#♔♫ —— 𝕡𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕛𝕦𝕟𝕖𝕤┊(yosuke.)

[arcanalight]

     The neutral face of displeasure. You both know what you’ve done.

[arcanalight]

"Yosuke, I just met some prick named Katsuragi. Who he is and how does he know you?" | @obeysword​ sent !

↳ Unprompted | always accepting !

     Pure ice settled into the pit of Yosuke’s stomach, a violent shiver coursing through him large enough that he couldn’t even hope to hide it. For a moment he scarcely dared to breathe, the venom in Yu’s voice paralyzing him, gaze rooting him to the spot. His heart skipped a beat, and then a moment later another, finally prompting movement from him once again. Pressing a hand to his chest, Yosuke tore his eyes away from Yu and looked instead to the darkened phone screen sitting beside him.

     “You...actually met him...?”

     His voice was quiet, softer than it ought to have been. He hated it. Why did Yu make him feel guilty when he had done nothing wrong? Katsuragi and he had been friends once, though Yosuke had wondered more than once if he was more invested than the other boy. Still, it was actually kind of nice to hear from someone. Getting the texts out of the blue had shocked him, but it had made him feel as though he was worth being remembered. Was that such a terrible thing?

     “We were friends before I moved to Inaba. I’ve told you about him...” In a sense. There had been a day he complained about not getting texts and only getting spam messages. That counted, didn’t it...?

[arcanalight]

     With the anniversary of the events of P4 starting rn I’ve been thinking a lot about Yosuke again. (But then again when am I not). When you first meet Yosuke in game he’s trying really hard to be polite and cheerful, like he’s afraid to speak up too much or show too much of himself. It’s obvious no one really likes him in town, and while Chie and Yukiko have been civil with him it’s never been...friendly, if that makes sense? Like I always thought the three of them would be cute friends, but its obvious they hadn’t gotten there. Yosuke was very polite when he spoke to Chie about borrowing her DVD and while that could have been just because he actually broke it, I feel like he was always sort of reserved, since people always complained about how he was ‘too much’. 

     Yu arriving changed a lot, though. Not only was he the buffer between Yosuke and the others, but he didn’t care about Yosuke’s past. He didn’t care that Yosuke was too energetic or that he was burdened with all of these issues. I do think Yosuke’s self-deprecation became an issue, but not in the way Yosuke expected it to. It wasn’t annoying as much as it was concerning, and I think through his link and interactions with Yu Yosuke starts to change that. Or at least he tries to. Yu is the first person to really give him that positive encouragement and helps him unlearn so many toxic behaviors. He’s a work in progress, but he’s trying.

     I do think Yosuke is dependent in a lot of ways. He tries to please his dad even when he’s overwhelmed with work (and life in general). He tried to please people he called friends even when he knew they didn’t like him. There’s a desperation there to be loved and wanted, and that’s not a bad thing at all, but something more tragic when you dig deep down. But through his relationship with Yu you get to see him grow to be more independent, too. He’s a lot more mature than people give him credit for, and he’s able to grow with Yu’s love and support. He’s always going to be dependent on Yu, but he’s able to do his own thing at the same time. It’s a balance, which is what I feel is really the beautiful thing about Yosuke. At the start of the game it’s very clear how unbalanced he is, but he finds that center as time goes by. Masculine and feminine, light and dark, dependent and independent. It’s really fascinating, and his bond with Yu really made that happen.

     Because of this equilibrium Yosuke is able to accept a lot of things about himself and become the person he really wanted to be. Of course it’s not instant, but by the P5 timeline there’s immense growth and change. He finds where he belongs, he creates what he loves, and he reaches out to people, which has always been one of his core traits. Yosuke is really a ray of warm sunlight, and it’s terrifying to think how close this light came to being permanently snuffed out. 

[arcanalight]

     Following up on the subject of music: Yosuke begins posting videos of himself singing sometime after moving to Tokyo with Yu. It takes a while for him to build the confidence to do so, but getting out of Inaba and away from toxic masculinity really opens Yosuke’s eyes to a lot. He can dress the way he wants, be the person he wants, pursue his dreams even if they seem impossible. And opening his heart and posting something so important, so intimate really bolsters his self-confidence. 

     At first he just posts covers of songs, and like most videos they don’t go far. But Yosuke doesn’t give up, signing up for different social medias, posting videos, covers, original songs, cute pets--everything he can think of. And after a while his content actually takes off. People are listening to his music, following him, appreciating him. They care about his music, about his stupid little videos about his daily life, about his cats, his dog. About him. 

