Chapter Text
“What the hell...?”
Yosuke mumbled before the tall building before him.
A smooth, sleek house not far from the twisted shopping district, right at the place Yu's house should be.
The fact he saw Yu just entering it does not help either.
Yosuke was just chilling out at Junes's electronics departement. Finding himself looking at the headphones on shelves, thinking he could maybe take a spare, he does bring his headphones into the TV World, it was pretty much a countdown until they broke because of some attacks or accidents.
He turns his head to look down section, and he perceives a familiar bowl-cut wearing leader.
As his mood instantly lit up from seeing his partner, he walks in his direction. As he was about to call out to him, he notices his expression.
This is not his usual serious-looking face. It's something completely different. Only he would be able to tell, but it has a certain nuance he can't put his finger on.
Worry maybe ? It was too brief.
Yu stops himself in front of the “entrance TV”, glances sides to sides, before putting his hand in and entering.
A shriek escape from Yosuke's mouth.
And instantly, as if by instincts, he follows him in.
The house had a clean, plastic look to it. The same type Yosuke has seen a hundred times in the toy section. A doll's house. One you could open in two with just a push.
Although hat is certainly not posible with this one, as it's chained down with a rusted silver chain and lock doing several turns around the house, totally clashing with the aesthetic.
He had, understandably many questions. But none of them are going to get answered by standing around like a dolt in front of the creepy place your favorite guy just entered.
He rushed to, what looks likes the entrance door. A western style door, that you push and not slide to enter.
It was stupidly heavy, Yosuke grunted as he uses all of the arm strength to make it budge. As he finally cracks it open, he, obviously, in Prince of Disappointement fashion, falls face first onto the ground as his kunais make a clattering noise.
Urr... Of course...
He gets up to find himself in, what looks like the usual entrance of Yu's house. Expect for the plastic.
The ground he was on is obviously not what it should be. He remembers it being softer under his soles from his visits, and it wouldn't have made that clattering noise if it was soft.
He looks around, and his greeteed by more “fakes”.
The sofa was obviously hard, the chair were too “squared” to be real, the tissue under the kotatsu looks the same type as the one dolls are dressed in. But more creepy is the dolls around the kotatsu and on the chair.
On the chair was a looks like a very old doll of Dojima-san, right next to a newspaper. The same kind of doll his mother desbribed when she talks of her childhood.
But the kotatsu is where the really strange stuff is.
One is a typical kid's doll of Nanako-chan, and the rest was...
The Investigation Team. All of them in place the real ones would be.
Yukiko next to Chie, Kanji next to Naoto but a tiny bit farther on the side, Teddie next to Nanako-chan...
But there isn't one of Yu.
There's not one of Yosuke either.
One part of him is reassured to not be a part of the freak show, but the other is at loss.
The whole crew is here. He should be here. Both him and Yu. So where is he ?
The fact that the dolls are right on point does not help.
Rise is like those type of dolls you can change the clothes on, Kanji was the 100% hand-made, Yukiko's was traditional...
In the middle of his investigation, he found himself staring at what, would've been, Yu's place, with him by his side of course.
But it's empty.
He started to feel lonely.
He needed to go somewhere else, just do something.
Let's see upstairs. Yeah upstairs.
But as soon as he put a foot on the stairs, something is wrong.
Yu's stairs are squeaky, but there isn't any noise. Come to think of it, the only noise he made since entering was the kunai clutter. And on top of that, the entrance, it was heavy, but he saw Yu pushing it without any problem, and where is Yu !?
His confusion made him hurry upstairs.
He found another replica, of Yu's room this time.
God this is just a new level of weird.
But out of all the questions he asked himself, one was answered.
Where his doll was, on the futon.
He walked towards it to pick it up. His was... weird.
It was tiny and cute, wearing his uniform, it's even got the headphones. It was also a bit squishy, like a antistress, it's warm as well. Was it this type of dolls you can warm up by putting in the microwave ? It smells too. It smelled raw. Like, skin raw. The odor your sheets have when you sleep in it after some days, but it was a very strong smell. It also kind of smells like...
Yu.
A lot like Yu.
It reeks Yu.
Of course he would know Yu's smell. It's Yu ! He's his partner, and best friend, and... well it's Yu.
Now that he thinks about it, the whole place kind of have Yu's smell. But only his though.
He noticed that one of the pads of the headphones looked like a button.
He probably shouldn't press it.
And as he was about to...
He heard squeaky noises. The stairs.
His instincts instantly told him to hide. Too bad there isn't many place to hide in here, the only option was the cupboard next to the TV.
He runed to it, opened it, it was weirdly heavier as well, and hid like his life depended on it. Only leaving it a tiny bit ajar to be able to peek through.
The squeaky noise stopped. A figure appeared through the gap, it was Yu. Yosuke let out a sigh of relief, but hesitant to come out of his hiding spot. Before he could decide what to do, Yu fumed :
“I know you're here. Show yourself.”
Oh crap he knows I'm here, god he's gonna kill m-
But once again, before he could act, he heard another voice, a very unsettling voice saying :
- “Shouldn't you say “Show myself” ?”
Yosuke let out a tiny shriek before covering his mouth with his hand. He knew what that voice sounded like.
Yu.
And a Shadow.
Wasn't hard to put 2 and 2 together.
He couldn't see it, but he already knew.
“Oh look ! The leader came alone ? What, you were scared of your little buddies reactions ? Pathetic weakling.”
Shadows were always pretty insulting.
They make fake footage of you, braodcasted to the entire town, of course they're insulting. But to say it to your face like that... They insulted you, but in more subtle ways, by just describing how you feel, But damn.
