#makishima shogo imagine

[sophiria]

Gossamer

Pairing: Makishima Shogo x fem!reader

Warnings and tags: 18+, smut (vaginal sex), very mild knifeplay (razorplay) and a veiled threat, mention of past minor character death, post-season 1 with canon divergence, twisted and fluffy feelings

Words: just a bit over 1,300

Your eyes fluttered open to the pitter-patter of the raindrops, and your hazy vision focused on the view behind the opened windows. From a distance, the temple complex stood tall and proud in the pouring rain, showing off its magnificent and everlasting architecture. The bittersweet and earthy scent of agarwood wafted through the air of your house within walls of woven bamboo, and you took a deep breath to bask in the grounding scent.

"Is it quite unusual for you to be already awake at this hour," Makishima noted in a honeyed voice with just a hint of grogginess. "Did the rainfall wake you up, or are you feeling troubled about something?"

The sheets around your lower body rustled away as you turned around to lie on your side, and his amber eyes glinted with curiosity as your gaze found his. His silver-white hair framed his seraphic features, and at the crack of dawn, he looked more like an otherworldly being than the abettor you knew him to be.

"The rain woke me up," you said softly, tentatively placing the tip of your fingers over his collarbone. You unconsciously began stroking the tips of his long locks, and amusement swirled in his eyes as you did. While he prided himself on having almost no desire for attention, he had to admit that he had grown rather fond of the reverence of your touch. "I don't mind, though. I enjoy this kind of weather."

He raised his chin in acknowledgment of your words. "Yes, it seems that you do," he mused. "It does make you dream, doesn't it? You do always get a faraway look in your eyes anytime it starts to pour."

Shogo moved with feline agility and caged you under his willowy, powerful body. He rested his forearms on each side of your face, and your heart thudded as his golden eyes bore into yours and the silver-white tips of his hair fringe tickled your forehead.

As you gazed at him with your mouth slightly agape, he slipped a hand under the pillow and pushed his slender hips against yours. You gasped at the feeling of his arousal pressing between your legs, and a shudder went through your body as he pointed the sharp edge of his razor against your neck. You arched your hips, and a wicked smirk appeared on his lips as he felt the wetness of your sex gliding over his cock.

"Makishima," you breathed, your demureness long forgotten as you wrapped your legs around his waist, urging his body closer to yours. "I want to feel you."

He raised an eyebrow. "You're being quite ravenous and demanding right now," he said, a hint of mockery in his tone. "What brought this on?"

"I just want to feel you, Shogo," you said in a throaty voice. "Don't you want that?"

His face hovered just above yours. "My razor is caressing your skin, and my body is enveloping yours," he said, brushing his nose against yours. "Yet it is not enough for you, isn't it?"

"I guess it isn't," you whispered, placing one of your hands over his, which held the cutting edge against your throat. "I need you inside me."

His cock twitched at your words, and the corners of your lips curled in a coy smirk. Makishima scowled at your teasing, and his eyes flashed with a warning. His name left your lips, and the eerie tone sent a delightful shiver through you.

A pause filled with deep breaths, and then—

"Do you remember how I killed Funahara Yuki?" He asked you with a sinister murmur, and goosebumps rose on your skin. "She had been almost as bare and helpless as you are right now."

You gazed into his eyes. "Am I, though?" Your low voice was almost a purr, and you brought your hands to his face, cupping his cheeks. The contrast between your tender act and his razor on your throat captivated Makishima, who found himself mesmerized. "How much value do you think my soul has?"

There was no mistaking the surprise flashing in his eyes, and he silently gazed at you for a good minute or so while your heart raced in anticipation. He retracted the blade against your throat to place it on the bedside table, and his gaze lingered on it for a few seconds before returning to your face.

"You do not live your life like Sibyl wishes you to," Makishima said at last, and the solemnity of his tone didn't go unnoticed by you, "and that means your soul has value."

Those words were as close to a confession of sentiment as a man like him would ever make, and your hold on his cheeks faltered as the emotions had your body slightly trembling under his.

You were pliant for Shogo to do as he pleased, and he slowly pushed his cock inside you. A languid moan left your lips as you adjusted to his size, and he rested on his elbows with his forearms on each side of your head. His thrusts were deep and sensual, and heat spread under your skin as he angled his hips and hit that special spot inside you. Your back arched, and you let out breathy moans as he kept plunging against the same spot—until your breath hitched and your walls fluttered around his cock. His hips stuttered as you pulsed around him, and his breathing turned shaky as his gut tightened. He pressed his forehead against yours while you still panted from your orgasm, and he gave one last powerful thrust before spilling his seed inside you.

Makishima breathed heavily as his softening cock was nestled inside you and his body was flush against yours. You brought your hands to his hair and ran your fingers through it, concentrating on the tufts near the nape of his neck. He peered at you through his lashes and saw that your vision was out of focus before concentrating on the color of your iris, the slope of your nose, and the shape of your lips.

"What do you suppose is the most intimate exercise of free will an individual living in our society could make?"

His words pulled you out of your reverie, and you anchored your attention on his eyes. Despite the deceptively neutral expression crossing his face, you recognized glimpses of his spirit of inquiry in the intensity of his gaze.

"The most intimate?" You echoed him, briefly pausing as you gathered your thoughts. "I think it might be entrusting a part of yourself to a person whose soul you value—as a sign of your faith in them and in the bond you share."

He hummed at your words, and his eyes gleamed with a knowing glint. In the background, the sky had cleared, and the clouds had left the scene to the purple and orange hues of the sunrise. He languorously slipped out of you, and you bit back a small moan at the mild stimulation.

His movements were stealthy as he got out of bed and neared the open windows with only a thin cotton sheet wrapped around his waist. You stretched your muscles and loafed on the bed, then looked towards his sinewy back while he gazed at the scenery, seemingly lost in thought.

You stood up from the bed with the sheets draped around your frame and leisurely walked to his position. You stopped next to his figure, and he glanced sideways. His amber eyes caught a glimpse of your face as you admired the first flush of the morning over the horizon, and he regarded you quietly before moving to stand behind you.

Makishima encircled your waist with his right arm and rested his chin on the crown of your head. His left hand went to your neck, gently wrapping itself around your throat. It was rare for him to embrace you in such a way outside the throes of passion, and you heaved a sigh as you closed your eyes, surrounding yourself in his hold and savoring the sensation of his body against yours.

[dollwrites]

𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 ∣ smut ( minors dni ), fem!reader, noncon to dubcon and back again lol, choking, fingering ( r!receiving ), all characters featured are aged 18+

𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 ∣ please reblog && leave feedback. not proofread so there’s probably mistakes. thanks for reading < 3

𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 ∣ day twenty-three [ shogo makishima + choking ]

“Look at me when I’m speaking to you.” his voice is low, and unnervingly soft, but damned if it isn’t effective. when he croons to you, his baritone like a siren song, you’re certain to do whatever he wishes. “You’re being very rude.” like now, when your hues flicker upwards. you wished you could find a spot on his forehead, or right between his eyes, to focus on so you wouldn’t be locked into those deadly, golden gems. it’s a hopeless feat, however, because you’re drawn to them, almost if his eyes are magnetized.

and he’s smug once you’re locked in, the heat of his breath on your bottom lip as his couplet hovers just an inch or so from yours, parted etched into a victorious grin. “There she is, the soft and obedient little lamb that I expected you to be.”

and his first two fingers push deeper into you, your thighs clamping around his wrist when they curl, as if beckoning the sensation out of you. you whimper, biting on your lip to repress the sound, loathing how completely unlike you it sounds. so weak. so needy. but his fingers fit so deliciously inside of you. your hips are shameless as they jut forwards, pushing your lower half off the wall to grind against his pumping digits.

“You love this, don’t you?” he whispers, pressing his forehead to yours, “How snug my fingers are in that cunt? You feel so euphoric, I can tell by the twinkle in your eyes, and you can’t possibly imagine how this feeling could get better.”

you hated that he was right, but his wrist flicked, as graceful as a cat, and his fingers massage your interior nerves until you’re all but melting butter in his palm. you didn’t have to answer, he can read you like an open book.

“But, I can give that to you.” he murmurs, his soft, addictive couplet ghosting over yours. it takes everything in your power not to angle your face upwards and capture the tiers in a fierce kiss that you know wouldn’t satiate your hunger for him. “I can show you a nirvana your minimal daydreams have never even breached.”

because your want for Shogo was not an ember that could be snuffed out— your desire for him was a raging wildfire that left naught but chaos and torment in its wake within you.

of course, you would never tell him that, but he already knew.

“Do you want me to make you come undone?”

you shake your head, but keep your tiers tightly sealed— fearful that your mouth would betray you and favor the skillful fingers delving inside you, and you would beg him for a release. your hue was already tainted— you knew it was wrong to want a man so carnally, especially a killer like Shogo Makishima, but you couldn’t stop the depravity before it sank deep within you. it also didn’t help that he enjoyed tempting you so.

his eyes are nearly blinding, coruscating as he searches yours, and you know he can see right through the lie, but he’s still smiling. his free hand flees to grip your face, the pad of his thumb dragging along your lower lip. “I was asking as a courtesy, not because I need your permission. You know that, don’t you?” when he squeezes his fingers into your face, hollowing your cheeks, the act forces your lips to purse outwards, and they’re met with his pair crashing into them, devouring them. Shogo’s kiss is so overwhelming that you’re almost swept away, lost at sea within the embrace, and you nearly don’t feel a third finger join the other two, until he twists them, stretching you, and you whine against his lips.

he only chuckles, his hand holding your face steady, “Mm, I know. I know it must be a lot for you to take, but it feels good, doesn’t it? Stretching around my fingers like you’re made of elastic?”

“No—“ but it’s a sultry moan and your eyes flutter. your hips stutter as your body defies your mouth and rubs into his palm, wanting— no, needing more.

he chortles, shaking his head. “Your mouth says one thing, but your body tells me another. You’re giving yourself away, darling.” whilst he speaks, he smears the remnants of his sloppy, forceful kiss over your quivering lips and you can feel his fingers tight on your jaw.

then, only for what had to be a fraction of a second, a thought overtakes your mind. it’s quick, the visage of his hand dropping to grasp your throat instead of your face, and how much you’d enjoy that, and then you force it away from the forefront. but it’s much too late. an expression all too telling paints itself against his flawless countenance— the visage of a god possessed by power and victorious in his conquest of your fragile mentality.

“You are quite the demented, little thing, aren’t you? How badly you yearn to feel my hand on your throat— you know I would crush it, no problem whatsoever, don’t you? And that only has you wetter.”

humiliated with your face on fire, you attempt to turn away, but his fingers dig too fiercely into the vulnerable flesh of your cheeks, and you whine. you want to say no, to shake your head until your neck is sore, but you knew that your body was the traitor. no matter how much you lied to him, told him you weren’t enjoying it, he could feel your desire from the inside.

“I could make you tell me the truth if I wanted, I could finger fuck the pleases and thank yous right out of you.” he chuckles, before the hand upon your face careens downwards to clench a fist around your throat— your breath catches just beneath his palm, and your pulse pounds like a drum under the pad of his thumb, “and it’s not hard to see through your pathetic excuse for a facade, but it is exhilarating to watch you try and fool yourself into thinking this isn’t what you want.” his lips ghost over yours when he whispers, soft and daunting, and you’re hyper aware of the subtle flick of a devious tongue at the seam of your tiers; they part obediently and you exhale a shaky breath on to his face, much to your own dismay. “So, you keep telling me that you don’t love this—“ the pressure on your neck increases, constricting the air flow, and the rhythm between your thighs follows the trend; deep, slow thrusts picking up speed, yet sparing no intensity, until your eyes are rolling back, “and I’ll keep fucking your soft, warm cunt until you’ve nothing left in your fragile, little body to lie. Not an inkling of power, only submission for me.”