     Although it’s a little overwhelming, Yosuke embraces his popularity and helps it grow. He begins to stream, both music and video games, he makes videos responding to comments and grows as a person and an artist. By his Persona 5 timeline he’s a well-known presence online, and although he isn’t a musician on a stage, his music sells. His streams have incredible numbers. People recognize him in the street: he’s actually famous. His music touches people, and that’s what he cares about most. Yosuke accepts himself as who he is and works hard to help others do the same. To be a voice for people who grew up with the same sort of struggles he experienced. 

[arcanalight]

     Something important that I’ve not talked about in length: Yosuke is not a pervert, and I don’t want him to be treated as such. The game(s) have had some pretty nasty bits regarding this and it makes me really uncomfortable? Especially the dirty magazines and swimsuit stuff. I just feel like it really undermines his character and I hate having him reduced to a trope. They do this with Junpei and Ryuji too and I really don’t like them being boxed into a specific role. Now, if you’re interacting with him and your character calls him a pervert I probably won’t get upset? Especially since Yosuke says some really dumb stuff without thinking, and characters are free to take things wrong (especially when he’s trying too hard!) but if it’s a recurring issue brought up for no reason then I’m going to end up very upset. And so is Yosuke.

     Early in the game’s timeline, Yosuke is trying very hard to fit a certain image. He’s been subjected to toxic masculinity his entire life, and a lot of behaviors need to be unlearned. That doesn’t excuse the things he ends up doing, but a lot of it feels very wrong, and seems to have been added in just for the trope value. He does talk about girls early on, but a lot of that is A) loneliness and a desire to be loved and B) a desperate attempt to prove to himself that he’s straight. Yosuke is bi, and mine’s canonically in love with Yu and that will not change, and that scares the hell out of him. For a long time he can’t even entertain the thought, and that leads to saying (and doing) some stupid things. I believe he would have extensively apologized to Kanji at one point because of the things he’s said, and if he ever did anything to upset any of the girls he’d apologize to them too. But he does not keep dirty magazines, he does not have a nurse fetish, and he does not creep on girls. Or anyone, for that matter.

     Yosuke is actually very sweet and soft, but insecure and he tries to hide it. In reality he has a very low drive, he doesn’t think about these kinds of things often? He’s very vanilla and innocent, but he’s been around people who push him to be tougher, more masculine, more traditional, all these sorts of things and it takes a long time to not only realize what he’s doing, but to change for the better. Yu helps him see a lot of things differently, that he can accept his feminine side as well as his masculine side, that he can like men as well as women, that he doesn’t have to be anyone but himself. He isn’t weak for being gentle and kind. He isn’t weird. Yosuke is just a teenage boy with a lot of self-esteem issues who’s struggling to figure out who he really is. 

[arcanalight]

     --He might not be sure of what’s going on, but for some reason he’s suddenly very annoyed. Funny how that works.

[arcanalight]

"You're very foxy."  | @obeysword​ sent ! 🦊

↳ Unprompted | always accepting !

     “Very foxy?” The phrase stumped him for a moment, the little LOADING circle in his brain practically visible as he stalled out. Of course he understood the meaning behind it, but it was such an odd thing to say out of the blue that he didn’t exactly seem to know how to respond. Ultimately he laughed, that bright, warm, musical tone of pure happiness, the sort of laugh Yu often drew from him yet others rarely did.

     “Dude, what year is that from? I didn’t even know people still said that!”

[arcanalight]

[ ✉ to 花村 ]: We rly should! :D And I know just the place.

[ ✉ to 花村 ]: there's this cafe in Yongen-Jaya. a hole in the wall. quaint. has good vibes.

↳ 桂木 sent a map link 🌏🔗

[ ✉ to 花村 ]: U free tomorrow at 3? its a date.💜 ;) | @textsfromkatsuragi​ sent !

↳ Unprompted | always accepting !

[Text to: Katsuragi] That’s not far from here! I can make it tomorrow :)

[Text to: Katsuragi] A date lmao 😂😂😂

[Text to: Katsuragi] My boyfriend would lose his mind if he read that omg 😩

[Text to: Katsuragi] Oh!! Yeah, uh...that’s probably a whole thing I gotta talk about huh?? Surprise I guess!!

[Text to: Katsuragi] Wow, that’s rly weird to suddenly talk about over text. ANYWAY 3 tomorrow!! I’ll see you there!

