#like there ARE other characters with similarly toned pants like those 3 kids who come up to her

[james-stark-the-writer]

i suppose it was a burning question on everyone's mind, huh. and the answer is technically yes but functionally no (or the other way around for the second question).

[lorewytch]

Authors Note: OH boy here we go...I’ve been juggling with the idea of posting this for a bit now. Half of me wanted to wait until I either wrote a first part of this...maybe until I posted the rest of my fanfiction. But, I figure I might lose the drive. I was happy with the amount of people liked those fanfic ideas I had posted and I know at least one of you expressed wanting to read this. If I get too much negative feedback on this I may take it down..not sure yet. I’m not ready to post it on AO3 or Fanfiction.net. But...I figure here might be okay. So, story time: I listened to this song a while back and had a great idea for a battle scene with my fan character Lore. She’s joined of course by Webby, Scrooge and the gang and I tried really hard for the action to match the music but as such, a muse gets away from you and this became MUCH more than just a battle scene. I’m thinking of writing another version of this to where its just a battle scene. But I’m not sure yet. So what I suggest is because it has quite some dialogue mixed in as well as action description is listen to the song first. Then read the fanfic. Doing both together will hurt your eyes trust meeeeee ow..I tried so many times lol. I can’t read that fast. Also if you saw my previous posts it will show what the enemies look like in their duck forms. There’s quite a backstory behind this. I won’t give all details but Lore is a dimensional witch able to travel between worlds at will. But like all magic there are limits to what she can or cannot do. One of the biggest no nos she can make is staying in one world for too long. But she found herself falling in love with Duckburg and the Ducktales world. She has 3 main big bad guys after her. This is more or less a climatic scene after they found her in the Ducktales world. For more info on each villain I suggest looking at a few of my previous posts. ^^;;;; I hope you guys enjoy this...Don’t worry I will be working on my other fanfics much more than continuing this. Lore out!

Fanfic: Getting Stronger

Lore froze.

Footsteps echoed behind her as three people approached. She quickly herded the kids and began to run. “Webby take the boys and run.” Lore whispered frantically, glancing behind her and finally seeing the entrance of the cave come into view. “Go!”

“Wait, what about you?!” Webby grasped onto her hand and Lore blinked. She smiled kindly down at Webby.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be okay.”

“Yeah but those guys looked pretty dangerous!” Dewey frowned, glancing behind Lore as slowly they came into view. One woman and two men appeared. Lore stood and faced them, her long pink locks floating gently from the wind.

“Go now.” Lore ordered, facing the enemies….her enemies. “Kids I’m serious, find Scrooge and Beakley and run.”

Louie and Huey each were grasping Webby and Dewey’s hands, the two looked so unsure.

“Found you Loreeeee..” the woman said with a maniac smile. It gave Dewey the shivers and suddenly he wondered if they were out of their league. The woman’s black hair was scattered around her face and fuzzy in most places. Yet it had the strangest color, black with white dots? No….Webby’s eyes widened as she realized those were stars within the gray feathered ducks black hair. Her olive green long overcoat reached her knees and was open to reveal a simple black tank top and pants. In her hand she held a scepter with a green crystal at the top.

“Indeed.” A male duck approached. His light gray hair settled on either side of his bill. His detective hat at first blocked his eyes from view. His sharp navy blue jacket and lighter blue buttoned undershirt with the open collar seemed a bit on the singed side. Almost as if it hadn’t been washed in days. Similarly, his dark gray pants also had the same fate, covered in dirt. He held a cane in one hand and pressed the tip near his boots.

“Why are you here?!” Lore stood with her arms out.

The final male smirked menacingly and pointed to her. “It was easy to see you were hiding in a world. Guess we found out which one….now I think its time you met your fate my dear…”

Much buffer than the other two ducks, his chest was huge compared to the small blood red open vest around his shoulders. His white top matched his white feathers almost perfectly. His well kept pale hair slicked back like a greasers. His red pants also were pretty tight against his frame and the red gloves he wore completed his rather ridiculous look.

“I thought I had taken all of you out for good.” Lore whispered.  “Noir…” She looked at the green clad duck.

“Detective Mulgadget..” she glanced at the duck with the hat.

