Work Text:
July 2012
“Aw geez, how long are they gonna take?” Labrys pouted, as she sat under one of the umbrellas in Junes while a downpour of rain poured down in front of her.
It was a rare time for the android, having finally gotten some time off from her work at the Shadow Operatives so decided to go and give her friends from Inaba a visit, especially since Narukami will be coming over in a week.
“But I just had to come on the same day they were doing their exams! And right when it started raining too” Labrys pouted, laying her head on the table “I can’t even go explore with all this rain.”
“Don’t worry Laby-chan! I’m here for you” Teddie smiled, running up to her. Not wearing his usual mascot outfit but instead the Junes uniform which consisted of a Junes themed apron alongside a white shirt and black trousers “We can have tons of fun together all on our own! And perhaps something extra special will happen.”
“No offense Ted, I’m glad for the offer, but ain’t ya supposed to be workin’ now?” Labrys asked, with a raised eyebrow.
“Don't worry Laby-chan! What my bosses won't know, won't hurt the-” “TEDDIE! WHERE ARE YOU! YOUR SUPPOSED TO SET UP THE RAIN COAT DISPLAY!”
“Ah! Coming Papa Hanamura!” Teddie yelped, running off.
Labrys couldn’t help but snicker watching Teddie getting chewed out by Yosuke’s dad before someone walked up to her.
"Sorry for the wait Labrys-chan, I'm sure Yo-kun and his friend will be done in a bit!" Yosuke's mom said, walking up to her "And they'll all be happy to see you two, especially Yosuke. I've seen how he looks when he talks about you."
Labrys cheeks turned a small shade of red before waving her hand "It's okay ma'am, I'm fine with waiting for them here. Just not alot to do you know."
"Well I'm sure you'll find something to keep yourself busy, they're almost done after all." Yosuke's mom nodded before walking back to continue helping her husband manage the store
“Time’s almost up huh…” Labrys muttered, seeing that it was almost time for her friends to finish up their exams before smirking as she glanced down at the Rain coats.
Labrys then stood back up and took her over to the rain coats to purchase one of them with the pocket money Kirijo had given her for her trip.
A few moments later, Labrys walked out of Junes now dressed in a bright yellow rain coat. Even managing to hide her hair within the coat thanks to Fuuka managing to remove the majority of the metal armouring on her head for when she is in a casual setting.
“Hehe, gotta thank Fuuka-san for that” Labrys smiled, looking at herself in the window’s reflection before turning around “Bet the others are gonna be hella surprised at seeing me!”
Nodding to herself Labrys walked ahead to meet her friends and surprise them at their school.
Floodplain
“Let’s see here, if I remember right. Yosuke told me it’s just past here” Labrys muttered, as she walked down the road next to a large lake.
She passed by here a few times the last time she had come to Inaba during Golden Week, though this was empty compared to the last time she was here due to the heavy rain.
However as she passed by the steps she couldn’t help but notice someone at the bottom of the hill, she was surprised to see someone near the taller bits of grass near the water.
While she couldn’t tell what the person looked like due to the black rain coat he was wearing that was a lot bigger than what a kid his age would usually wearing, covering his whole body except for his face which had curly black hair and a pair of glasses that had become foggy and covered in rain drops. And from Labrys’s scans he looked about 11 or 12 years old.
‘What’s a kid like him doing out here? Ain’t he meant to be in school?’ Labrys wondered, looking down at him before humming ‘Guess I got a bit of extra time.’
“Here you go, hope you're hungry” The black hair kid smiled, as he placed down a small box in front of the tall grass next to the lake.
“What’cha got their kid-” “Huh? Wha!” The kid yelped jumping back and dropping the box releasing a lot of insects which surprised Labrys.
“AH!” Labrys blinked, quickly grabbing the box and getting all the insects back inside.
“There we go, sorry for scaring ya.” Labrys apologised picking up the dropped box and hanging back to the kid “I just wanted to know what you were doing all the way out here, specially with a box of insects.”
“O-Oh okay” The boy slowly nodded, taking the box back “I just thought they’d be hungry…”
“They?” Labrys asked, turning her head while the boy pointed to the grass.
Labrys looked, following his finger as she found a group of 4 frogs all around the grassy terrain “Oh I get ya, you wanted to try feeding them.”
“Y-Yeah, I’ve been doing it for a few days now” He admitted, taking out a pair of chopsticks and picking up one of the insects before placing it in front of the frog.
“Woah!” Labrys blinked, as the frog shot its tongue out at the insect and pulled the insect back into its mouth “That was so cool! How did it do that! Can it do it again?”
“You didn’t know Frogs can shoot out their tongues?” The young boy asked, looking confused.
“Ah” Labrys blinked, realising she accidentally let slip some of her naivety to the outside world “Hehe kinda, I spent a lot of time in the door I’m still learning a lot stuff about the outside world you know.”
Labrys hoped that the young boy bought her lie, as she was still getting used to mingling with normal people, and the boy staring at her for a good few moments didn’t help her nervousness.
