought he tends to slouch when near me, and he really should not, it is bad for the back...

But now he is kissing me, and standing through it, and this must be incredibly awkward for him.

I wish I were taller. But I am not do for another growth spurt, I will possibly remain a foot shorter than him for the rest of our days, unless he continues to grow, as boys - natural boys - are wont to do in their last year of high school.

Perhaps I should pull away, and maybe apologize for being so bold. Or maybe we could move to sit, and continue from there?

I don't have long to dwell on these options, as Kanji's arms circle my waist, gentle even in their strength, and then he... he...

He lifts me up off my feet and holds me up against him. I can do little but squeak against his mouth at first, a most unmanly sound. I cling to his shirt; I have faith that he will not drop me, but still, the action is new and mildly distressing.

At least at first.

It is also exciting, and sends a curious thrill down my spine, and I choose to hold on to that feeling, and let the fear go.

[emperortoughguy]

Naoto makes the cutest little squeaking sound when I pick him up, and I don't think it's unmanly at all. It's just kind of adorable, and especially because of the way it makes me feel. Like I did something right, like I made the right decision anyway, despite my indecision and my fear.

Yeah, fear. I'll admit it, in my own head at least, that I'm scared shitless at the idea of... Well. As if everyone doesn't know already, most all of my friends anyway. Of being rejected. Sure I am! And it's all the worse with Naoto, knowing that he maybe don't know that about me.

Not that I want him to stick around out of pity or some sense of obligation or whatever.

Anyway, I'm able to breathe like this, and he's pretty light and I'm plenty strong, but still, after a while I figure maybe we should talk about this, so I lean down really careful like, so that Naoto's feet get on the floor properly again, and then I straighten with a little gasp and heavy eyelids.

"Wow."

[wheeloffortune]

I am back on the floor, feet firmly planted despite the uncertainty of my legs. My hands are still bunched up in his shirt, which now means my arms are reaching somewhat upwards, but I find I do not yet want to let go of him.

"Indeed." My voice comes out several times higher than I usually carry it. I blush furiously, and clear my throat.

"Please forgive me for being so bold, Kanji-kun. Again, I am not sure what has come over me today."

[emperortoughguy]

I don't even really notice Naoto's voice being different, I'm a bit distracted by how I feel really warm all the way down to my toes and it's not that warm in the house usually but right now it is. And he's still holding onto my shirt and I look down at him and he's so small and I don't mean that in a demeaning way or anything, it's just the truth. He's small. And I like it. It's cute. I wish I was small. I have a lot of times, wished that it were easier for me to just slip under the radar and go unnoticed. But I hit 183 cm towards the end of middle school, there was no chance.

I'm not even sure why I'm thinking about all this stuff, except that I think I'm trying to distract myself from how I wanna kiss him again.

Doesn't work though, because the second the thought passes my mind I'm doing it without thinking, leaning down, ducking my shoulders and neck, and kissing him right as he finishes saying "today".

[wheeloffortune]

I make a small, startled sound against Kanji's mouth when he kisses me again. A pleasant sort of startled, but startled nonetheless. He is standing again, but the angle seems less awkward for him this time, better planned.

I wonder if Kanji has thought this way about me before, and my cheeks darken all the more. It could just be that he is acting in the moment, without and pre-meditations, but I know Kanji well enough to know he can be quite thoughtful at time.

After my surprise has somewhat tapered off, I find myself acting quite unexpectedly. I lift my arms up, and cup Kanji's cheeks, thumbs resting on the sharp definition of his cheekbones.

[emperortoughguy]

Naoto's hands come up and for a second I'm sure he's about to push me away, but he doesn't. He rests his hands on my face, holding me in place, and it's fucking super romantic, like, so romantic even Rise wouldn't know what to do with it 'cept combust, I bet.

I keep my hands on Naoto's shoulders for the time being, not wanting to wander, not wanting to push this in case he's not really sure he wants it, or something. I wouldn't be surprised, he'd been saying weird stuff and feeling off all day, so I imagine he's maybe not fully in control of all of his mental faculties, as he'd say.

After another lingering moment I break the kiss again with a shaky sigh and look down into his eyes.