“Agni..” was to final white and red duck.

Noir chuckled and smirked at her.

“My return is a mystery Thought you had control of me  I'm offended that you're so surprised.” Her snide tone made Lore’s eyes narrow.

“That first defeat was a practice round  But I pulled myself off the ground And I've already planned your demise.”

She pointed to Lore, and as the others sang the two men began to walk circles around the group of kids and Lore on opposite sides.

“What is with bad guys and singing?” Louie grumbled.

“I won't stop fighting cause I'm not done yet You're gonna regret This time I won't let you forget.” Mulgadget stated, walking to Lore’s right. He was looking at the ground as he walked, steps keeping in time with the tempo. She kept an eye on him briefly before turning to Angi who was circling the other direction.

“You're not gonna get away this time I'll strike when you're blind You'll awake just to find you are mine.” Clenching a hand into a fist at the last line, he leered evilly at her. Gritting her bill she looked around her as it seemed as if the song was getting more intense.

She clutched at the heads of the four ducklings at her feet and held them close as the others were circling them like vultures. This was bad, she had to get them out of this before.

“You thought you won Thought the battle was over” Angi once again sang, stopping firmly behind her. She glanced back.

“But I-“ the white duck’s eyes flashed red.

“I” The woman began to glow a bright green.

“I” Mulgadget pulled out a gun.

“I’m just getting stronger!” Noir began to glow brighter.

“Enjoy your freedom

It won’t last much longer” The duck with the gun pointed it at Lore.

“Cause I” Agni stopped.

“I” Noir moved closer.

“I” Mulgadget fired the gun and it scraped her cheek as the bullet passed. She just stared.

“I keep getting stronger!” Noir fired off a blast of green energy towards Lore, who bat it away easily with her bare hand.

“When the sky turns to gray

When the light fades away” Agni’s hands suddenly exploded into flames causing Webby and Dewey’s bills to drop.

“You’ll see” Flames of black and green energy licked at her hands.

“I just keep getting stronger” Agni and Noir harmonized, both of their hands blazing.

“You can try to prepare ………Or attack if you dare” Mulgadget shrugged with a smug look.

“I don’t care, because I’m just getting stronger!” Noir’s power exploded and Lore quickly threw up a shield around herself and the four frightened kids. A crash of green and black energy slammed against the shield, nearly displacing Lore’s feet. She was pushed back a bit, but she held her ground with the purple energy surrounding them all. Glaring fiercely at the group as they continued to sing, she turned to the kids. “Please….run now!” And four sets of frightened eyes glanced up into her own. Huey looked at Louie and the two nodded. The duo then touched Dewey and Webby’s arm and then Huey and Louie made a break for the cave entrance.

“I” A blast of energy from a gun pierced her shield and grazed Lore’s arm.

“I” Noir threw a blast of pure white and green energy at the shield trying to break through.

“I” Angi slammed a fist against the shield.

“I’m just getting stronger!”

Mulgadget fired again, this time the blast hitting right through her arm.

“I” Letting out a cry, Lore glared.

Webby was looking around for something to shield them from the blasts of the gun.

“I” Noir released another blast of pure energy against the shield.

“I” Angi slammed his fiery fists at the shield, a crack forming. He continued to blast it until it seemed like the entire shield was on fire.

“I’m just getting stronger” Noir took a step towards them. Lore took a step back.

“Cause I,” Webby saw a flat rock the size of their head and grabbed it.

“I” Another blast of fire energy hit the shield hard.

“I” Dewey took a fighting stance on Lore’s right, glaring at Mulgadget.

“I’m just getting stronger!” The blast of energy intensified from Noir.

“I” Mulgadget fired a couple more times and this time Dewey and Webby were ready with a piece of rock. They used Webby’s amazing abilities to block the blasts.

“I” They could hear a crunching noise

“I” Agni broke through.

“I’m just getting stronger!” He ran towards her, fiery fist raised. Lore gasped and momentarily released the shield. Only for the energy to blast into her body. She formed a shield once more but was much weaker at this time.