“...Okay.” The boy nodded and quickly turned back to feeding the frogs.
‘Phew’ Labrys sighed with relief as she continued watching the kid continuing to feed the frogs.
“Hey mind if I have a try?” Labrys asked, as the kid looked over at her for a moment.
“Um…okay,” Ren nodded, handing her a pair of chopsticks.
“Okay! Here goes nothing” Labrys grinned, diving the chopsticks into the box…and missing each of the insects she tried grabbing.
‘Come on! The others used these all the time! Why are they so tricky?’ Labrys cried in her head as she kept trying to grab an insect.
“D-Do you not know how to use chopsticks?” The boy asked, making her jump.
“H-Huh! Of course I do, these bugs just move a lot! Watch this” Labrys declared, diving in and finally catching it “Hah! See.”
“That’s great! Now you have to give it to him.” The boy smiled.
“R-Right…” She nodded, slowly moving the insect in front of the frogs before one of them shot their tongue out and ate it “He ate it”
“Hehe, looks like Croakey like them” He smiled.
“Croakey?” Labrys blinked, looking over at the boy “You named them? Can you tell me”
“A-Ah um…yeah…but it’s kind of embarrassing…” he muttered, looking down.
“Come on, it's not gonna hurt ya just to tell me” Labrys urged on as the boy looked at her before pointing at the frogs.
“Croaky, Oaky, Smokey…” The boy counted down, pointing at each one before landing on the last one. “That’s a new one so I haven’t named him yet.”
“Huh? Mind if I name him?” Labrys asked, looking at the boy who shook his head.
“I don’t mind, I was having trouble thinking of one” He told her as Labrys smiled.
“Thanks! Let’s see here…” Labrys hummed, trying to think of a good name for the frogs.
“I know! Todd! You know cause their Toads” Labrys grinned, causing Ren to look at her with an exasperated expression “Uh did I say something wrong.”
“Um…their Frogs, not Toads” Ren clarified, making her blink.
“Oh…” Labrys pouted “And I thought Todd was a good name.”
“It’s okay, I made the same mistake too.” The boy assured the android“Besides! Todd’s a good name too, let’s go with that.”
“Hehe thanks” Labrys smiled, sitting down “So, mind if I ask you a question kid.”
“What is it?” The boy asked.
“What are you doing out here in the rain and not in school?” She asked, making him go silent “I mean I bet your friends and the teachers are worried about you.”
“...I don’t have any friends there…and the teacher’s don’t care if I’m there or not…” He told her looking down at the fishes and frogs in the lake.
“Really? Why wouldn’t they care about you?” Labrys asked, looking at the boy with a concerned look.
“It’s because I’m quiet and do things that others find weird…not just the kids… everyone thinks I’m weird…” he muttered, messing the grass “Even my parents think I’m weird…”
Labrys was silent as she stared at the boy messing with the grass ‘Huh…he kind of reminds me…of me…’
“Hey kid…could I show you something.” Labrys asked, as the boy looked at her.
“Sure…” he nodded, as Labrys placed her arm in front of the boy's gaze before pulling her raincoat.
“Ah- your arm…” he muttered, seeing the red mechanical arm.
“I’ve seen that in Dad’s book…a prosthetic arm right?” He asked, having a little trouble pronouncing the word “Did you lose your arm.”
“...Something like that yeah…my whole body’s like that…and for a long time everyone around me just treated me like a thing…a tool for them to use and throw away…but…a while ago…I met some guys who didn’t care that I was different and weird…they accepted me for who I was even when I couldn’t.” Labrys told the boy with a soft smile.
“They sound like good friends…” The boy nodded with a soft smile.
“Do you have anyone like that kid?” Labrys asked, looking at him.
“I do…I got 7 great friends…they’re all way older than me…and some are even weirder than I am but they all accepted me without a doubt” He smiled, before feeling the girl rubbing his head.
“Well there ya go! As long as you keep on making friends with people like them, people who can accept you then I’m sure you’ll turn out alright” she smiled.
“Huh…” The boy muttered, holding his head “Maybe you’re right…”
“Told ya, by the way. What’s your name.” Labrys asked, as the boy blinked.
“Oh, my name is-” RRRRIIIINNNNGGGG!!!!
Before the boy could answer the two heard a loud ringing “Huh? What’s that?”
“Ah that’s my school, break is over” The boy said, getting up “Sorry but I should head back.”
“Huh, oh alright. I should probably head too, my buds are probably done with their exams now, I was gonna go and surprise them.” She explained, the boy nodding as they walked up the stairs “Hope to see ya again kid.”
“Same to you too, ma’am” The boy bowed respectfully before walking down the road to his school while Labrys went in the direction of Yasogami.
“Guess I gotta keep fighting even harder now as a Shadow Operative…if I wanna protect his future and the future’s of all my friends.” Labrys nodded to herself as she walked to Yasogami to meet with her friends.