"Naoto-kun, I... I'm sorry. I just... I didn't want you to think I was only kissin' you back 'cause you were kissin' me. I wanted, I wanted you to know that I really, I really didn't mind, I really liked it and... I mean, if that's all it is and you feel like it's been a mistake, that's okay too. I promise we can still be friends."

[wheeloffortune]

"Of course we can still be friends." That much is certain, no matter what passes between us - unless he commits some act against me that is truly reprehensible, which I do not think is likely - I am certain we will always be friends.

Now there is just the question of being involved in such a way that is beyond friendship.

I very much desire such a thing with him, but I do not know Kanji's own feelings on the matter, exactly what sort of arrangement would be mutually beneficial.

"I would however like to make the suggestion that we possibly explore and engage in activities that go beyond the boundaries of mere friendship."

I am quite certain my face has never been the particular shade of red that it currently is.

[emperortoughguy]

Well, that's definitely something, and I breathe a little sigh of relief I didn't realize I was holding.

He continues, but I'm so caught up in the relief that no matter what happens after today I'm not gonna lose him completely (I've lost too many friends who just didn't understand, but Naoto's different, he's special, he's the most special guy I've ever met after Senpai and I just... I don't wanna lose him), and he uses way too many big words in casual conversation, never mind when he's trying to be really serious and intent and... detective and embarrassed too.

I think I catch maybe three words on the first pass, and then I pause for a long moment and try to parse his words more carefully.

Make the suggestion, so an offer of some type. Possibly explore and... engage in activities? Beyond the boundaries...

Of mere...

Friendship.

I stare down at him a little blankly, my mouth silently forming the words, beyond the boundaries of mere friendship.

"So, uh. Then. Are you sayin'... You wanna kiss again?"

[wheeloffortune]

I wait patiently, and watch a serious of expressions of contemplation pass over his face, as he sorts through my words. He is not stupid, I would never consider him so, and those that do do not know him as I do. Have not fought beside him, have not listened to his truly insightful nature, a nature clouded by his attitude and manner of dress.

Not that his attitude and manner of dress do not have their own unique appeal. I have... certainly noted their appeal on many occasions.

He comes to the simplest conclusion, and while it was not all I was trying to ask of him, it is not exactly unrelated or untrue.

I let out a small, breathless sort of laugh. Not a malicious one, and I hope he does not take it as mocking, because it is truly a laugh of pure affection.

"Yes, Kanji. I would very much like to kiss again."

A half second later, I realize I dropped the honorific from his name.

[emperortoughguy]

Now he's laughing at me, but I don't think he means it mean like. I think it's supposed to be a 'laughing with' kind of laugh but I don't feel like laughing much.

I feel like kissing him.

So I do, damn it. I lean down, and I put one hand at his waist and I grab the back of his neck with the other and I kiss him, a little harder than the last two times, a bit more forceful more...

Needy?

And it's not until then that I realize he just called me Kanji, no -kun, for the first time.

Damn.

[wheeloffortune]

His hands spread around me, wide and strong, one near my waist, the other steady at the back of my neck. And then he is kissing me again, more fiercely, with much more passion.

Needy, I think. Is the correct word for it. Quite needy.

I do not mind.

I do not mind at all.

My own hands move to his hips, gripping lightly, cautiously, making sure this is a touch that I desired, that is not unwanted. But I... enjoy the feel of his hips, all sharp bones and lean muscle...

And then I realize how intimate a touch this is, something reserved for... well, for lovers. And my face goes so hot. So hot I feel I must be burning him.

But I... do not want to stop. Not now that we've started.

[emperortoughguy]

He grabs onto my hips, and he's really strong for being a little guy. Not that it hurts, it's just firm, it's real and concrete and holding me down right here, right now, not letting me float away into the mental space of what if's and who me's and why now's.

I think he's blushing, but maybe it's just my blush reflecting off his face, because I'm burning up. And... And I don't think all of it is embarrassment.

After a moment, or maybe it's several moments, or a week or two, I can't breathe anymore, it's like I forgot how, and I break my mouth away from his and tip my head down so I'm not gasp-panting right in his face.

"Sh-shit." It's a good curse, just overwhelmed, not upset. But who knows how he'll take it. He can be really jumpy.