Lore grit her bill against the onslaught of magic and energy zapping at her from all sides and she tried desperately to hold out with the two younger kids holding onto her purple dress. Webby was glaring at them all, wanting to fight but Dewey’s hand on her own kept her grounded. Even she knew she might not make it out of that alive. All they could do was wait for the other two to get help from Scrooge and the others. Finally Lore let out a yell and flung her arms out wide, the shield rapidly growing and knocking hard into the three villains and knocking them into various walls. Lore hit her knees, struggling to breathe and wincing at the slight pain of a wound in her right arm.  Shield dissipating, she almost passed out. The dust started to settle and she looked at the two ducklings with a small smile.

“Lore are you okay?” Webby looked worriedly at her.

“I’m fine…..but you guys really need to go.” She chuckled. “Although I’m sure that is falling on deaf ears now huh?”

Dewey glared at the trio of enemies. “How do we stop these guys?”

The sound of rocks shifting. All eyes were now on three dark forms slowly rising as if from their graves.

“Oh no..” Dewey got into a fighting stance again.

“I am the nightmare that replays in your head I am the shadow lurking under your bed.” They all sang together. Lore took a step back and pulled the two next to her once more.

“And when I lose it's never really the end You should have known I'd have a plan for revenge.” Slowly Lore’s arm raised and panting, she materialized a long wand in her hand with a clear crystal on top.

“Looks like I don’t have a choice anymore…” smiling weakly down at the two kids, she wondered if briefly if she could protect them.

“And I won't stop fighting cause I'm not done yet You're gonna regret This time I won't let you forget…” Suddenly Lore heard her name and she glanced back, surprised to see…well everyone there. Scrooge, Beakley, Launchpad, Donald, Louie and Huey who were standing back a bit.

“You're not, gonna get away this time I'll strike when you're blind You'll awake just to find, you are mine”

“Quick, take the kids and run.” Lore pushed Dewey and Webby over to Scrooge and Beakley and then turned back, using her wand as a shield as Agni threw a punch of fire at her. She knocked him away and swung her wand in a sweeping motion, a blast of purple energy pushing back the foes, knocking Mulgadget’s gun from his hand.

“You thought you won, Thought the battle was over” Mulgadget attacked from behind, cane ready only to be blocked by Scrooge’s cane. Lore’s eyes widened at this.

“But I” Mulgadget knocked Scrooge away.

“I,” Noir began to float.

“I,” Agni attacked Beakley.

“I'm just getting stronger.” Mulgadget and Noir charged Scrooge and Lore at the same time.

“Enjoy your freedom,  It won't last much longer” Careful not to get burned, Beakley punched the white duck in the chest and smirked as she watched him slide back in pain. His expression turned murderous as his red eyes flashed.

“Cause I” Charging once more he faked a few punches and kicked Beakley into the cave wall.

“I” A wand and scepter clashed.

“I” Scrooge was pinned against the other wall.

“I keep getting stronger!” Having enough of this, Lore’s wand burst in a purple light, blinding everyone and she took this chance to kick Noir in the chest. Quickly her vision darted as she blasted Mulgadget away from Scrooge and knocked her wand on Agni’s head.

“Scrooge what are you doing?” Lore asked the old miser, watching him stand up and preparing for action again.

“Ahm protecting mah Family.” Scrooge grumbled, shooting the teenage girl a pointed look.

Blinking, she glanced down and then towards the enemies before back to Scrooge. “Than take them and go! These guys are only after me! Look I’ll distract them and-“ suddenly she felt a hand grasping her dress and glancing down, she saw Webby holding a very determined look in her eyes.

“Uh oh, you know what that means don’t you?” Dewey commented, walking to Lore’s other side.

“Looks like Webby considers you her big sister and you know what that means?” Louie’s grin widened as he leaned against Webby’s back.

“When the sky turns to grey When the light fades away You will say, I just keep getting stronger!” Letting out a scream, a blast of three energies slammed into Lore, knocking her off her feet and into the mouth of the cave. “Lore!” Webby and Scrooge went to run to her.

“Stronger every day Stronger every day...”

Struggling to stand back up, her eyes widened as a blast of pure green power exploded, tearing apart the cave and mountain around them. Using her body as a shield she jumped onto Scrooge and Webby. But Scrooge yanked her off and winced as he got pelted by a few small stones. He turned to Lore, helping her up. “It means…Lore…yer family.”