[ddarker-dreams]

I loved the Psycho Pass headcanons! Can you make Yandere Makishima hcs too?

i love makishima shogo..................

Makishima: 

Makishima is not one to rush his plans, so that leaves him with some downtime. There are times where he just enjoys observing people, looking for anyone that could possibly be an asset to him. This is when he stumbles across you.

You weren’t in a high position, but not a low one either. You performed your tasks diligently, content with your life. He would find himself thinking about your upbeat personality, and cheery outlook on life. None of it seemed fake, every part of you was so genuine. 

It makes him want to prod at you. What makes you tick? What are your beliefs? Could you be open to his ideas? All these questions and more motivate him to further investigate you. He has the connections to do so, any all your information is soon at his disposal.

Under the watchful eye of Sibyl, there are issues presented with starting these meaningful conversations with you. So he’d take you to Sibyl blind spots, either by force or by enticing you. 

His feelings for you make him feel human. He’s read countless books that have romance involved, but never fully grasped the concept. Now that you were in the picture, it made sense to him. Makishima makes the executive decision to keep you by his side from now on. To any colleagues, he’d say it was for your own good -- but there’s a dark pretense to it. He doesn’t want to be questioned about why you’re here.

Honestly expects any resistance you offer. He feels that with him, he could convince you to see his side of things. That you simply grew up in the wrong circumstances. Would be patient with you, slowly making attempts to brainwash you.

Not very physically affectionate? Makishima’s not used to it, but he’s not opposed to it either. At the start, he’d consider himself “above” those types of cheesy things. But as he spends more time with you, the urge to touch you develops. 

He would keep it tasteful, or at least he thinks he is. Little touches as he walks by you, gently tucking hair behind your ear. Stuff like that. Subtle but meaningful, it gave him a rush he rarely experiences.

You could call him any names you want, it won’t change your situation. He does get a bit dismayed if you seem to hate him for a long time. Makishima has his ways though, and in time he’ll break down your defenses with carefully crafted words and situations.

Not above threatening those you care for if you start treading dangerous territory. Like showing hints of escaping, or saying that you’ll hate him forever. These things won’t be tolerated, as he thinks you’re acting out. A few mentions of your friends and their exact addresses will normally make you quiet.

Enjoys watching you do simple, traditional things. In the area he’s keeping you, there’s not a lot of technology. It takes a bit of getting used to. If he ever ran into you reading one of his paperback books, his heart would speed up.

Aside from your views about Sibyl, which he would always refute if you were for it, he’ll listen patiently about your other thoughts. What you think about life, death, anything really. Even if he disagreed, he’d find your unique outlook interesting and would often spend hours debating you about things.

[ignitification]

9, 11, 15 hehehe

#9: a character that i simp for (and i'm ashamed).

Sukuna Ryōmen (the amount of edits I I have saved is sheer embarrassing, just ugh) (I do have other embarrassing ones, ugh).

#11: a character i would cosplay.

I would make a banger, and when I say banger I mean it, Makishima Shougo (we have almost the same eye colour!)

#15: a character i'd throw hands with.

Karasu Tabito (I’d throw hands with a lot of them though, including but no limited to Oikawa Tooru, Suna Rintarō, Inuzuka Kiba, NACHT FAUST).

send me a number and I’ll tell you 🌌

[cyancherub]

((the, THE Makishima Shogo obsessed with ME tho?? a dream))

warnings (just in case): not-sfw (no actual smut), possessive! makishima, makishima calls kougami a dog, m-manipulation? yo i dunno anything goes when it's makishima; that man has me in a chokehold LOL

okay, but listen to this:

imagine the mini love triangle though?? like makishima becoming so obsessed with you that you come under the radar during kougami's investigation because, well, somehow all the things just lead back you. he takes you into custody and tries to get information from you, but you refuse to speak to him without a lawyer.

besides, you know makishima isn't a bad guy, right? he's so sweet to you, a snow prince tbh, treats you so well, gets you whatever you want, always knows where you are, and never lets you walk home alone. swears that society is just too dangerous for you to be out and about without him. you let him read his favourite books to you so you can fall asleep soundly - makishima is just that kind of guy.

kougami tho? sees right through it, like he always has and always will.

is thoroughly determined to reveal makishima's true nature to you, and with the right strings he pulls, you end up in witness protection. you're loyal to makishima, but kougami is a prince of his own, always making sure you're safe and fed and comfortable. he even starts reading to you because that's the only way you'll fall asleep on nights where sleep is the last thing on your mind.

you bet makishima will become absolutely livid when you start smelling of kougami's cigarettes, though he only finds out when he sneaks a visit into your home. a jealous prince is no longer a prince, only a green-eyed monster that decides he needs to make you his again.

and you fucking need it BOI, let him mark you up and dick you down because he's not leaving till that dog catches the smell of victory in your room.

LAKSDJLAJSDLALK OHHH MY GOD I WOULD GO TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH TO GET IN THE MIDDLE OF THEM IM GOING TO SHOUT TO THE HEAVENS;;;;

[zorkaya-moved]

Alright Psycho Pass because Rens gotta stick together 😂👏

I think it’s so funny to imagine how Shogo and Zarina are those dressed in white, have that white/gold divine color palette going on but they’re such bastards. They are the best personification of symbolic trickery, the both of them, which I greatly appreciate it. I also do enjoy putting the clash between Makishima and Kogami vs Zarina and Akane, they’re similar yet so different.

I like to think about Zarina using the knowledge of the world outside to her advantage in the field. As in, she’s seen what’s happening outside which is why her manner of speaking and approaching the missions are so different compared to Ginoza, Kogami, Akane, etc. She’s an active investigator, she’s on the field even if it’s not the usual and how people work. She specifically gains favor of Enforcers for her own reason and to put herself on a better standard. It’s messy, it’s manipulative, it’s bad but she requires to gain a good reputation and she does it wonderfully. While Makishima operates like he does, Zarina seemingly obeys the system and acts really well on it. Become your enemy to understand how they think, which I think she’ll shun Shogo for because he puts himself ‘above’ in terms of moral ground through his speech, it’s something they both do but in a different manner. I like that as a villainous character, Zar is slithering like a snake in the so-called heaven, the symbol of wisdom yet also the showcase of trickery and manipulation, whispers to Eve to bit the forbidden fruit.

Zarina’s goal isn’t to destroy Sybil with her own hands. What she wants - after discovering the truth between S1 and S2 is to expose the truth and see how humanity will destroy itself upon understanding the truth. She wants to see the way others will act and how self-destructive this so-called heavenly society will work as. Her wish isn’t to ‘grant freedom’ to people of Japan, she couldn’t give less of a fuck about them or the outside world. To her, Japan is a chessboard and she’ll take up to 10 years to develop her plan and wait out to strike when the guard is as low as it gets.

This is why during S1, she has ways to get out of Japan and being Victor with her. And several more people if she wants to and establishes a strong connection with them. Makishima’s plan is interesting to her because it’s a learning experience she will use in the future, a stepping stone for her own plans that will develop more and more. She finds his plan fun to watch and assist here and there if it comes to it, but she won’t sacrifice her position for his plan and will be the observer of his Shakespearean play. It’s fun, it’s interesting, it’s eye catching. It only makes it worse since she never says that she’s met or spoken to Makishima if she did, keeping it a secret either until her death or until years and years later on. Like she might’ve given out info or didn’t do as best of a job as she could, already betraying so many but does she say it! Confess to it? Oh no. That’s the worst part of it.

She still has the ability to contact the outside world and keep tabs there, which is something she keeps under wraps through military networking, her charms, and more. Zarina isn’t staying in Japan because she can’t leave, but because she wants to see if it’s possible to make this faux Heaven burn if people - humans - understand the truth. She wants to expose the truth and then witness the aftermath.

[lampshadecr0wn]

Psycho Pass Characters as Music Genres (Season 1 Edition)

*Disclaimer* These are just my opinions/ideas so feel free to add anything you like (:

1. Akane Tsunemori - Electronic/ Alternative Pop

Song Example: Yours by Now, Now

Artist Examples: Now, Now , Caroline Polachek, Saint Sister

Akane definitely embraces the modern culture of Japan during her time, so I could see her listening to music that also embraces it. She would be drawn to strong melodies and pounding bass. 

Secondary Genre: Electropunk

2. Shinya Kougami - Blues / Rock

Song Example: Please Call Me, Baby by Tom Waits

Artist Examples: Tom Waits, Nick Drake, Leonard Cohen

Look, Kougami loves to read and be philosophical, so I can only imagine his taste in music would be somewhat pretentious (lol.) I think that despite his angsty and intense demeanor, he would listen to somewhat understated tunes with poetic lyrics. 

Secondary Genre: Indie Rock

3. Nobuchika Ginoza - Classical

Song Example: 2 Arabesques, L. 66: No. 1 in E Major by Claude Debussy

Artist Examples: Claude Debussy, Joe Hisaishi, Frederic Chopin

Sorry, I had to. Ginoza seems like the type of guy who would lose his mind over some good piano riffs, yaknow? Plus, before the end of season one, I can imagine this type of music to be quite the stress reliever for him. 

Secondary Genre: Jazz

4. Shusei Kagari - R & B

Song Example: Nights by Frank Ocean

Artist Examples: Frank Ocean, Solange, SZA

I really think that Kagari likes to vibe. Unlike his rather upbeat personality, I think he would turn towards the more emotional side of R&B. I could see him with some headphones on, lip-syncing the words to Jarrod by Solange in the office. 

Secondary Genre: Rap

5. Yayoi Kunizuka - Riot Grrrl / Punk

Song Example: I Heard it Through the Grapevine by the Slits

Artist Examples: the Slits, the Raincoats, the Regrettes

We already knew this in canon, but Yayoi loves punk music. I think she would be really into girl punk specifically. This is a funny contrast to her personality, because she’s so calm and collected, while punk music... isn’t.

Secondary Genre: Metal

6. Tomomi Masaoka - Classic Rock

Song Example: Jungleland by Bruce Springsteen

Artist Examples: Bruce Springsteen, ACDC, Led Zeppelin

Masaoka is a dad, hence the dad rock. JK. Masaoka talks about life before Sibyl, which makes me think he’s nostalgic for the way things used to be. Classic Rock, especially Springsteen, is quite reminiscent of the “good old days.”

Secondary Genre: Modern Rock

7. Shion Karanomori - Grunge

Song Example: Celebrity Skin by Hole

Artist Examples: Hole, Pearl Jam, the Smashing Pumpkins

Initially, I really wanted to give Shion pop, because I thought it’d be funny. But realistically, I couldn’t see her bopping to Madonna. So I gave her a sister-genre to Yayoi, grunge. She’s probably the type of person to have her music so loud it shakes the floor.

Secondary Genre: Post-Punk

8. Shogo Makishima - Noise Music

Song Example: Pss Pss by Death Grips

Artist Examples: Death Grips, Boredoms, Black Dice

Makishima is FERAL, so its only fair that his music taste is too. I don’t think he listens to much music, but when he does, its something super experimental and profound.