[arcanalight]

(p5 verse bc someone wanted out ♥)

Valentines, a day he'd once hated reaching only to, over the last few years, begin to enjoy. The right company made all the difference. A bouquet of assorted flowers, and Yu knew he was probably the only person who'd requested one without roses in the mix. A romantic meal by candlelight set out for two. Heart-shaped steaks weren't uncommonly bought this time of year, but for the two of them the dish held significant meaning. And finally, the Valentine's chocolate was left off to the side of the set table. Wrapped in a neat red box and tied off with silver ribbon. The contents always varied, Yu's ability to make just about anything from aesthetically pleasing to something that tasted just as pretty.

"Happy Valentines. So, how did I do this year?" | @obeysword​ sent !

↳ Valentine’s Day 2022 | Accepting !

     Yosuke had grown to really enjoy Valentine’s Day over the years. Since meeting Yu, the day had held an incredible amount of meaning rather than a lonely emptiness. Romance was something Yosuke had never really been good at in practice, but his heart was definitely in the right place. A child who grew up on fairytales and cheesy movies, Yosuke had quite literally fallen in love with love itself--and he had so much of it to give.

     Holidays in general were fun for him, but lately he began to stress over them. Yu made so much more money than he did, and even with his online career taking off the way it had, he wasn’t making enough to spoil Yu the way he wanted. Not only that, but he bought Yu things constantly: every time he went out and saw something he liked, he picked it up and placed it in Yu’s closet, or the dresser, or left it out for Yu to pick up on his own. So what did he do for Valentine’s Day now?

     Chocolate was a given, as always, and as time passed Yosuke had gotten much better at making them. He found cute molds online, good chocolate and cute flavored melts to add both flavor and color into the mix. After learning his lesson about alcohol-based flavoring, the consistency had remained shiny and smooth. And his packaging game had improved, too. Cute stickers, confetti, glitter--the works. It might make a mess, but Yosuke really didn’t care. There would be plenty of time to clean it up later.

     He had also gone the flower route, but rather than a bouquet he had filled a vase with forget-me-nots--and for good reason. Next to the vase he had set a small box, its contents containing a resin charm with a small sprig of the blue flowers within. He wasn’t entirely sure how Yu would want to use it, but the chain was easy to attach to just about anything: a cell phone case, a bag, a keyring. The possibilities were endless, and on days Yu had to leave the house Yosuke wanted to make sure he had something to remember him by. As though he could ever forget.

     While Yu took care of dinner, Yosuke decided to decorate the house a little more than usual, putting up strands of twinkling fairy lights to add ambiance to their candlelit dinner. The flowers Yu had given him were set in a place of honor, and every time Yosuke passed by them he had to stop and admire them, faint warmth filling both his face and his chest as he ran his fingers over the petals. He loved flowers, he grew several types of them out on their balcony, and even some indoors, but there was something so special about being given a whole bouquet. Maybe it was silly, but such a simple gesture really did just make his whole day. The bright selection was like sunlight on a cloudy day, and the entire room seemed brighter for it. And just how romantic was it to have someone bring you flowers?

     Steak had weirdly become a tradition for them after that first day at Junes. The heart-shaped cuts Yu had brought home almost made Yosuke laugh, but the meaning behind it was so sweet he couldn’t help himself from pressing a warm kiss against Yu’s cheek. Dinner was always good when Yu made it, and Yosuke had been looking forward to eating it all day--heart-shaped or otherwise.

     “I’ve got no complaints so far. You know I love this romantic side to you, and all. But you know...you really shouldn’t get too far ahead of yourself. We still have dessert to think about, so don’t wear yourself out too soon.” As if Yu could do such a thing. 

     Blushing gently, Yosuke reached out and took Yu’s right hand, pressing his smiling lips gently against his knuckles. “Seriously, though? You did an amazing job. I love everything. I love you. Happy Valentine’s Day, partner.” 

[arcanalight]

"Don't make me cut a bitch" 😒 | @obeysword​ sent !

↳ pushing daisies prompts | accepting !

     The words were barely out before Yosuke reacted, left hand darting across the table to grab Yu’s hand. He might not be stronger than Yu, but he was fast, and the serious look in his eyes was more powerful than anything physical. Something clanged back onto the table, something heavy, and Yosuke didn’t have to tear his gaze away from Yu’s to know it was a knife. Joke or not (it wasn’t, he was sure), Yosuke didn’t find it funny. He never did.

     “You are not stabbing the waiter,” he hissed, keeping his voice low. The restaurant they were in was nice, a little too nice for Yosuke’s comfort, but he knew Yu was the big spender. People might look at him, and he might feel underdressed or out of place, but he had gotten much better about people staring at him now that people actually knew his name. Yu, on the other hand...

     “He wasn’t even flirting with me?! All he did was ask if I wanted something for dessert, that was not a metaphor or--or whatever you call it.” This was the man he adored, the love of his life, his absolute reason for living. As much as he loved Yu’s possessive side, he had to wonder how they had reached this point. How many times did he have to tell Yu that murder was not the answer.