Lore’s eyes started to tear up as Webby hugged her torso. For once in a long time, Lore felt a true smile on her face as tears started to fall.

A blast of energy caused her to grab Webby and dodge the blast to the left, while Scrooge dodged to the right.

“While I believe this is quite a touching moment can we wait until after these beasts are defeated?!” Beakley had Mulgadget in a headlock.

“I” The boys grabbed Noirs hair and yanked back.

“I” Donald and Launchpad teamed up and while Donald confused Agni by raging around him, Launchpad tripped the red clad duck.

“I” Lore looked on in amazement at her…friends…her…family trying to help her. The overwhelming emotion seemed to consume her and as she ran towards them all, arms stretched out before her. Scrooge and Webby jumped into the battle as well.

“I keep getting stronger!” Knocking the triplets away, Noir pointed her scepter at Webby and Scrooge.

But Lore swept in and took the blast full force as she blasted a purple ray into Noir’s green one. The two energies exploded, sending a shockwave of energy and knocking everyone off their feet.

“I” Huey was sitting by his wounded brother, Dewey.

“I” Mulgadget had Louie and Beakley cornered.

“I” Donald was panting and Launchpad was knocked out as Agni approached.

“I keep getting stronger!” They were losing.

Lore had enough.

“I” “LEAVE”

“I” “MY”

“I” “FAMILY”

“I keep getting stronger!” “ALONE!”

Using almost everything she had, she screamed and her eyes blazed purple, then black. Her wand shattered from the magic and her hands became stained with purple energy. Launching herself at Noir she sliced at her, Noir dodged, and the air that Noir was standing suddenly split into a swirling portal. The force of it knocked Noir away and stunned her.

“I” Mulgadget was next as Lore slammed him into the wall before he hurt Beakley or Louie.

“I” Lore nearly sliced Agni in half as he was kicked away by Donald.

“I” The villains regrouped, forming right before the open portal behind them.

“I keep getting stronger!” All three sent everything they had, Mulgadget’s cane transforming into a cannon launching large blasts of energy at her, Agni blasting fire and Noir sending wave after wave of energy.

Lore screamed and within a beat her magic erupted in a fury, tearing through Mulgadgets cannon, burning Angi’s gloves and sending a crack through Noir’s scepter. Sending a massive wave of magic at them all, all three were sent back into the wall of the cave.

It was then, glancing behind her at her…friends…her family there. She made her choice. As the song was finally lulling, she turned to them with a small smile.

“Lore….your hands…” Dewey commented.

“Your eyes!” Louie sounded panicked.

“It will be okay…” Lore smiled weakly, Webby felt her heart drop.

“No…”

Everyone looked at Webby as Lore’s face took on a determined expression. “Webby…take care of the boys…”

Webby shook her head.

“Louie, Dewey, Huey……watch out for Webs kay?”

“Wha-“ Dewey started. Huey’s eyes widened. Louie looked confused.

“Scrooge.”

“Nay Lass..” Scrooge looked determined. Lore smiled. “Scrooge. I have to go.”

She closed her eyes. “I don’t belong here.”

“Says who?” Donald spoke.

She opened her eyes. “Says the universe. You should know Donald. I am a dimensional witch. We can never stay in one place too long..otherwise..”

Donald looked away.

Lore formed two black swords in her hands, they sparkled like the night sky. “I guess…its time to finally go..”

“No!” Webby and the boys grasped onto her dress.

“There has to be a way to make ya stay..”

Lore shook her head. “I have to do this, you all have to get as far as you can. I’m going to cast some seriously dangerous stuff now. I can’t……I can’t promise I won’t hurt you.” The pain in her voice made it hitch.

Webby shook her head firmly. “You wouldn’t hurt us, even unintentionally. We can take them together. That’s what family does.” She took Lore’s hand. Lore searched Webby’s eyes and then closed her own.

Lore smiled. “Don’t worry…it will be like I wasn’t even here. Now go!” Not giving them any chance, purple bubbles surrounded them all and swept them out of range. Lore tried to ignore their cries. But before they left she felt a pull and glancing down, she saw her shadow morphing.