Secondary Genre: Experimental

[tsunflowers]

anime featuring adult women

there are a lot of great female characters in anime, but sometimes it feels like they’re all supporting characters in shows about men or they haven’t graduated high school yet. I wanted to compile a list of some anime with adult women front and center

kidou keisatsu patlabor on tv:

in the sci-fi future as imagined in 1988, human-piloted robots called labors are used regularly by all kinds of people, including criminals. to combat labor crime, the police develop a special unit of patrol labors—patlabor. instead of following the prestigious division one, we follow a cast of quirky characters in second-string division two, as they solve cases ranging from mundane to dangerous to paranormal

izumi noa, and why I love her:

she’s incredibly strong-willed and stubborn. she’ll stand up to anyone. she’s obsessed with labors, not just piloting them herself but repairing them and learning about new developments in the field. even though division two is primarily men and there is the “men at work” vibe of so much military and police fiction, noa fits in easily with the guys and no one excludes her. the few times people do question her skills bc of her gender, they’re immediately shut down

other women in the cast:

nagumo shinobu, the captain of division one. we never actually see her or her unit at work, but they have a great reputation. I just love her bc she’s very funny always shutting down the captain of division two and I like that in-universe there are women in leadership roles like this

kanuka clancy, a visiting cop from new york. her relationship with noa is very strong, definitely shippable. she’s adept with a gun, a sword, and a giant robot. she’s the serious member of the team who yells at the others for being dumb but there are still times where she goes completely off the rails and ignores the law to do what she knows is right

wotakoi: love is hard for otaku:

momose narumi is an office worker and a fujoshi. she wants to keep the fujoshi part a secret this time around because things went south for her at her last job once people found out she was an otaku, but it turns out several of her new coworkers are fellow nerds. most importantly, her game-loving childhood friend hirotaka works at the same company, and the two of them reconnect as friends… and soon more than friends. it’s a romance drama involving only nerds

momose narumi, and why I love her:

she’s a lot like your standard high school girl protagonist who runs out of the house because she’s late for school, but this time she’s late for work. she’s really funny and straightforward, except she thinks she has to hide that side of her at her job. she and hirotaka have a great childhood friends to lovers relationship. she’s kind of rude to him but he adores her (though he’s kind of bad at showing it). I love a cheerful girl/serious guy romance that’s done well and I think this one really is

other women in the cast:

koyanagi hanako, narumi’s new coworker who’s a fellow fujoshi. she’s also a cosplayer, specifically a crossplayer who specializes in cosplaying as handsome guys. she and narumi only met each other under their fandom nicknames before, but they were big fans of each other and hit it off instantly when they meet at work. they’re cute friends even if they always argue about who tops in their ships

psycho-pass:

in a futuristic society, people’s mental health is constantly measured by “psycho-pass” readings which track their emotional state and judge the likelihood that they will commit a crime. naive rookie cop tsunemori akane leads a team of enforcers, people who are considered “latent criminals” too dangerous to live in normal society but who are still useful to the police. akane develops a close relationship with enforcer kougami shinya in particular, but kougami has his own intense relationship with the elusive criminal makishima shogo. as the team of detectives investigate him, they uncover secrets about the system they never wanted to learn and their fates become entwined with makishima’s

psycho-pass is written by urobuchi gen (madoka magica, fate/zero) and if you’re familiar with him you know what to expect. the show is pretty grim and gory. content warnings for rape, violence, gore, body horror, police violence, the predatory lesbian trope, forced institutionalization, and probably a lot of other things I can’t remember. not a light watch, is what I’m saying

tsunemori akane, and why I love her:

she’s incredibly principled. she sticks to what she believes is right despite immense pressure. it’s precisely because she’s naive and doesn’t understand the system that she is able to fight against it. she grows a huge amount over the course of the series but she never loses her compassion or her sense of right and wrong. she’s pretty badass too

other women in the cast:

karanomori shion, a lab analyst at the public safety bureau. she’s your typical sexy and flirtatious anime character but I think her position within the setting is interesting. although she’s categorized as a “latent criminal” unfit for society, she seems to be valued more than the enforcers. she’s also bisexual and dating a woman, though she plays into the “bisexuals can’t settle down” trope a little. she is not actually the best character or peak representation but I’m pretty attached to her and a certain type of woman will be too

kunizuka yayoi, a lesbian former musician and the only female enforcer. she’s shion’s girlfriend. there is a predatory lesbian character in this series, but it’s not kunizuka. I think her being a lesbian is handled pretty well. she has romantic and sexual relationships with women that are important to her, but she doesn’t hate men or flirt with every woman she meets (traits I hate to see in lesbian characters written by men). she’s really serious and calm but still cute and I love to see her growing respect for akane over the course of the show

death parade:

two people wake up in a strange bar with no memory of how they got there. a mysterious man with white hair named decim and his assistant, a woman known only as “the black haired woman,” ask them to play a game. the games are both absurd and dangerous, and as the contestants play them dark sides of themselves are revealed. decim’s job is to judge them based on their behavior while playing the games, but the black haired woman’s influence causes him to wonder if he’s doing the right thing

like it says in the title, the anime deals with the topic of death, and death by suicide comes up as well. I don’t remember everyone’s backstories but I think violence and abuse come up several times. there are also mannequins that move around on marionette strings which is kind of freaky

the black haired woman, and why I love her:

it might be wrong to say that she’s the main character when she isn’t introduced until the end of the first episode and her name isn’t revealed for half the show but listen. she’s the emotional core of the show and the person who sets the events in motion. she’s a very emotional person and that’s her strength. her relationship with decim is the classic “woman teaches cold-hearted man to feel” trope but I think it’s an outstanding example bc it centers her emotional experience and the two of them are not explicitly in a romantic relationship. I’ve been trying to avoid spoilers but for her it’s almost unavoidable. I love the way that her story is slowly revealed over the course of the show culminating in an incredible sequence in episode 11. I think her depression is handled so well too. it’s heartbreaking

other women in the cast:

nona, the boss of the arbiters. she’s a schemer who knows a whole lot of things she’s keeping from everyone else. I really like her outfit above all else. baggy pants with suspenders… a great look

mayu, a high school girl who is a contestant in one of the games. she tries to be cutesy but is prone to anger and makes incredible faces. I like that she’s an obsessive fangirl character who’s played for humor but is also shown as being noble and sympathetic

sakura quest:

koharu yoshino is a woman who moved to tokyo to find a job but has no luck. when she finally gets a job offer, it’s to become “queen for a day” of rural manoyama village. upon arriving in manoyama, she learns that she was only hired because they thought she was someone else but they still want her to work there for an entire year. now she lives in a small town and is tasked with both revitalizing the citizens and drawing tourists in, along with the help of four friends. it may not sound funny and heartwarming but it really is. it’s a good story about connecting and reconnecting and also the head of the tourism board wears a chupacabra mask sometimes

the main characters, and why I love them:

koharu yoshino, queen of manoyama. her struggle in the job market is unfortunately relatable to many people today and I love that she wishes she could have a job as a queen. she’s great and she really comes to love the town despite everything

shiori shinomiya, a very sweet manoyama native. she’s almost too nice but it makes it all the funnier when she gets intense

maki midorikawa, an aspiring actor who is famous among manoyama citizens for a small role she played in the past. she’s serious about acting but her family wishes she would get a more stable job. she can be kind of rude but she does love her friends and her town

sanae kouzuki, a web developer who moved to manoyama to escape the intensity of city life and the negative effects it had on her mental health. the problem is she hates rural life and is afraid of bugs but is too proud to admit it on her blog. the only true city girl among the five

ririko oribe, my favorite of the five. she’s shy but loves cryptids and the occult. it’s very easy to read her as autistic and the other characters affirm her interests and behavior. her love of cryptids even helps the town out when Spanish tourists come in search of a local legend. her relationship with her grandma is really good as well, with the two coming to understand and love each other over the course of the show

[randomnotesofmyown]

Psycho-Pass (20)

Episode 20 - Where Justice lies

Tsunemori at the outside of the core of the Sibyl system. The wall plates slided to create an entrance and the system tole the agent to get in. "Why on earth are you talking to me?" "What you're about to see is the brain of this world as well as its heart.

Makishima paid a visit to professor Kudama and appeared to have already obtained the information about hyper oats. "The food we eat every day is all thanks to this remarkable technology, and yet, so many citizens are unaware of it." Kudama, "Indeed. These days, the world is full of people who treat the blessings of science as things they are entitled to. It's really rare to see a young person like you who takes an interest in this." "It's quite regrettable to see you, who was at the forefront of establishing today's food situation in Japan, retired and ignored like this." Makishima got on his feet, walked to the book shelves and continued, "What I'm interested in is the Uka-no-Mitama defense virus's slipshod security system. Even if it's a good virus, if you are able to change the target as you please depending on how you configure the sequencer, it's possible to adjust it so that it can kill the oats themselves instead of pests. Uka-no-Mitama will quickly change form a god of fertility who brings good harvest to a devil who brings death." "What are you..." "On top of that, they converted a lab in a closed down university to the control center that takes care of adjustment and distribution of the virus. The facility predates the use of cymatic scans for security. "

"Its security system uses numeric passwords or, at best, biometric scans. Then, since you used to be in charge there, with your help..."

By the time Kogami arrived, the professor was already dead.

Tsunemori, standing in front of the core of the Sibyl system, shocked by what the system told her. 

"Did Kagari die here? Die you guys kill him?" She asked. "We compared and considered the contribution Kagari Shusei would make to society throughout his life against the risk of him revealing the secret of the Sibyl system and decided that the latter issue was more important." Shaking with anger, Tsunemori exploded, "don't be ridiculous! 'More important,' you said?!"   

"You are right. The appearance of criminally asymptomatic people, whom the Sibyl system cannot analyze, is inevitable. No matter how detailed and robust a system you build, a certain number of irregularities that deviate from it are certain to appear." "And you call that a perfect system?! To think that something like this is deciding the lives and death of people..." "But if we just improve the system and make it more complex, we can never expect it to be perfect. Then we have no choice but to resolve the contradictions by altering the way in which we operate the system, rather than its functions. By permitting the appearance of irregularities we cannot manage and taking measures to coexist, the system achieves perfection in a practical sense." "What do you mean by that?" "We can entrust the management of the system to those who deviate from the system. That is the most logical conclusion. When we used to have individual personalities and bodies, we were all criminally asymptomatic persons, who deviated from the management of the Sibyl system. There are even many among us who acted far more cruelly than Makishima." "Then are you saying..."

"...and that this monster has been running the world?!" "By first rejecting relative valuations such as good or evil, an absolute system can be established. What is needed is a perfect and infallible system. Who manages it and how it is managed are irrelevant." "That's nonsense!" "In a truly completed system, its operator's will is not questioned. Our will itself is the system and the universal standard of value that transcends ethics." "Don't be ridiculous! Just who do you think you are?!" "It is true that every one of us here used to have many problems with our personalities. However, we harmonize through the acts of integrating everyone's minds, and so we have been able to achieve the goal of a universal standard. The more prejudiced and peculiar the orientation of the individuals who comprise the system, the more new ideas and values it brings to our perception and the more flexible and diversified our thinking becomes. In that regard, Makishima Shogo's idiosyncrasy is quite valuable and so, we have high hopes that he can become an especially useful member. Attaining a logical society in which various contradictions and inequalities are resolved... That is, indeed, the ultimate happiness sought by the rational human mind. By achieving an absolutely perfect system, Sibyl has become an existence that embodies that ideal." "Why are you telling me about this?" "You instinctively hate and emotionally detest us right now. And yet, you still cannot deny the Sibyl system's significance and necessity. You accept the fact that the current social order cannot hold without Sibyl. You place the importance on its necessity rather than its justifiability. We highly value your standards." "You killed Kagari in order to keep your secrets!" "Tsunemori Akane possesses a sense of purpose that is shared by the Sibyl system. Hence, we decided that the possibility that you'd reveal our secrets and endanger the system is infinitely small."