     “Leave the knife on the table...okay?”

[arcanalight]

     Music has always been so super important to Yosuke that he can't even remember a time without it. Some of his earliest memories include dancing to music his mom was listening to, singing along to the radio, to TV shows, to the soundtracks to movies. One of his first toys was even a plastic guitar that plucked out annoying little notes, but Yosuke didn’t care. In his mind he was making music, and his love for grew by leaps and bounds as he began to grow up.

     His parents didn’t support paying for music lessons of any kind. His mother had appreciated his little concerts while he was young, but now that he was older wasn’t it time to think about more important things? Yosuke didn’t even dare ask his father: he already knew the answer, and he didn’t need to be belittled about it at the same time. Undeterred, Yosuke took matters into his own hands as soon as he had saved enough money to buy his first guitar. 

     Over the years his musical talent grew. Yosuke taught himself both electric guitar and acoustic guitar, and although it was a bit difficult at first he learned quickly enough for someone who struggled with schoolwork. Like any aspiring musician, Yosuke had dreams of joining a band, of making it famous, but he knew it was all just wishful thinking. Even if he didn’t go anywhere, he was happy creating music.

     Until Yu, no one ever made Yosuke feel special, and because he was so beaten down he didn’t realize his own talents. Not only could he play music, but he could read the notes and began writing both his own music and lyrics. His voice, though untrained, was naturally beautiful: soft, yet strong, capable of hitting amazing notes with seemingly no effort. Years of following along to music videos had helped cultivate his dance skill. And yet Yosuke was still convinced it was just a hobby, that he was no one special. Even with Yu in his corner it would take time to undo the damage that had already been done, but eventually Yosuke would realize his talents and start to shine. 

[arcanalight]

@obeysword​ | that storeroom starter we’ve talked about forever !

     Thunder tore across the skies of Inaba, and even the relative safety of Junes could do little to dampen the electricity that hung heavy in the air. It pricked Yosuke’s skin like so many needles, left him unsettled, on edge, and every distant clap of thunder made him jump. Even in a storm people flocked to the store, and for once Yosuke didn’t really seem to mind being stuck in the back. Working in the storeroom meant no windows, which meant he couldn’t see the lightning, even if he could hear it. A small victory, but it was something at least. 

     As his shift neared its send, Yosuke paused to check his phone, frowning at the frustrating lack of service. The small storeroom was practically a dead zone, unlike the rest of the store. Calls were often dropped, if Yosuke could get service at all, and it didn’t help that the single light bulb in the room often flickered, regardless of how many times it was changed. Simply put the room was creepy, and several months of rain and fog had left the wall with water damage. A strange stain had begun to form, and Yosuke tried hard not to look at it--or think about the curious noises he heard after hours. After hearing so many of Yukiko’s ghost stories, Yosuke’s mind had begun to wander, and some days it took every ounce of willpower he possessed not to think about ghosts haunting a department store.

     Though it was getting late, there was still a bit left, and Yosuke hardly wanted to keep Yu waiting. Rather than leave the room (and risk being caught on his phone) he chose to get creative, electing to climb the small ladder in the room in search of an elusive signal. Luck seemed to be on his side for the moment, allowing him just enough time to send Yu a text that he was still stuck in inventory before the power flickered and ultimately went out.

     For the moment Yosuke didn’t move, clinging to the ladder with one hand and using his phone as a light with the other. Most of the time the power came right back on, but as a particularly terrifying burst of thunder rolled over the building Yosuke began to realize he wasn’t going to be so lucky. A minute passed in dark silence, and then another. Was Yu doing the same thing? Yosuke had asked him to wait in the break room when the storm struck, but would anyone come to check on him? Of course they wouldn’t. And as Yosuke stood there, balancing on the ladder, he started to get worried. Unfortunately, whatever signal he’d had earlier seemed to have vanished as well, his phone spitting back static whenever he tried to start a call. He would just have to go and find Yu himself.

    Carefully, Yosuke began to climb back down the ladder, but as he reached the halfway point something behind the big, heavy boxes caught in the light of his phone screen. Something that was still, silent--but something eerily human, with wide, staring eyes. His heart gave a terrible leap, the cry tearing from his throat some sort of high-pitched mixture of horror and shock as his foot slipped, sending him crashing to the floor. Without pausing to even wonder if he had hurt himself, he scrambled to his feet and bolted to the storeroom’s single exit, only to find the door had somehow become locked. Panicked, Yosuke pounded one hand against the door in the vain hope that someone would hear him and take pity on him.