“Lena…” she breathed.

“Why are you doing this?! You are going to hurt Webby…” Lena accused, looking downright livid.

Lore sadly smiled. “Don’t worry… she will forget me.”

“You don’t know Webby!” Lena accused.

Lore looked away slightly. “No, you don’t understand….she will forget me..you all will.”

Lena paused. “What?”

“I really wished I could stay here for a bit longer..you should go back to Webby. She needs you.” Launching herself forward, she clashed swords with a cane, and fists of fire. Spinning like a dancer she kicked Agni and Mulgadget away.

“No! What did you mean!” Lena was frantically gripping at her shadow.

She approached Noir who was looking a little worn for wear. Smirking, Lore stuck the sword in the earth and picked her up by her shirt.

“Because I am not a part of this world, once I leave…it will be like I never existed.” Lore whispered.

Lena seemed to realize what she was saying. “Everyone will forget you?!”

Noir tried to blast at Lore’s face but Lore threw her into the portal.

“That’s the plan..” Lore said, turning and giving Lena a slight smile before grabbing onto Mulgadget and also tossing him through the swirling vortex. Now Agni stood before the portal, fists blazing with fury.

She sighed. “Lena you have to go…I’m going to use some seriously dangerous magic. I can’t guarantee your safety.”

“No! Your going to do this all alone?! What about you? You are a part of this family! You shouldn’t be forced to wander the universe alone!” Lena desperately clung to any part of Lore’s shadow she could and Lore paused a bit at this.

“You guys don’t know how much it meant to me that you called me a part of the family. What Scrooge said will always be with me. But I can’t stay… no matter how much I want to.” This was Lore, raw and emotional. “If I do I will destroy your world. I know it. I will not allow that to happen again!” tears misted her eyes and a wave of emotion ripped through her.

She dodged an attack from Agni.

“Besides..” A flicker of energy buzzed to her right and a faint image appeared of another girl, teenage in nature.

“Lore be careful! Don’t use the-“ the voice was breaking in and out from a bad connection and the face of the being was obscured.

“I’m not really alone, yeah yeah I know!” She kicked Agni in the gut and winced as he charged into her chest. Gasping she hit the ground right before the portal and cursed her luck. The image of the other girl flickered out.

“Sorry Lena……….say bye for me..” She quickly summed up the last of her strength and with a shockwave sent Lena back to Webby’s shadow who was standing nearby the entrance with her family following close behind. Webby had heard everything.

Slicing a deep cut on Agni’s arm, she kicked him into the portal and slowly got to her feet before it, the ominous purple glow outlining her worn out figure.

Lore turned to look at Webby.

Webby gazed at Lore with tears in her eyes.

“I won’t forget you.”

Lore’s eyes widened.

“Even if I forget in my head…my heart won’t forget you.”

“Aye, ye will come back to us eventually Lass..” Scrooge put a hand on Webby’s shoulder to steady her.

Lore’s smile was pained but she nodded and stepped back into the portal, closing her eyes as the portal flickered out of existence.

Leaving behind a group of adventurers who wondered why they were in this godforsaken location in the first place. (K gonna go hide now byeeeee *runs*)

[beneathmyboughs]

30 Facts: Yuji Matsumoto Edition!

Since this is a new kid coming in like, halfway through, here have some facts!

1. Yuji Matsumoto does in fact identify as male, and at this point can no longer use the nonbinary bathrooms. Tough luck, boi.

2. When he talks, his hands gesture much more dramatically than is merited, and his facial expression and tone of voice may not always match up especially when he’s trying to be chipper. This comes from ages of manipulating Piney’s expressions by hand and voice, without his real face coming into play. He gets embarrassed when it’s pointed out, and tucks his hands away.

3. If Yuji tucks his hands on or near his face, he’s feeling vulnerable and more specifically threatened. A good tell for if you want to see if he’s going to start closing up clamlike.

4. Some quick fast food facts:

Fav Meal: Udon

Fav drink: Green Tea (I’d say matcha but n a h, he likes the cheap stuff)

Fav snack: Soy sauce flavored rice crackers

Fav desert: Custard Pudding

Fav festival food: Kakigori (sweet) and Yakisoba (savory)

5. Thrifty doesn’t even BEGIN to describe this guy. Everything is reused and reused and reused, and DIY is common enough with him. Expect him to let out a noise of terror at any wasted items.