"Let us confirm once again. Tsunemori Akane, do you wish a world without the Sibyl system? Right, you try to nod but then become hesitant. The ideal you imagine isn't clear and firm enough to deny the social order achieved at this point. You recognize that the current peaceful society and harmony achieved through the happiness of citizens and order are more important than anything else. Hence, no matter how much you hate and deny the Sibyl system, which is the foundation of those things, you cannot reject it." "Don't talk like you know everything." "If we analyze your reaction read by the cymatic scan, we can clearly grasp everything. Stop acting brave and let us have a heart-to-heart discussion. The goal of this meeting is to establish a collaborative relationship." "Collaborative?" "CID division 1 is currently in a crisis situation. Due to Kogami Shinya's recklessness and Ginoza Nobuchika being drained, the team is starting to show signs of dysfunction. Unless a new leader takes the initiative in the investigation, we cannot expect success in tracking down Makishima Shogo." "Mr. Ginoza is...drained?" "Tsunemori Akane, because you were caught in an unnecessary inner conflict, you have not been able to exhibit your potential capacities, either. The lack of understanding of the situation has been clouding your decision."

"We decided that telling you the truth is the best way to give you motivation. Tsunemori Akane..."

"You and we share the same value of trying to avoid a pointless death caused by unchecked emotions."

"If you guys broke the law in the past, you should atone for your crimes in a befitting way." "Our contributions to society are more than enough compensation for the damages we caused in the past."   "How convenient, huh?"

Flashbacks:

"If we were living in the days before Sibyl's diagnosis, our happiness would've been up to luck. So this is a lot better than the old days." "I envy you. You're likely to end up with multiple aptitudes, Kaori." 

"700 points. I can't believe it."

"With your score and Psycho-Pass, Akane, you've got a rosy life." Yuki, "Whoa...My rank is C...I knew it but I'm still shocked." Kaori, "Mine are all office jobs. It would be tough to improve my job situation from there." Yuki, "hey, hey, how was yours, Akane?"

Kaori, "This score really is amazing. You have the aptitude even for the PSB!" Tsunemori, "B-but, if they recommend any place and every place, I don't know which one's good for me after all. I wonder how I can decide..." Voice of Kagari, "I don't know. What makes you think that someone like me would know? You could become anything. You even agonized over it, right? That's incredible. You're just like those old people before Sibyl was created." Tsunemori, "yeah, it's incredible, isn't it? Everyone used to feel their way around and chose their own life...To think that a world in which such things were just natural existed..."

Kagari, "nowadays, the Sibyl system reads your talent and tells you the way of living that will bring you the most happiness. And yet, you're talking about your life? The reason you were born? I never even thought there were people who stressed over things like that!" "Yeah, it's a heavy, tough anxiety. But...now I feel...that it might actually be a happy thing to be able to worry about those things." It changed into an imaginary dialog when the voice of Makishima came.

"So I've asked many people about their suppressed free will and observed their actions all this time." Tsunemori, "right, now I might be able to understand how you feel a little." Makishima, "How do you define crime to start with? That dominator you're holding...does the Sibyl system that governs that gun decide it?"

Tsunemori, "that's wrong, isn't it? That was the mistake in the first place." Makishima, "by analyzing a bio-organism's force field read by a cymatic scan, they figure out how a person's mind works. The intelligence of science finally uncovered the secret of souls, and this society changed drastically. However, people's wills are not a part of that assessment. I wonder just what sort of criteria you use to divide people into good and evil." Tsunemori, "I'm sure the important thing wasn't the conclusion of good or evil. I feel it was to think about it yourself, agonize over it and accept it." Makishima, "I want to see the splendor of people's souls. I want to check and see if it really is precious. However, when humans base their lives around Sibyl Oracle, without ever consulting their own wills, do they really hold any value?" Tsunemori, "There's no way they don't! Are you saying that <i>you</i> decide their value? You judge someone's family, their friends?! You judge the value of a happiness you've never felt?!" Switched to Yuki.

"Someone else always took care of things for me and I never ever asked myself what was important. Say, Akane, do you think I was still happy that way?" Tsunemori replied sadly, "You could have become happy. You could have searched for the answer anytime...As long as people are alive, anyone can do it."

End of flashbacks and imaginary dialogs.

In her car, Tsunemori got a call from Ginoza, who asked her where she wandered off to. "The chief ordered me to deliver something to the Ministry of Welfare." "There was a murder in Ichikawa. Kogami's prints have been found at the site. Come here immediately. "

On her way to the crime scene, Tsunemori told the Sibyl system that she would do what it asked her to on one condition. "If I bring in Makashima Shogo alive, in return, you will guarantee Kogami Shinya's life as well. Withdraw his execution order." The Sibyl system replied, "those two things are not logically equivalent." "I don't care about your logic. If Mr. Kogami won't be saved, then I'll let Makishima die without doing anything. If push comes to shove, I'll kill him with my own hands."

"And go find another pawn you think you can use." "Understood. Only once Makishima Shogo is captured alive will we make an exception for Kogami Shinya."

Tsunemori got to the crime scene and learned from Masaoka that residents reported seeing someone with that helmet. The agents found, after asking around, the only house which security was busted and inside it was a dead person.

Kunizuka, "The victim is Kudama Nobuaki. He used to work for a lab belonging to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, but he retired quite a long time ago and was now just an ordinary pensioner."

Ginoza, "the house appears to have been searched and we found Kogami's fingerprints. But why on earth..."

Tsunemori, "this wound on his neck...it might be Makishima Shogo who did it. This old man had something to do with Makishima's next plan. Mr. Kogami figured it out and rushed here, but he was too late..." Ginoza, "So Kogami really is ahead of us, huh?' Masaoka, "even so, why on earth was this old man killed by Makishima? It's hard to investigate a site that's been thoroughly messed up like this."

Tsunemori, "What would Mr. Kogami consider the most undesirable result?" Kunizuka, "letting Makishima get away, right?" Tsunemori, "then when would his second most undesirable result be?" Masaoka, "being found by us before he kills Makishima...perhaps." Tsunemori, "Yes. Let's think about things in that order. What if Mr. Kogami, who got here before us, had hidden the body somewhere hard to be found? While Kudama Nobuaki remained missing...we would have continued pursuing a misdirected investigation and Mr. Kogami would have had a larger lead." Ginoza watched as Tsunemori made the deduction and saw Kogami instead.

"Mr. Kogami isn't the overconfident type. In case he fails by some chance, I think he would at least leave a clue so that someone can stop Makishima. The question is, when will we notice that clue...He's testing us...to see if we have the same or an even bigger tenacity than his to pursue Makishima...If you don't have that determination, you'll be stranded here and get a late start." Then...

"Can you find something?" Drone, "Something metal is detected inside the victim's airway." Tsunemori, "give me gloves." Masaoka, "h-hey, leave it to the forensics." Tsunemori, "that will allow Mr. Kogami to buy some time. If we want to catch up with him, we have to do it right here, right now." She retrieved the object from the victim's throat.

Tsunemori placed the device above her wrist communicator and saw that it contained an audio file.

"This is Kogami, a former Enforcer. This message is left for the detectives who'll be here in a while. The victim is Kudama Nobuaki, a former Doctor of Agriculture. He was in charge of a development team for the Uka-no-Mitama virus, a disease countermeasure for hyper-oats. He was considered to be the biggest contributor to Japan's achievement of complete food self-sufficiency. In order to totally destroy the granary in Hokuriku, Makishima got some idea from Professor Kudama and killed him. He gouged out the eyeballs from the body and cut all the fingers at their second joints. They may be needed to break through some form of security. A facility from the old days where the security equipment depended on the old type biometric scans instead of cymatic scans...The lab Kudama's research team was using at Izumo university is suspicious. The lab is currently used as the control center for the Uka-no-Mitama virus."

Ginoza, "totally destroying a granary...bio-terrorism committed by a single person?!" Tsunemori, "Let's hurry. We should still be able to make it in time." Makishima made his way into Kudama Lab at Izumo University. Kogami arrived and was about to find a way in. 

End of episode 20

Comment: The flashback scene made me wonder one thing. People looked to Sibyl for job recommendations. For people who the system could not analyze, like Makishima, did they get such recommendations? If they didn't, how did they find jobs? And the moment Tsunemori pointed that dominator at her chest got me. If the system refused, if it really went ahead and killed her and looked for another pawn. She would really have died and it would be for nothing. But her determination, and her gamble paid off.

Extra thought added on Nov 12. I came to see the logic why former criminals were chosen to become part of the Sibyl system. To judge the possibilities of anyone who would commit a crime, you need people who understand how criminals would think and act, or what would go on inside their head. In this sense, no one knows criminals better than former criminals.

[thekidultlife]

The Coldest Human; The Warmest Robot | Jihoon! Android AU

Words: 13362 (yep. a lot. I know)

Genre: Fluff?, Slight Angst?

(A/N: So this fic was definitely based on the book “Do Android Dream of Electric Sheep?” by Philip K. Dick (if you watched Psycho-Pass, you’ll know that Shogo Makishima makes the best dystopian novel recommendations) and the anime “Beatless”. Both gave such profound food for thought about androids and AI and I’ll tackle what I think about them in the following android series I’ll do since I enjoyed building this world, needless to say lmao. This first one is about androids and their lack of ‘emotion’ (dades named it as empathy, while beatless called it ‘soul’) and the possibilities of a relationship between androids and humans. I know others would feel reserved about this (I am too. It’s just fckiing weird) so I kept it open, a thought to explore. So here you go! I hope you guys like it!)

P.S. If you’re interested to discuss these things with me, the askbox and message box (?) are open! :) I’m more than happy for a thought exercise.  

“Ok. Good.”

He wouldn’t have imagined that those were the words he would hear after an immeasurable number of years.

“He’s working.”

He blinked; the machineries whirring in his chest and the cogwheels sphinning in his head. How many years was he out?

“Could you do a system evaluation?” he heard you ask and he answered without hesitation, the words spilling from his cherry pink lips.

“Memory, intact. System processing, stable. Vitals, stable. Body coordination, malfunction on the right arm joint…”

“Good. Just a bit of tweaking and repair,” you told him in such a mechanical voice that he wondered if you were one too. “Anyway, do you have a name?”

He blinked again; now aware that he was in a sitting position on a worn sofa and that he was in a small laboratory with you who was in a lab coat. His white blond hair fell on his forehead as he leaned in forward.

“I’m Jihoon.”

You nodded and gave a miniscule smile; a bit too cold for a human.

“I’m Y/N.”

3 hours earlier

“Ow! What the fuck?”

It wasn’t weird that you had almost tumbled forwards when your knees had hit a large box which was perfectly hidden by the dim lights of the hallway. It had been almost two years since you took a step into your mother’s old lab yet the throb of pain in your chest remained the same since day one.

You flicked the switch on, hoping that the other lights in the lab were still working, or else you might as well find yourself repairing every single one of them in the next few days. Luckily, you didn’t have to as the stark fluorescent lights flickered on without much difficulty.

With the lights now fully on, you glanced down on your feet to see what you had hit a little bit earlier. To your surprise, it was a large wooden crate that had your mother’s name and the address of her lab imprinted on it.

A slight look of confusion marred your face.

“Who on earth would have sent this?”

You asked even though you knew no one was going to reply. Trying to look for a return address, you only sighed when you found none and it kind of freaked you out. Nevertheless, the nagging feeling in your chest was tempting you to take the crowbar from the workshop.

“Well, doesn’t seem like it’s dangerous.”

You shrugged nonchalantly, holding the crowbar on your grasps and with a few strong tugs, you popped the lid open. What you found had you scrambling far, far away.