     “Hey! Hello?! Is anyone out there?! You know, this isn’t funny! Just open the door!”

[arcanalight]

what kind of herb are you?

Akira’s result

Dandelion

You grew up too fast and all you know is the calluses on your fists and the thousand invisible scars that you pretend don't ache. Your anger burns so bright, so hot or maybe not at all, so deep you could never tell it was there. You are yours and you will defend that to the death after so many years of being ripped apart and denied your own agency and maybe you are still facing the bastards who stole your innocence but you will survive because that's the only thing you know how to do without breaking, the only thing you know besides protect, protect, protect, protect, yourself or sometimes those few others you claim as yours. You are a thousand sharp edges but impenetrable, a traumatized child so covered by thorny armor that you promised yourself you're grown now, you're stronger than anyone who has ever hurt you. You're safe. Nothing will ever hurt you again. You're so alone though sometimes, in a world that sees you as too much or too broken or too angry or too hurt, and you want to scream with the too-much of it, prove that you're okay, that you're self-reliant, that you are strong enough to stake your claim on your body, on your mind, on your heart, on your people, and protect it from any who dare take it away from you. You are the sea in tempest, a howling sky, a tsunami in motion, a force of nature, no matter how much you sometimes yearn to be still, to be safe, to be small. You are a dandelion, stubborn and determined to grow in the rockiest of soil, and bloom again in spring.

Yosuke’s result

Oregano

You are home to so many people and yet you're not at home with yourself. Everyone needs something from you and you desperately try to prove that you're enough but you're never enough, never good enough, never even you despite all of that. Your hands shake but only when you're never looking at them and your smile is so ever-present you can't help but wonder if its fake, wonder how much of you is real. You're a caretaker, but are you even good at that, or are you faking yourself out into believing you're something that you wish you could, someone that someone else needed you to be when you were small and so full of need and hope and fragility? Who are you underneath the need to be someone's home? Who are you when you come home to yourself?

tagged by/stolen from: @obeysword​ ! tagging: everyone!

[arcanalight]

Why is Yu suddenly wrapping his arms around Yosuke and pulling him into a tight hug? Who can say, maybe he just felt like hugging his partner. "I'll always be glad we met." | @obeysword​ sent !

↳ Unprompted | always accepting !

     Surprise registered on his face for a moment, his body tensing up at the sudden hug. But as quickly as the confusion had come over him it had passed, easing into a soft smile and a gentle blush. Yosuke relaxed in Yu’s embrace, hugging him back just a little more tightly than was absolutely necessary.

     “I dunno what brought this up, but...I’m glad we met too. I really don’t know where I’d be without you, partner.” And he really, really didn’t want to think about it.

[arcanalight]

which paranormal being are you?

the ghost

You walk unseen. You speak but no one listens. Your footsteps no longer make a sound, and your heart can no longer bear to beat. However, you do not walk alone. The past walks along side you, keeping you company though you beg it to leave you be. The only shadow you cast belongs to your pain and clings to your every move. If you could just get someone to look at you, really look at you, maybe then you could be free. You scream and scream but still they do not see. You’re starting to fear that you may be cursed to scream forever.

tagged by: stolen from @obeysword​ !​ tagging: everyone!

[arcanalight]

“Jackass is as good a word as any.” | @jesterofinaba​ sent !

↳ pushing daisies prompts | accepting !

     “Dude--do you ever shut up?”

     Not the nicest response to a man who had worked to save him, but something about Adachi rubbed Yosuke the wrong way. From the very beginning they seemed to butt heads, their personalities clashing something terrible. His own stress might have added to his sour reaction to the man, but there was something deeper, an intense dislike that felt completely disproportionate to Adachi’s irritating behavior. Although he was sure they hadn’t met before, he felt as though their paths had crossed somewhere along the line--but when? An unsuccessful magician really had no business with an idol, and Yosuke could tell he wasn’t a fan. Maybe he just had one of those faces...

     At any rate Yosuke wasn’t in the mood for a fight. Having only recently joined the team he still felt unstable, unsure exactly of what he was doing and struggling to come to terms with what had happened. Not only that, but he had begun having weird dreams ever since arriving in Inaba, confusing them with reality, with memories and what was just make-believe. By no means was it any excuse to be a dick, but in his defense Adachi hadn’t offered him the warmest welcome. Not everyone cared about idols, but Yosuke was positive he sensed something like jealousy. He just hadn’t cared to actually talk to Adachi much and figure out what was going on.

     “I know we don’t have to like each other, but you’re really getting on my nerves. What’s your problem with me anyway?”