6. Yuji considers fast food like Mcdonalds (which is honestly a tad more expensive in Japan) to be ‘friday night treat’ material.  If you took him to even a nice-ish alehouse he might die on the spot.

7. In universe, Yuji’s hair is a normal shade of hair as opposed to dyed--it would translate over best as ‘black with a greenish tint’. 

8. Short list of weird things Yuji cannot stand: Firecrackers, Elvis, Falco from Star Fox, tattoos and sauce packets (this also goes for bagged food. “It’s so SLIMY”). 

9. Short list of weird things Yuji actually likes: hard candy (he’ll hoard them, and take anyone’s ‘green flavors’ if they don’t want them. Oh gee, wonder why he’d want G R E E N dryad squad), coffee caked on the inside of mugs, hair (on the head that is--he thinks it’s beautiful, and completely natural so near anyone can have it), cockroaches (slugs too, general crawlies--they don’t bug him, ehehe).

10. Yuji will occasionally reach for something or type on his phone, then do something weird as hell with his hands like try to use the sides or scrunch his fingers for no good reason and overshoot his objective. An inside look at how he held things with gloves it seems. Similarly, sometimes he walks weird and overshoots his footing--those big shoes are likely to blame.

11. If you ever walk in on Yuji alone, you better expect there’s SOMETHING set up to make noise or otherwise alert in his nearby area. Wooden lids suspended in the crack of the door, temporarily ductaping a door shut, ect...by this point it’s not even worth keeping a secret, this man temporarily booby traps any area he’s in by himself. Remains of the cleanup or the direct results of a trap have probably been experienced by most of the kids here.

12. He is...still not wearing pants, much of the time. The boxers mainly. As of this past trial though, sometimes he can be seen wearing jeans when he’s out in rougher areas like the woods or something. Still no shoes though. He double layers those socks though...? This is sad.

13. He’ll freeze up if you try to ask him for a personal preference. Like, candy or cookies better? Favorite color? Ect. He goes deer in the headlights. 

On that note,  Yuji’'s spent a lot of time soaking things up from the mascot environment he worked in--even during that time he was going from hotel to hotel and accepting whatever bits and pieces he found. This means he couldn’t tell you what kind of music he likes, but he could sing you the entirety of the latest Hatsune Miku concert from heart. Not that he WOULD but...

14. If people trash their food before they finish their plate, people who stick around might catch him fish it out of the trash and either finish it off or cook it into something new. Yuji, swear to God.

15. Yuji considers his experiences as Piney the experiences and actions of a separate person and dislikes the idea that specifically he reflects on Piney; rather than consider him a character he played he considers Piney ‘their own separate and genuine tree.’ He still has every memory he made as Piney of course--which makes it weird when he can relay his experiences dining at Michelin star restaurants but gets intimidated by an Applebees.

16. Oh boy. Yuji and...electronics. He’s not....a hermit? As in, he knows most of this stuff he’s not genuinely pastoral...but this man does not know how to work a snapchat. In fact he’s never so much as fiddled with any apps but the notebook and photo app. Overwatch is literally the only viddygame he knows how to play, and he does so nigh religiously now that the Overwatch Club introduced it to him. 

17. Hypothetically, once Yuji got over his confused feelings for Starbucks, the green tea lattes and their iced equals would be a revelation. And while he’d eat anything he got, he wouldn’t be particularly fond of any of the foods on offer sans the Madeline cakes and Hawaiian Bagel. 

18. Sometimes he just starts crying. Like, not loudly, and not show stopping, but sometimes he just starts getting his sniffle on. More often than not, this is a good sign though; happy group activities are the worst offender for this.

19. Yuji’s favorite hang outs, should you need to find him anywhere specific, are the Adventure Park (he even has some Gabu Gabu merch now!), the Ramen Shop (fixed it up and restocked so it’s ready for business) and the Home Ec room (Overwatch and, as of Chapter 8, weird...fanfiction. Do not look for his on computer account.). Please don’t note that to him though--he’ll spook and try to change up his patterns.  