“—shit…!”

At the first sign of hair and limbs had your heart almost jumping out of your chest. There was no denying that a body of a dead person might have been sent to you and the image of the body sitting in fetal position was hammered into your head which you swore you will never forget in your entire life. Your hand immediately flew to the device you had on your wrist; looking for the emergency button which rang up the authorities automatically.

But taking a closer look, you noticed the unnatural white blond hair which almost looked like silicon and the pale asbestos white skin that was too perfect and too flawless to be human. Then, you finally saw the clothes which he was wearing—a black button-up and trousers which had a familiar emblem stitched into it.

“Wait…is that…oh.”

You took a few steps forward and hesitantly peered into the contents of the box with less panic and more objectivity. Finally seeing the signs which proved your thoughts, you gave a long sigh of relief as you sank to the floor on your knees; prying the other sides of the wooden crate open so that you wouldn’t have to carry something as heavy as an android.

Under normal circumstances, people couldn’t detect the difference between a human and an android and 99% of the time, there really was no difference—with the new Nexus 9 processing system, even fake emotions could be simulated. The only thing in the way is how androids cannot fully duplicate the humanness in humans.

Yet you have lived among these androids since you were born in a small colony orbiting Mars and your Mom was one of the best android engineers there ever was. Every miniscule twitch, or lack thereof, could alert you that the one you’re talking to is made of metal and codes after years of spending time with them.

“So, Jihoon?” you asked once more, trying to be sure if he was really fully functioning as you placed your tools back neatly inside a box.

He nodded, then scanned the whole lab as you observed his every action. Androids tend to do that—they’re logical to a fault. He could have already planned his way out within those few seconds, you thought.  

“Do you have any idea why you’re here?” you continued your inquiry, now sitting beside him.

“Yes, actually,” he replied without hesitation as he gazed right at you with unblinking eyes. “I wish to see Dr. L/N. She created me.”

Upon hearing his request, you sighed and slumped back on the worn sofa, thankful that dust was essentially non-existent in the filtered colonies. He was still looking at you and waited for any visible reaction but your gaze was as empty as his.

“She’s gone now. Dead,” you informed him nonchalantly as if you were just talking about the weather; trying to be as detached as you could be. “Gone ever since the mass riot in Hangar 15.”

Jihoon nodded since he was there in Hangar 15 when his fellow androids organized an uprising to escape the organization. Yet he chose not to participate in the event since he didn’t trust the plan that was laid, though he also chose not to help anyone, even the humans who perished.

“So, there it is,” you continued when he uttered no reply, standing up so you could stare at him.

You were not an idiot not to know that he was one of the recently escaped Nexus 9 androids from the organization and he was now on the hitlist of greedy bounty hunters disguised as police officers by the bureaucracy. What’s good about that was that you weren’t obliged to turn him in.  

“Are you her daughter?” he asked so suddenly that you raised your eyebrow in curiosity.

“I am. Why did you want to meet her anyway?”

He shrugged. “I needed to ask her something important regarding my functions.”

“Functions? You mean how you work?” you asked, inclining your head as if you were mulling the thought over. “Well, if that’s how it is, then maybe we could look into the computer over there.”

You pointed your head towards the direction of a series of computer screens on a workspace just to your left as Jihoon followed with his eyes. Walking over there, you turned on the main switch and rebooted the in-air holographic interface which allowed you to control several functions without really touching a solid object (ala Tony Stark style). Jihoon trailed behind you as he looked around and then back to you who was already providing the password.

“So, what did you want to look at?” you finally asked with a glitter in your eyes which Jihoon had noticed was only present in humans.

When you posed the question, the blond android immediately fell silent as he tried to rake his brain on what he actually wanted to know. However, within his usual processing time of five nanoseconds, he could not find any answer. In the meantime, you feared that he could be malfunctioning, so you walked closer and reached for his forehead, trying to see if his processor had heated up (which was so appropriately akin to a fever in humans). As soon as he felt your touch, Jihoon twitched and backed away, earning a surprised expression from you.

“I’m sorry. I feel disoriented right now,” he told you, avoiding your gaze.

“It’s ok. You might need some time to recalibrate yourself. Just rest on the sofa for the night…” you replied, a little bit confused and intrigued at the situation. “I’ll be leaving now.”

He nodded gingerly and returned to the couch as you moved to the exit and before you left, you glanced at him with an expression mix of worry and curiosity.

“An android’s main function is to protect itself, or, if it is programmed to work, then his responsibilities and obligations. It cannot work outside its program.”

Your instructor’s voice rang across the almost empty auditorium with its titanium walls and polyester seats burning your eyes with boredom. Being in class always felt too cumbersome, listening to a pre-recorded teacher who refer to androids as ‘it’, which you had some sort of strange distaste even though you knew they were right. Androids are nothing but a lump of metal, plastic and other materials with an artificial heart and brain—it shouldn’t be placed at the same level as humans.

“Everything they do are only mere pre-programmed responses. Even the Nexus 8 processor still has a few insufficiencies which could still possibly be detected by android detection tests such as the Voigt-Kampff scale and the Bonelli Reflex-Arc. However, Nexus 9 which was recently developed to perfection has undermined these insufficiencies, moving closer to simulate human beings. ”

That was how the whole system worked. The organization will produce these androids with a new Nexus processor and in a few and, often orchestrated escapes, these androids will be hunted down by bounty hunters. How, why and what killed these androids will then be used in order to improve the next line of androids.

Welcome to the organization.

“Y/N, I can’t seem to understand how to program involuntary movement.”

“Wow!  Didn’t you get the highest score in the last practicals?”

“Ms. L/N, please detail to us how the Voigt-Kampff tests work.”

“My goat back at home had kids. Sorry, I’m not allowed to give them.”

“Did you already get the programming assignment? It’s due tomorrow.”

“When I was an engineering student just like you, I knew how to work out an android with my eyes closed.”

“Hey, Y/N! Pay your electric bill. I don’t want you getting our electricity cut.”

“My parents got me an ostrich. They’re very rare these days.”

“Those are just androids. They’re not like animals or humans.”

 “You look tired.”

You blinked.

The gaze Jihoon was giving you seemed curious yet you only shook your head and slumped back on the worn sofa. These days, the only place which could give you solace was your mother’s old lab and Jihoon’s quiet presence. You were left on your own thoughts, which was a far contrast from the loud environment you were immersed in every single day.

“Class is shit as always,” you replied, pinching the bridge of your nose as you willed your nausea away. “My roommate is shit as always. My life is shit as always.”

“Why don’t you leave then?” Jihoon asked as he fiddled with an old laptop he found in the stockroom, trying to revive it, his voice as deadpan and mechanical as ever.

“It’s not as easy as you think,” you replied while you threw a severe look at him, which he only shrugged and continued soldering the wires into the motherboard.

“Humans are complicated. I cannot comprehend most of what they do and why they are doing it,” Jihoon remarked without even giving you a remarkable glance.

You looked at the distance with a blank look. “Most humans don’t understand what they’re doing or why they’re doing it. They just do it because that’s what they feel.”

Noticing his long stare, you averted your gaze back at Jihoon who had stopped fixing the gadget and just looked at you with a troubled expression.

“What does it feel like to feel?” he finally asked which had you returning his own stare, unable to think of an appropriate answer.

You sighed. “I’m sure you wouldn’t want to know.”

“Wouldn’t I?” Jihoon replied as he shot his brow, blond fringes falling softly on his forehead. “I’ve watched humans interact over the years and I’ve tried to understand their actions, yet until now, I couldn’t. Even at this time and age when emotions could easily be manipulated, I cannot comprehend why you still haven’t dialed up your Penfield for a happier mood to remove your unhappiness.”

Immediately, you narrowed your gaze at him for questioning your actions, yet you felt totally embarrassed that he had noticed the last shred of stubbornness remaining in you. After your mother’s funeral, you bought a Penfield mood organ so you wouldn’t sink into your eminent depression yet until now, you didn’t have the courage to use it; remaining in your wrist untouched.

“What do you want me to do then?” you finally asked, exhausted from the variety of emotions pushing you around.

Jihoon shrugged again, now returning to his work on the old laptop. “Nothing. You humans are so sentimental.”

You ignored him and inclined your head upwards, watching the bright fluorescent lights with a pensive mood.

Jihoon counted how many days since he had stayed with you since he basically had nothing to do but fix the entire lab to how it used to be and mull over his situation. He knew you knew that he was a rogue android yet he wondered why you haven’t reported him yet. He hypothesized that you couldn’t really be bothered to report him or you secretly enjoyed his presence.

Over the past few weeks, Jihoon had found himself thinking about you the most. He defended to himself that you were his mere case study yet why did he even bother to defend himself from his own? It was not like he had some sort of conscience, so then why? He didn’t want to tell you but he had long gotten suspicious about how his processing was a bit different than his fellow androids and maybe that was the reason why he had sought your mother. So whenever you weren’t around, he tried to snoop around your mother’s main computer to see if there were any notes left about how he was made or how his Nexus 9 processor was programmed, however, he had not found any significant data yet.

“What are you doing?” he asked, curious as he peered over your shoulder while you worked on the main computer.

“A project. We’re tasked to program specific responses in the event that someone tries to flirt with an android,” you replied without removing your concentration from the string of codes and numbers on the screen.

“I see. I guess that applies to prostitute androids,” he noted as he pulled out a chair to sit beside you, also monitoring the screen.

“You know that’s illegal.”

“Doesn’t stop anyone from doing it. Besides, the organization sells them anyway,” Jihoon shrugged as you arched an eyebrow at him, considering that he had a point.

“Androids are common commodity nowadays, huh? Sometimes you wonder what else they are made for.”

At that juncture, you had long been distracted from your work and was only staring at Jihoon, gauging if you could ask the question long floating in your head. Jihoon knew what you wanted to know by the path the conversation was going, so he had already beaten you down the chase.

“I’m designed for military use. Tactical adviser and technical expert,” he simply replied. “Our SVT line is equipped with quantum computers—the first of its own kind.”

You scoffed, a little bit amused. “You planned your whole escape, didn’t you?”

“I did,” he had no longer seen any reason why he had to hide that fact from you. “All five of us escaped. I don’t know where they are now and I don’t really care.”

Smiling, you finally asked the central irony of it all. “You escaped from the organization yet here you back in their labs. Why?”

Your grin morphed into a giggle when Jihoon turned his head away from you as if he wanted you to ignore that single aspect, sulking when you hadn’t.

“I have my reasons,” he replied with a pout.

“Which I’ll assume to be completely logical and a hundred percent android,” you retorted back with a playful grin and teasing eyes.

“Of course they are,” he defended with a glare and you only laughed at him. “I’m not joking, you know.”

“I know,” you smiled warmly and stood up, pinching his cheek to lift the frown on his lips, though much to his chagrin.

“Don’t do that,” he warned you, yet you only did it again on his other cheek. “Stop it already!”

You had already removed your hand before he could swat it away, as you laughed so hard that you almost fell to the ground. Jihoon was definitely not amused yet he had noticed some sort of malfunction in his system that made him all seem too light hearted. He’ll do a system check later.

“Haven’t I told you before?” your voice had finally caught his attention and dragged him away from his thoughts. “You seem so human. It’s so weird.”

I wish I wasn’t human.

These days though, you actually wished you weren’t.

It’s as if the colony was hell unloosened and you are right at the middle of it to feel everything. Though you were still a fool nonetheless, just like how Jihoon had said—not using the mood organ you bought when it was the most convenient. You didn’t need to feel hell, just a number to dial up and then you’re fine.