“Didn't bring the idol ? Oh yeah, too annoying. Seriously, how much do we need to say “no” to her ? URG. What a clingy bitch.”
There was a little silence after that. Yosuke could still see Yu through the gap, he looked pissed, but the “I'm in control of my anger pissed”.
“Um ? No good ? Eh should've known. Let's see...
Nah I'm just messing with you. I know this won't make you budge. No need to look so tense “me”.
-What do you want ?
-You already know. But start by showing some fucking emotions. I'm so freaking tired of playing the cool card, oh yeah that's right, if we don't they could catch on.
Catch on to what ? You already know too. That they're just my little playthings.”
Playthings ?
That would explain the whole doll house aesthetic going on. But what does that mean ? Yu is still keeping the same face.
“They do what I tell them to do, they fawn over me like I'm some god, fuck, they give me power without even knowing ! Sometimes I just want them to shut their traps, give me that boost and call it a day.”
Yu mentionned that his Persona power grows stronger with his bond with others, If you view it that way, anyone becomes a factory for power, of course there is some self-interest...
But he knows that's not all there is to it. It's only a small part, of course there is a selfish desire, but there is other things too, it's not the whole truth. Yu appreciate his friends, he's sure of it.
“Come on ! Can you say something ? There is no one to do the talking for you unlike your little friendly reunions. Are you gonna call someone up ? After all, you can put anyone where they need to be and they'll be ok with it ! Want Naoto to do a run-down ? “Very well senpai ! My brain is all I'm good for anyway !”, want Chie to beat up a Shadow in your stead ? “Ok Yu-kun ! Cuz I'm too stupid to question you anyway !” !
God, does anything makes you react ? What am I talking about ?
Of course there is.”
Yosuke shifted uncomfortably after that sentence, a chill running down his spine.
“Those little things we wish would happen but we know it's just wishfull thinking.
Aww look at you ! I'm talking about things we wish and you think about that. How adorable.
You know a way to just... speed up the process.”
Yu expression had a slight change. A very slight one, but enough for his partner to pick on.
“OOOOH, I just touched a nerve ! FINALLY, the robot is showing some fucking emotions ! You know how much it hurts to keep it all inside. Especially with Yo-
- Shut up.”
Yosuke was lost. All he has to understand the situation are snippets of info without context. Something he wishes, that he can speed up but doesn't. Altough Yu sounded so icy, he doesn't know what he's talking about, but this is a sore subject. God what's going on ???
- “What's the matter ? Are you pissed when I talk about your little boytoy...?
- I said shut up.”
Boytoy !? What's he talking about !?
- “What ? Are you gonna say he isn't your boytoy ? You give him half-smiles he flashes you back with a full one, you ask him to jump he says “how high ?”, you could be crushing him beneath your foot he'll enjoy it. No matter what you do, he'll praise you and cherish you like you're the most amazing thing in the world, that's all he's good for anyway !
- How dare you...
- Oh yeah how dare ME for enjoying it !!”
Yu looked... shocked. Very much so. This emotion is just so unusual on his face. He was gritting his teeth. This was not good.
“Don't look so stunned ! Everytime he looks up to you, says that you're awesome, how much you're better than him, you fucking like it.
“You're so cool !”, “I wish I had your strength !”, “I'm so jealous !”, that's right ! Keep stroking my ego, so I won't feel guilty about stroking my dick at the thought of you !”
Stroking his...? What...?
- “Stop...
- Stop ? That's what you should stop doing ! Who fucking cares about what he could think !? He's my toy ! MINE ! Just go see him at the Samegawa or some shit, smoothtalk him for a bit until he starts drooling over us like all of those dumbass bitches we're not even interested in, then once he's doing his puppydog eyes and wagging his tail ready to accept any crap we throw at him, jut tackle him a do one of those hot make outs you dream so lovingly about.
- Just stop...
- And if that doesn't work, just “speed up the process” with some emotional manipulation ! Bring back so many bad memories to the point he'll do anything to feel worth again, then fuck him in the mattress like the savage we are ! Who cares if it ruins our “friendship” ? All I want is the power boost, and for him to fawn over me so I can finally know how it feels to love someone and to have them adore me back.
I'm so fucking tired having to keep appearances, “You're a real bro !”, “You're my best friend !”, “Let's be equals !” fuck that shit.
I'll tie him up to me, I'll manipulate him, I'll BREAK him if that what it takes for him TO LOVE ME.
- Stop !
- And then... And then... When he won't be able to hold back his pulsions... When he'll finally crack... I'll wisper in his ear :
“How does it feel to be tied up ?”
“How does it feel to break ?”
“How does it feel to be my toy !??”
- HE'S NOT YOUR TOY !!
- You're right.
He's not MY toy.
He's OUR toy.
Because you're me. Because I'm you.
And because he's OUR PARTNER.
- NO ! YOU'RE NOT ME !!!
- PARTNER NO !!”
Yosuke stormed out of his hidding spot. The whole scenery was shattered in one fell swoop. What was previously Yu's room in now the boards of a scene.
Shadow Yu was laughing maniacally.
- “OOOh and he heard everything ! What a PLOT-TWIST ! But it's too late sweetheart. In this show, I write the scenario, cuz I'm the puppetmaster !”
He disapeared in a cloud of dark fog, before reapppearing as a twisted monster.
A grey doll full of holes holding 6 dolls by strings, the dolls of the Investigation Team, with Yosuke's being tied in the hole in the place of his heart by red strings.
“I am a Shadow. The true self.”
“Let's play. We'll see which one of us breaks first !”