20. Yuji is actually not a bad singer! If you can drag him into a karaoke situation, catch him pullin out his voice claim! 

21. Apparently now that he’s out of suit, he’s more willing to share a few trade secrets. For example, according to him he was the only one of the mascots who was manned by only one ‘friend’, and most of the others had interchangeable buddies specialized in whatever the mascot needed to do for the variety show episode. This was everything from cooking to acrobatics to even ex soldiers for extreme stuntman activity. Apparently out of pity or respect, some of these guys gave the tree some variety lessons to help make life a little easier for him.

22. Yuji’s real birthday is actually on May 4th. This is the same day as Japanese Arbor day, as well as the same birthday as the famous fictional detective, Shinichi Kudo.

23. As Ryouji respawned with his own non-blood splattered necklace, Yuji has the original blood splattered one still. Now he’s no longer in suit though he wears it around his neck and tucked under his shirt collar rather than on his far less protected wrist. 

24. Yuji’s terrible about gaining crushes on people quickly and holding onto them for a long time. His list (with varying intensity) for this crew has been:

- Ryouji (big time)

- Charmayne (big time)

- Ebull

- Hanako

- Tomoka (for .5 seconds at a time)

- Madoka (on first impressions alone)

- Kazuko (if not full blown at LEAST on the rise)

There is also the moderate threat of Tadashi joining this list, and an honorable mention for Ailani who was never crushed on but WAS friend-crushed on (wanting to be her friend) and Ryan who is not crushed on but HAS caused some stupid sexy flanders moments for the guy (some unbidden dokis). 

Yuji makes a point of crushing, even loving, very unobtrusively though--it’s perfectly possible to remain friends with him even if he’s crushing on you and never have it Become Business. So no worries or obligations there!

25. For the ‘super Japanese foods’, Yuji’s very on board for eating eel, squid, seaweed, mentaiko, ikura, and even natto and as far as sanshouo (rarely, he feels a little bad about it but it does remind him of Spirited Away). However, he won’t touch Horse meat, ume and takoyaki (the last one not for the flavor, but for a moral respect for the octopus. He’ll have hotdog substitute though!) 

26. Yuji has a soft spot for french bakeries. For a lot of his time living by his seams in Ikebukuro, steals from the French style bakeries dumpsters were by far the best meals. He feels like he personally owes them a lot, even if Udon will forever be his true love.

27. If you’re new to Japan and want to try all the holes in the wall without running into anything illicit, Yuji’s pretty handy to bring along for the ride. He can sniff out the difference between a “snack bar” and a yakuza run “Snaku Bar” by sign font alone and fear alone. More than anything though he knows Ikebukuro specifically, especially close to the train station, like the back of his hand. 

28. This guy has an odd little kind of ‘eclectic spiritualism’ that mixes standard casual Buddist and Shinto stuff with some personal rituals, magical thinking and fascination with fantastical energies like Japanese Youkai and Western Tarot. More than anything though, this is a very casual system that focuses on a strict and hands on calculated version of Karma. Give and take, pay your literal dues, receive fortune and punishment as you earn it. 

This has contributed to ‘totem collecting’ from what he can find to represent the dead students, feeling that holding them safe will in turn grant safety to them in the afterlife--or now, outside of the sim. As Piney he was never allowed to admit to endorsing nor holding a religion, so now while he won’t go parading it around it isn’t so much a secret anymore.   

29. Yuji’s verbal tone is a sliding scale. The more nervous he gets the more youthful he sounds, at his worst off channeling Scooby Doo’s Shaggy with full voice crack and warble. You can tell he’s at his most stable when he stops fidgeting, plants his feet and starts calling people ‘kid.’ At that point he’s got a near gruff tone that sounds a tad Adachi-esque. His middleground is like, a disgruntled and fashion blind version of Vincent from Catherine, about. 

30. HIS favorite mascot? Either Purin the Dog from Saniro or Funashi. Purin is a good design he’s personally weak towards, but Funashi is an inspiration. He’d say “With that expressive waist hoop and the thin cloth making it easy to move around, that must be one hell of a fun set up to play with.”