“481 for hopefulness; 888 for the incredible want to watch television and 3 for the desire to dial your Penfield mood organ! Come and feel complete!” You sang the commercial for the mood organ with every note dripping with sarcasm as you sat in fetal position on the worn sofa of the lab; fiddling with the buttons of the device. “If I used it, would I feel complete?”

“Data has shown that humans usually do not,” Jihoon’s mechanical voice interrupted your thoughts, together with the rattling of the toolbox filled with discarded devices he gathered from the stockroom.

You grinned cynically. “What if androids use it? Will you then feel empathy?”

The blond android paused for a while to look at you from where he sat on the workbench and then continued his search in the toolbox after a minute.

“You already know that we do not have a brain to attach the mood organ to. We have a processor yet it wouldn’t respond to the device,” he replied in an annoyed voice which would’ve meant that he need not to remind you what you had already learned in class.

“I’m just teasing you,” you replied with a small smile which immediately disappeared after a second.

Jihoon sighed. “Dial 999. It won’t make you feel anything.”

The android had caught your glare and held on to it. Using the mood organ was the most logical thing to do in your situation. He knew you were simply trying to hold on to a few loose strings and the best way not to let them go is to sacrifice something. He could not understand why you still refuse to do so.

“I can’t do it,” you confessed; hiding your face from his scrutinizing stare.

“Why?”

“I feel…I feel like if I did, I’ll lose myself.”

Jihoon stared. “I don’t understand.”

You smiled at him weakly.

Your head pounded, eyes burning, cheeks stained.

Where were you?

Bloodshot eyes blinking at the blinding white lights overhead, you soon realized that you cried yourself to sleep in the lab. It was awfully noisy unlike most days—incomprehensible noise which eventually turned into sweet, sweet music which almost lulled you back to sleep, except that you had noticed that it was Jihoon who was singing beside you on the sofa with a makeshift electric piano on his lap.

“Good morning. You look like you had a nightmare,” he remarked as soon as he saw you gazing towards his direction without a word.

You scoffed. “My whole life is a nightmare.”

“All humans say that,” Jihoon replied harshly, though you didn’t care. “Want some water?”

You nodded, feeling your throat as rough as sandpaper, and Jihoon immediately complied, moving the electric piano away with its bare wirings, and towards the newly-installed water dispenser.

“They still have that on sale?” you asked as you sat on the sofa beside Jihoon, pointing at the piano after he had brought you water.

“I found a shop online which sells old stuff, I saw a complete set of piano keys and put it together with an old stereo I found here,” Jihoon replied, looking proudly at his work.

You raised your brows in astonishment. “You’re incredibly resourceful.”

Jihoon gave a small smile (you knew this one was pre-programmed), and then replied, “Shall I play a song for you?”

“I wonder why ‘piano playing and singing’ was added to a tactical adviser’s program,” you teased, earning a genuine glare from Jihoon before he ignored your remark and moved on with playing.

Watching his fingers move across the keyboard, you couldn’t tell if he was an android or not. He moved fluidly, the notes he was making was enough to touch you—it was a song designed to make you feel relaxed since you had just cried. It was a song just for you.

You loved how the song dipped and rose; how Jihoon’s voice was husky yet soft against the notes; how he seemed like he was honestly trying to reach out to you, to comfort you. How is he capable of such skill which only humans could harness? It had filled your mind in more than one night, yet this night, you ignored the question and relished the beauty which Jihoon made with his music.

The song ended without you even noticing it. You continued to stare into the tiled floor as Jihoon studied you closely for any reaction.

“You know, I feel so tired.”

You began, holding the plastic cup which you drank water with as you continued to look blankly into the dark hallways of the lab.

“I feel so tired of feeling—feeling empty, then feeling overwhelmed; feeling like I could do everything, then life drops me down on the cold, cold asphalt,” you chuckled, every laugh dripping with cynicism. “Is there a way not to feel?”

“Be an android then,” Jihoon replied back with a frown; knowing you wouldn’t use the mood organ.

You sneered. “If only I could. Probably download my consciousness on a mechanical body—they’re developing it now, you know.”

“You’ll miss how to feel. You don’t want to be like me,” he told you as he himself gazed downward, his words reflecting a deep hidden yearning.

“I don’t think so,” you replied defiantly, with a sour tone on your voice. “I will be useless if I can’t do what I’m supposed to do, and my emotions are only in the way.”

“I’m sorry but I don’t understand why you want to remove your feelings. Humans cannot do away in this world without meaning, as what I am told of.”

“It’s ok. I don’t expect you to understand. What do you even know? You only copy humans to manipulate us into thinking that you are one of us. You only mimic feelings and emotions but do not understand the meaning behind them.” your voice was getting louder, harsher, colder; but it’s not like Jihoon could react to your anger. “Emotions brought nothing good to me. They impede with my work, they make me cry at night, they fill me with stress! Without it, I would have gotten on with my life much, much better when Mom died!”

Jihoon didn’t expect the rush of adrenaline surge into his system; a sudden temper induced by you who had emotions he might have wished for, yet you wanted to throw away.

He held on both your arms to stop you from shouting at him—forcing you to look at him straight in the eyes. His platinum hair looked like it was frazzled by static rage as his bangs covered one of his eyes.

“Listen to me. If you hadn’t had any emotions then how would you know if your mother cared for you?  How would you know if she loved you? You cried because you cared for her; because you love her and I, like you said, will never understand that. I will never understand what a meaningful life means, But you will.”

Rendered speechless, you could only stare at him with tears streaming down your cheeks.

“Even if your mother had died, she had loved you when she was alive. She raised you to be a normal human being even though she was alone. And here you are, abandoning everything she gave for you; wanting to forget the love she taught you.”

“I’m—”

“You think being an android is heaven?” he jeered. “Wait till you become one. Wait till you just move because that’s what the program says so; wait till you don’t have things like free will. Wait till you realized that you are nothing but what you are—a clump of metal and plastic stripped around mechanical organs. You don’t feel anything because you’re existence is meaningless and replaceable.”

Jihoon released you from his grasps yet reached out for your hand where the mood organ sat snuggly on your wrist.

“Use it. Dial 999.”

He ordered and you froze with mouth agape; filled with astonishment.

“Dial 999. You don’t have to feel anything you don’t want to.”

You simply stared at him.

“Use it Y/N! Use the fucking mood organ—”

“I can’t, okay?” you shouted…and then sobbed, holding on to his arm which was still on your wrist. “…I can’t…I fucking…can’t…”

The tears which flowed out from you seemed endless as you cried out two years’ worth of grief and hopelessness. Everything that you poured your heart into turned to nothing, the time you spent was all meaningless. You thought things will get better someday but life gradually destroys you day by day; as your situation and the people around you torture you endlessly.

“I don’t know what to do anymore…” you said in between whimpers as you fell between Jihoon’s arms. “If I used the mood organ…what would be left of me then…? Am I only made human because of this, this thing? My emotions will no longer be mine…”

Silently, Jihoon cradled you as he listened to you pour out to him, or to anyone about what you feel for the first time.

“But I’m so tired…tired of keeping up this illusion that I’m strong. I’m…the one always taking care of others…but who takes care of me when I can no longer put up this façade? They…they don’t know I’m so sick of studying…of being perfect. I want to rest already…” you resigned, burying your face on Jihoon’s shoulder and relishing his warmth despite how artificial it technically is. “I know it’s necessary to suffer to succeed, but how would one know if he’s on the path to success? What if all of this suffering turns into nothing? I wish life just has a skip button where I can skip to the point in my life where I’m rich and successful. Fuck this Jihoon, I’m so scared of the future.”

“Sometimes, we just overthink and things don’t really happen, you know?” Jihoon tried to assure you but he knew it wasn’t as effective as he hoped to be.

“I don’t want to get my hopes up and disappoint myself again in the end. The future is full of possibilities, one false move and my life comes crashing down. I wish I could be as easy-going as other people. I feel…so, so jealous of people enjoying their lives…while I’m stuck here trying to be perfect. This isn’t the life I want.”

“You don’t always have to be perfect…” Jihoon whispered in a solemn voice.

“No one will accept me if I wasn’t.” You sniffed, clinging to his black button up for support you dearly needed. “Everyone I know use me for their own purposes because I can get them through school, through life. They will leave me if I’m no longer useful.”

“I’ll accept you,” he replied immediately. “I don’t need you to be anything but yourself. It doesn’t matter to me. I will always be here for you if you need me.”

You chuckled amidst the sobs. “If you talk like that, then I would absolutely believe you. Please say this isn’t an analog hack,”

“I’m not lying. If I am that would just be ironic.”

You leaned back to gaze into his eyes. “What do you mean?”

“If I’m allowed to, I’ll tell you I can understand. Being useless, being abandoned…it’s an android’s greatest fear, if we indeed feel fear. I need to be special for people to use me, so that I can stay by their side and provide myself a sense of purpose.”

Gazing at him with wide eyes, you remarked, “I never knew androids find meaning in their work.”

“I can’t say about the other androids, but that’s what I think.”

For the first time that night, you smiled at him sincerely, as you strung your fingers between his locks, brushing them away from covering his eyes.

“Thank you for being here. There’s just days when I can’t hold it anymore, and need someone to cry on to. Please stay with me like this.”

“I’ll stay. Don’t worry,” he quietly replied, as he coaxed you back between his arms, and allowing you to stay like that as long as you’d like.

Buried on his chest, you hummed in satisfaction. “You’re the warmest android I’ve ever met.”

Your words had him thinking for days.

It wasn’t like a big surprise; he had already known that there was something different with him. Jihoon knew he was curious to a fault and had such a deep yearning to understand the things around him, though he didn’t know if it was because he was programmed to work that way.

Do all androids introspect?

For the first time in several months, Jihoon went outside the lab for a walk. Honestly, he disliked taking walks, or going outdoors, for that matter. Yet today, he suddenly had the urge to do it. He didn’t know why he had urges. He knew androids don’t usually have them. Is this some new feature of the Nexus 9?

It was nice that the colony had a special forest beside the laboratories and everything in it were all the remaining species of trees and plants on earth. After the third world war, radioactive dust from detonated nuclear bombs had ravaged the home planet and gradually killed the flora and fauna. There are people left on earth, mostly those who refused to migrate and specials who aren’t qualified to migrate, and they live in means Jihoon does not find suitable for people. Though even in the colonies, life isn’t as great as they advertised it to be.

He had been wrecking his processor for thinking day and night until his system had warned him that he was heating up. So the next possible solution is to cool it down with the artificial summer breeze blowing through his white blond hair, or so, he tried to reason himself. Why is he even trying to reason to himself? Why is he even trying to explain his reasons?

“Well, isn’t this new?”

Your voice rang suddenly behind him that he immediately turned around and caught you by the shoulder. You didn’t bat an eye at his actions, but instead, chuckled at him for mistaking you as an enemy.

“Relax. I’m not even authorized to carry a laser gun,” you replied with a smirk, as Jihoon released you with a sigh.

“Don’t do that again, please. I might have killed you,” he replied with a severe glare which had you raising both your eyebrows.

“Why not? Even if you had killed me, androids don’t feel any guilt,” you remarked as you slowly narrowed your gaze at him. “Yep. You’re truly weird.”

Jihoon refused to reply and simply glanced at you with a deepening frown. He was beginning to develop a distaste at how you were making him question his own self. He didn’t like how he was so confused; that he had so many questions.

“I still haven’t thanked you yet for the other day, have I? Come on,” you suddenly called his attention and grabbed his wrist, coaxing him to follow you down the forest path.

