#ALL THESE MENTAL CHESS GAMES WOULD DRIVE DAISUKE INSANE

[dnangelic]

the sea --- when was the last time he had ever visited the sea ? kate's home sounded idyllic and peaceful , another portrait-worthy setting by description alone , and yet what follows fast spoils the image ; it's a set of words he had used countless times before to describe himself in his own thoughts . ' turned ... into one ? ' maybe he shouldn't have asked . after all , had it been him , then talking about his own initial transformations into dark would have felt immensely uncomfortable . yet still a hidden curiosity , and greater than that , the impulse to reach out and assist , if not try to soothe any possible wound . ' i --- wasn't always like this either . actually , it was only last year ... that i started to transform . '

and hadn't it been a mess along the way ? he could only hope that he had changed a little from the person he had been at the start . or rather --- that out of all of the bizarre , sometimes violent changes that had occurred , he wanted to be able to have the hope that at the very least , some their end products would be good . still , his expression turns bashful again --- he can't help but throw his gaze away elsewhere , a hand rubbing at the nape of his neck .

' w-well , we are phantom thieves ... ' the family business , everyone liked to call it . ( ... and yet you still only ever keep 2000 yen in your pocket ! ) ' but , i don't think anyone would be afraid --- ! i mean , ordinary people might not have ever seen something like you before , and my family and the other artworks might be a little surprised , but that doesn't mean they would hate you , either --- i promise ! ' after all , even towards himself , who was just as much an oddity , she had only been reasonable and kind . ' if everything ever starts to feel like too much or it starts to get overly dangerous , then i can take you ... ' ( --- we can steal her away . )

right . words like those were suspiciously dark-ish , a thought that makes his toes curl as they come out helplessly guised in dark's voice . was there any way to explain things , at least so that he didn't seem like a possessive creep , or worse , some kind of pervert ? ( even without proper features , he would have still readily been able to feel kate's agitations at him --- and he didn't want something like that ! ) ' o-only if you ever want to . ' of course .

( wanting to reclaim an entire manor like this , though ... i can see why she wanted our help . ) ' ... right . kate-san , what i meant is , i want to be able to help you too . ' his arms push through the boundaries of the portrait , and just as gingerly as he had lifted her inwards , he takes her out . once more , there was nothing and no one but themselves and the somewhat grand , dreary room surrounding them . ' if something bad's going on , and your family's house was stolen from you , then we'll steal it back . ' gently , yet firmly : ' --- no matter what . ' ( because there's nothing we can't steal , and kaitō dark always keeps his promises . ) ' to tell you the truth , it's still sort of a lot ... but if you need help or end up suffering , then i can't just leave you alone , right ? '

ㅤㅤKATE found herself flinching at his question, realizing she had carelessly revealed a certain truth about her without a second thought. To think her secret was unravelling so quickly while it took a great deal of time to even tell Emilico about her true origins. How strange. There was ... something about Daisuke that made her let her guard down without even trying ( perhaps it was the fact that he was an outsider, unlikely to meddle with the affairs of the Shadows House but it could be his candid personality that made it all the more easier for her to open up ).

ㅤㅤRealizing that she had nothing to lose, Kate decided to indulge his questions. " ... The home I'm thinking of, is a far-off place that's surrounded by an endless stretch of hills, situated near the sea. Although it isn't exactly like what this painting depicts, it does invoke a sort of ... similar feeling. " Perhaps it was the serene freedom of this scenery that made her nostalgic of the bygone days. " I had a fairly ordinary childhood. I spent most of my days with my grandmother and playing with the kids in the village, without a care in a world ... that is, until I turned into a shadow and everything changed from there. " What followed her was an isolation born to shelter her from the world ( perhaps it was done out of a sense of shame -- a fear even for harbouring a monster within that home ). As frustrating as it was, she knew Emily was only trying to protect her. " ... But, this place, the Shadows House, once belonged to the Mirrors Family and as the only survivor, I came to take back what's rightfully mine. " In the end, there was no time for enjoying her days carelessly like this -- not when the adults were scheming something that was undoubtedly far worse than the brainwashing done in this house.

ㅤㅤ" ... I'm surprised to hear that your home is similar to this place. Is your family well-off, perhaps ? " She wouldn't have taken him to be a pampered rich boy given how humble he was but maybe that was just how his family raised him. If that was the case, then he was undoubtedly blessed with a wonderful family. " ... Azumano sounds like a wonderful place nonetheless. If I could, I would love to have the opportunity to visit a place like that someday. To see all the amazing artworks and touring the gardens and the sights that your home has to offer ... It sounds incredibly amazing compared to what I've known all my life. " If there was somehow a chance for to live her life at the end of all this then she would love to take Emilico there with her too. Perhaps they could even travel the world together.

ㅤㅤKate was taken aback by his comment, surprised he even considered the idea of introducing her to his family. She fell quiet, finding herself a bit hesitant towards the idea of meeting humans outside of the Shadows House. " ... If I show up at your home, they surely would be frightened, no ? But ... if your family is anything like you then, do you think they would be able to accept someone like me ? " She wondered why she was even entertaining this idea in the first place. Even if she could meet his family, there was still the matter of showing her face around the city.

ㅤㅤ( In the end, she still couldn't help but resent being a shadow even after all this time ).

ㅤㅤ" ... By the way, do you think you can help Kate return to the other side ? She's had enough. "