Jihoon had almost complained at how the grass was pricking his skin and convince you to return home, when you stopped at a clearing, showing you a glittering lake illuminated by the artificial moonlight. It looked truly beautiful as he stepped beside you, eyes wide and lips parted.

“Are you trying to deceive me again?” Your sing-song voice rang to his side as he gazed at you, who had already slid down the lakeside with a grin on your pretty lips. “You look pretty convincing.”

Again tonight, he had refused to reply and simply followed you down your path. In a dry spot covered by dewy grass, the both of you sat and simply observed the glistening lake as you savored the tranquility of the night. Fireflies dotted the evening air as they buzzed around the forest clearing, creating an atmosphere straight out of a fairytale.

“Sad that these fireflies are electronic,” you remarked, catching one with your hand to study the glass wings it had and the luminescent light it emitted from a nano-sized bulb built inside the small insect. “Real ones have long died out.”

“It’s to set the mood of this clearing. You are aware that this forest is a huge AI in of itself, aren’t you?” Jihoon replied, with his natural condescending tone whenever you say something stupid.

You pursed your lips to sulk. “I know, smart-ass. I just wanted to see real insects.”

“Why want a real one? There isn’t really much of a difference between the nanobugs and the real insects.”

“There is a great difference!” you defended. “Real ones don’t exist nowadays! It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see one!”

Jihoon scoffed, unable to consider the meaning again. “You humans put context to everything.”

“What’s wrong with that? Maybe that’s why we’re are able to live meaningful lives.”

Your rather pleasant conversation had once again turned into a full-blown debate about humans and androids. Jihoon, in your opinion, had interesting views regarding the current society, and how humans have long been outpaced by their own creations.

“You seem to enjoy talking to me,” Jihoon observed as he watched the artificial breeze sweep pass your locks while you tried to keep your hair in place.

“Because I dislike being lonely,” you replied without sparing him a glance. “But I need to be lonely to get things done. I need to be alone so that I can focus. There are things needed to be sacrificed.”

He raised his brows at you. “What does it feel like to be lonely?”

You inclined your head to your left to think. “The closest I could compare it to android terms is the lack of having an owner to serve. You are unable to do anything; unable to decide something outside of your understanding. An android cannot survive without being used as a tool.”

“Is that why humans seek partners in levels separate from the biological?”

A small huff. “Romance isn’t always about sex and offspring, you know.”

“Then what else is it about?”

Jihoon was now gazing at you intensely, intent of hearing out an answer from you, while you were proud to provide him information. He leaned in closer to hear you, incredibly curious.

“Listen. Liking, and then loving someone is a complex human behavior. Most androids don’t get it at all. But in simpler terms, people show their love in a million various ways and it comes in so many forms but it comes down to a simple factor—empathy, the ability to understand one another.”

“How are humans able to understand one another? I cannot find a straightforward process in the cloud, so I assume this process is based on emotional connections.”

You grinned at him as you inclined closer to his ear as if you were sharing some cool secret. “Correct, Mr. Android. But the problem is, even humans fail to understand one another, and wanna know what happens if humans fail to empathize?”

Jihoon gave an evocative gaze, waiting for an answer.

“War. Conflict. Murder. Death,” you replied, pausing a significant amount of time after every word. “Just like how the Earth is right now—just waiting to wither away underneath all that radioactive dust from nuclear warheads.”

You shook your head at the irony. “But here I am telling you all about this when I myself cannot always understand other people. You couldn’t imagine how difficult it is to understand someone bitching at you day and night; and then adjusting yourself for them.”

“I’m sorry,” Jihoon shook his head. “You’ve lost me there.”

You smile meekly. “Was that too much?”

“No, I just cannot see why you must adjust to someone who is clearly in the wrong. It’s not your fault, you didn’t commit a damn mistake, so why must you change?”

“You see, there are a lot of reasons people act the way they do, and who knows, you might be one of those reasons. If you adjust yourself, then you have removed one of the possibilities, lowering the chances the other person will do the action again. You simply cannot tell a person to change his ways. You can only change yourself.”

Jihoon considered for a while, and gradually nodded as if he had understood the logic.

“Things have become a bit more clearer for me. Thank you,” he replied with a small smile on his lips. Was he trying to deceive you again? How real is that smile?

“You’re always welcome to ask. Besides, it’s not like androids ask me about human behavior every day. In fact, you’re the only I know who had asked.”

Jihoon frowned and hid the fact that he did not like the honor of being the first android who had asked.

“Also, I still haven’t thanked you for staying with me the other night. You made me see things in a better light, and I’m trying to pick myself up from now on. I’ve read a lot of helpful books—”

Honestly, Jihoon had already lost your voice in the background noise as he had once again been swallowed up by his thoughts—thoughts regarding you and empathy. It would’ve been better if he had learned how to empathize so that you wouldn’t have to explain everything to him, and he would be able to simply understand you and your actions. But oh, you forgot to explain the physical aspects…the cloud had suggested a short cut to empathy and it seemed quite feasible.

“—so right now, I’m trying to coordinate my schedule and it seemed to be working. I’m not sure how long weekly planning will work for me, but I’m—”

Without anything—warning shots, preemptive touches, small pauses of time—nothing had prepared you to feel a pair of soft lips pressing against yours as you felt your body go numb in milliseconds. The next thing you felt was the hand cupping your chin, wondering how you had never noticed it before, as he pressed on further, moving his lips on yours and brushing so slightly, so sensually. You would’ve enjoyed the moment if not for the sudden realization that the one kissing you was Jihoon and you had to scramble away, breaking the kiss and Jihoon’s concentration.

Upon noticing your panic, he seized your hand to calm you down and to prevent you from running away. Slowly, Jihoon opened his eyes and met yours inquisitively.

“So tell me, have I established a connection between us now?”

Jihoon had sensed that he must have done something wrong. It had been days since he had last saw you and he had concluded that you were definitely avoiding him after what happened by the lake. However, he doesn’t get it.

“Was the kiss a mistake?” he whispered to himself, touching his lips with the tips of his fingers.

That time, he definitely sensed some circuit burst inside his stomach, however, when he checked his mechanisms later that night, his circuits seemed to be working fine. But, what was that then? He only did what he thought would induce empathy from both of you, yet it seemed to have backfired—prompting you to avoid him, while it caused only confusion for him.

“Did I only widened the gap between us?”

 beep. boop. beep. boop.

Jihoon snapped from his thoughts as he averted his attention towards the incoming call directed to his processor, which was a function he was thankful to have. He didn’t want anyone snooping around who he contacts.

“What?” he snapped, unappreciative of the interruption.

“Yo, Woozi! ‘Sup?” a cheerful, energetic voice echoed in his mind, almost tempting him to mute the caller.

“Stop calling me that. I’m Jihoon now,” he scowled at the invisible caller.

“Then, I ain’t Hoshi anymore. Call me Soonyoung!”

Jihoon rolled his eyes and leaned back against the sofa he had long been sitting on.

“So?”

“So, what?”

“You know, you could easily blend in as a brainless special if you stay on Earth.”

“Ah, you’re harsh as ever.”

“And so? You don’t have a heart to get hurt anyway.”

Soonyoung laughed as Jihoon automatically muted the caller as soon as he passed a certain level of noise. When he had stopped laughing, Jihoon turned on the audio again with a jaded look.

“Alright, fine. I’ll give you what you want,” Soonyoung surrendered as Jihoon sighed, relieved that he didn’t have to go through anymore bullshit. “They’re moving now. They already got to Vernon.”

Jihoon frowned. “So he’s gone?”

“I’m not sure. All I know is that they’ve found him.”

“What about you?”

Jihoon could imagine the other’s grin even if he couldn’t see him and clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“Oh, are you worried about me, Jihoonie?”

Jihoon growled audibly. “We both know you owe me one, and you’re not allowed to retire without paying me back.”

Soonyoung sighed dramatically over the line. “I get it, okay? Calm the shit down.”

“Good. I don’t want to repeat myself.”

“Sure. Anyway, how about you? It’s been months and they haven’t found you yet in their own labs.”

“Found someone not too bothered to report me.” Jihoon stared at his nails, checking any lodged dirt.

“And…does this person know what you are?”

“Immediately after she set her eyes on me. She’s a pseudo-human behavior engineer.”

“Oh. Oh. Oh.” Soonyoung’s tone turned for a playful dip again, which definitely made Jihoon sigh for the nth time tonight. “So this person’s a ‘she’! I can’t believe you’re cruel enough to deceive her!”

Jihoon was definitely disliking the way he’s painting him into a villain. “I’m not deceiving her. Haven’t you heard me? She’s an android engineer and she knows if I use analog hack on her, and I don’t use it.”

If he could see Soonyoung, Jihoon swore the other android will definitely raise his brows at him.

“There’s a possibility that you aren’t even aware you’re already deceiving her.”

Jihoon scoffed. “I don’t have a subconscious to do that.”

“But we’re androids designed to copy humans, it’s not that too difficult to go back to default processes.”

He was having none of it. “I’m not deceiving her. Anyway, I’ll contact you when I need something. Now leave me in peace.”

Without even waiting for a reply, Jihoon turned off his communication signature to rid himself of his exhausting companion. As soon as his attention was back to the empty and desolate space of the laboratory, he had noticed something odd.

“It’s already late. She should be here by now.”

While he was voicing out his observations, Jihoon was already searching for you—hacking into various electronic devices, CCTVs, your school gate’s log and so—yet in all the places you could be, he had not found your whereabouts.

“This isn’t good,” Jihoon muttered to himself, with a tight furrow on his brow. He tried looking at camera footages from the last few hours and in just half a minute, Jihoon found out what happened to you.

Somewhere while walking to the lab a few hours ago, a white van had pulled over where men donned in black came up behind you. Jihoon saw someone cover your nose with a handkerchief which he guessed was doused with chloroform and when you no longer had the consciousness to fight back, the men had carried you into the van and drove away.

While watching, Jihoon was already hacking into a self-driving car which was already waiting for him when he had emerged from the laboratory. As soon as he entered the vehicle, Jihoon began hacking his way into the colony’s security system so that he could track where the men had taken you. The car began moving when he had finally tracked you down—not so difficult for a military-grade android.

“The fuck do I know.”

You spat out vehemently, despite being tied into a chair and wired to a lie detector machine, and another which sends controlled volts to your system upon a tap on a tablet.

It should have been a normal day for you, yet when you were abducted just as you were going to the lab, this man has been interrogating you for almost half an hour already about an android your mother had supposedly made.

“Alright little girl. We’re not playing games here,” the man, masked and voice altered, warned you for the fifth time. “We know you have it! The SVT-class android Type 07 Woozi. Where is it?!”

With gritted teeth, you threw daggers at the man. “I already told you. I don’t know any Woozi!”

Well technically, you don’t. But it’s not like you—!!

A surge of electricity ran up your spine and left as soon as it entered. However, it had left you jerking horribly.

“I’ll ask again. Where is it?”

You glared, drool slipping down your lips. “I don’t…know.”

Volts shot straight up through your skin, this time longer. You writhe in agony.

“Two years ago, your mother Dr. Y/LN was the chief engineer of the Nexus 9 project. She had developed all of the SVT-class andys, but if that’s everything there is to it, she shouldn’t be dead right now?”

You froze at the revelation and wondered if you could trust what this person was talking about. As far as you know, your mom had died because she was shot by an android during the riot in Hangar 15. She was just unlucky to be at the wrong time and place.

“What do you mean? She was killed by an andy in the riot…she’s just unlucky.”

You could hear the man sneer behind his mask.

“There’s no such thing as luck.”

He operated a terminal and showed you several holographic images of a strange device and a screenshot of programming codes. You studied them carefully and you immediately knew what the device was, and you couldn’t believe what was just laid in front of you.

“That’s a lie!” You cried out but the masked man only laughed. “It’s impossible to create an empathy organ, and nobody has ever succeeded—”

“That’s why you’re mother’s dead, little girl.”

Instantly, you were reduced to silence; eyes darting back and forth to the man and the images he had shown you.

“Without permission from the organization, your mother had installed empathy organs inside the SVT-class androids. When the organization realized what she did, they had her killed. The riot was only a cover.”

You couldn’t believe what you’re hearing. “No, no. That’s not true!”

“Now, these androids have escaped and we want them. So, where is it?”

You shook from your restraints as you chewed on your lip—deciding what to do even though you still haven’t digested yet what big of an information the man has given you.

“I…I…the android…”

 —!!

A huge explosion stopped you before you could utter something coherent. Instinctively, you moved your face away from the debris suddenly hurling on the air in speeds you couldn’t calculate. Within seconds, you sensed yourself being freed from your restraints, and your heart leapt when you were then lifted from the ground and carried bridal style, your arms flying to cling to his shoulders for support.

“Sorry I was late.”

When you heard Jihoon’s voice, you immediately relaxed and felt relieved that you were finally safe. As the dust and debris fell away, you could see his eyes were on you, though you couldn’t read what he was thinking. As if finally deciding what to do, Jihoon moved you outside of the building, which was actually a warehouse, and placed you inside a self-driving car waiting nearby.

“We’ll go home after I take care of this one,” he silently told you and casually walked back inside.

When you had heard his words, you felt that there was something off with him. You couldn’t put it but you knew something was definitely going to happen and you were not going to like it. Despite the fact that you wanted to see what Jihoon was about to do, your body refused to allow you—the surges of electricity finally affecting your muscles, rendering them immovable or languid.

“Fuck this.”

Meanwhile, Jihoon kicked away the offending wood and twisted metal as if they were as heavy as pillows. His eyes were strained to only accomplish one mission—to look for the shitheads who kidnapped and tortured you. Though in a few seconds, it wasn’t his eyes which found them.

Dodging, a laser beam had missed him within a few centimeters as he retaliated back with a wave of electricity, visible as lightning and hurts just as much. Unlucky for Jihoon, the men had armor which protected them from his attack, and only left their laser guns unusable. Well, at least they’re unarmed.

Jihoon rushed towards his first victim within a blink of an eye, as he knocked the air out of him with a punch in the gut as strong as being hit by a freight train. He didn’t need to turn around to incapacitate the man who came running towards his back with a metal pipe, as Jihoon simply magnetized a sheet of metal to slice through the man’s neck.

Inside the car, you could hear the commotion going on and you willed your legs to move with desperation. You guessed that he was going to kill those men and you were absolutely right. He is a tool used for warfare and would not hesitate to rid himself of his enemies. That was what you had sensed in his words.

“Move, damn it!”

You cried out, slamming your fists repeatedly on your thigh. Maybe through sheer will, you regained a bit of control, albeit with little strength. Nonetheless, you crawled your way out of the car, and towards the destruction Jihoon was about to commit.

With only the leader who Jihoon purposely left out, the blond android casually approached the panicked man as he tried desperately to run away; except that Jihoon had his armor glued to the ground through electromagnetism as soon as he figured out that the armor was absorbing electric currents yet are not immune to magnetism.

Jihoon gazed at the man with impassiveness. “Heard you were looking for me. So here I am.”

The man couldn’t utter a single coherent word; his head all too riddled with anxiety to think of anything other than his eminent death.

“Also heard you electrocuted Y/N,” Jihoon inclined his head towards the side to wait for a reply, and when he heard none, the android picked up the man by the neck; his feet dangling on the air. “I’m curious what it feels like to electrocute someone.”

“S-so it’s true…y-you androids have, h-have an empathy organ…!” the man remarked as he sensed the anger in Jihoon’s voice, though he began wheezing when he felt his airpipes being gradually crushed.

“I apologize. I cannot comprehend,” Jihoon’s voice was void of any emotion. “Anyway, this ends here.”

“Jihoon, no—!”

Surprised to hear your voice, Jihoon averted his gaze towards you, who was heavily leaning against the concrete wall, all exhausted from reaching him. You took in your surroundings as you realized that he was already in for the last kill, and knew that you were too late, but still…

“Don’t kill him please. I’ll…I’ll just call the cops…”

Jihoon arched his brow, tightening his grip on the man who began to struggle to get out.

“Why? He tortured you. Don’t you feel angry?” the android asked, with a face still stoic.

“Just…just don’t kill him, please…” you pleaded, holding on to your still immovable arm.

You weren’t really sure what will happen as Jihoon simply stared at you, maybe studying the expression you had on your face, or maybe trying to comprehend the logic behind your request. But when Jihoon let go of the man (though, keeping him place as he stepped on the man’s leg, and a look that meant his limb will get ripped off if he doesn’t stop writhing), you sighed in relief.

“Alright, I won’t kill him. But I’ll call the cops and report the incident,” Jihoon’s voice and eyes were ice cold, which frightened you for a bit. “I won’t risk getting found.”

You nodded with a tiny smile on your face when he did what you wanted. “Let’s go home.”

“Wait for a bit, and oh, please look away,” Jihoon asked but you couldn’t understand what he had meant, but when he had picked up a metal pipe and pinned it through the man’s thigh without any sort of expression or effort, you wished you had followed him sooner.

The blond seemed to have understood the look of concern on your face and immediately took the measures to explain. “Don’t worry. I already called the police and he won’t die from bleeding if the pipe is stuck to his thigh.”

Jihoon removed his foot from the man’s leg and walked towards you, who looked as if you had seen something you shouldn’t. As soon as he got to you, Jihoon pulled you towards his arms and embraced you tightly, slowly patting your head.

“I told you to look away,” he reprimanded albeit softly.

His words seemed to have snapped the dam in you as you began sobbing on his chest, unable to control your emotions swelling up from inside you. Jihoon knew that the event left a huge trauma in you and could only comfort you, which was not one of his many talents.

“Let’s get you home, ok?”

Later that night as Jihoon finally had you sleeping against his chest, all sprawled out on the sofa, he received a call from Soonyoung.

“Mission accomplished, sir!”

“What did he say?”

“Just as you predicted. The guy’s from a competing android producer and they wanted to have the empathy organ.”

Jihoon hummed, finding this type of communication advantageous since he doesn’t have to speak as his processor directly receives the encryption and translates it into thoughts. This way, you don’t have to hear the conversation.

“Did you find any information about it?”

“Only pictures. I’ll send them to you right now. But I still haven’t found where it came from. I think that’s your specialty though.”

“Alright, just give them to me and I’ll trace it.”

“Got it. Anyway, you just tricked the goddamn girl. You told her you called the police, when it was me you actually called.”

“And the point is?” Jihoon looked at the ceiling and followed the lines formed by the lined titanium sheets, as he draped an arm over your shoulder and caressed your hair.

“You told me you wouldn’t a few hours ago?”

“I’m just protecting her. They’ll be back, so I’m simply nipping it in the bud.”

“But you also asked me to torture the guy?”

“An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. Besides, we got information.”

Jihoon could hear Soonyoung hum playfully on the other end. “An andy through and through. Anything for the owner, huh?”

He checked his nails once again. “She’s not my owner.”

Soonyoung paused for quite a long time that Jihoon thought the other had finally left the line, but when he had begun shouting, Jihoon had to turn off the audio in annoyance.

“What? What? What? She’s not your fucking owner?!”

“Yeah, what’s wrong with that?” The blond arched his brow.

“Everything is wrong with that! Why are you letting her use you when she’s not your owner?! Why are you devoting yourself to her like she owns you?! Why haven’t you asked her to be your owner?!”

“Alright, Soonyoung. Shut up before I hang up.”

“Sorry, it’s just that…I just can’t believe you…is this really you I’m talking to?”

Jihoon rolled his eyes. “As if there’s anyone who could steal my communication signature.”

“Wow…I just…wow…if we’re human, I would’ve said she got you whipped.”

The other frowned at the remark. “I’m hanging up. I’ll contact you again soon.”

“Huh? Wait, Jihoon—”

Again, Jihoon disregarded all the bullshit Soonyoung says and turned off his intercom. As silence filled his head once again, he glanced down on you who was peacefully sleeping on his chest on top of him, free of any worries of the real world. He already had his hand gently stroking your head, as he continued to take in all of you.

If he really had an empathy organ inside him, then it must have been real. He had done a lot of unexplainable shit that most androids will not understand or even do, as expressed by Soonyoung. (But that shithead will understand sooner or later, Jihoon smirked since all of the SVT line was said to be equipped by an empathy organ.)

So what if he indeed has one?  Was he still an android? Will his actions become more unexplainable in the future?  Today, Jihoon seemed to have gained more questions than answers. But he knew he wanted to understand you.

Days following the incident, you did your own investigative search about the empathy organ. Of course, you don’t want to believe your mother had created something so revolutionary nor do you want to believe Jihoon had one. He had acted so impassive and merciless all that time when he had saved you, which still send shivers through your spine, and that was a valid indication that he is an android.

On the other hand, Jihoon seemed to be as normal as he could be. He didn’t try to kiss you again, which was a relief because any more than that was seriously dangerous. You knew a lot of androids leisurely using a human being’s capability to be compassionate as a means to manipulate and you could vouch how powerful this could be, since you were one of the people who developed androids to reach this level of mimicry of the human behavior. As a human being, you weren’t immune despite how much you want to be indifferent. You still have emotions, which you refuse to let go of, and these emotions could easily be used against you by an android as high of a class as Jihoon. In the end, you still trust that everything he does was not to manipulate you.

“Y/N?”

His voice jolted you awake from your half asleep state on the sofa, papers about the SVT line all sprawled on your chest since you were studying them before you fell slightly asleep.

Sitting up, you replied as you rubbed your eyes. “Yeah? What is it?”

“Well, I want to ask something about how human emotions operate,” Jihoon began as he sat beside you, a terminal on his hands, which had something paused on its holographic screen.

“Ask away.”

Yawning and folding your legs to your chest in a fetal position, you listened to Jihoon’s question with interest.

“I’ve watched videos, movies and read articles and books about romance and how it involves human love. I’ve seen that it has physical and mental aspects, and just like you said, it isn’t always about biologically expanding the human species. I’ve analyzed that coupling brings about better understanding of one another by building emotional connections. A good way to exercise empathy. So, what if an android like me wants to do just that?”

If you weren’t shocked by his question, then you don’t know what you were feeling. His question was a good one. Most androids think but don’t understand neither do they give meaning to the things around them or what they do. They simply copy what humans do because it is what their program says, and it is the most effective and logical way to accomplish what they are programmed to do—a mere means to the ends. However, as Jihoon poses this very question, you knew the world was at its turning point, whether or not it had realized it.

“It’s impossible. You don’t have emotions to connect…to, to empathize,” you replied cautiously.

“Let’s say the engineers have invented something which enables me to do so. What then? Will humans respond in kind?” Jihoon persisted, much to your fears. You knew it was possible with the empathy organ, which might be embedded in Jihoon.

“Humans tend to empathize with everything that looks human. From animals with their big round eyes which induces motherly instincts because they look like babies who needed to be protected, to…to androids who look absolutely human,” you replied, looking at him with knowing eyes. “Of course, like anything revolutionary, there will an opposition.”

Jihoon considered your thoughts for a while and then continued. “What about you?”

You froze on your spot, afraid and unsure with your lips parted and eyes wide as both of you stared into each other’s eyes.

“You know,” you began with a small voice. “There’s a study that says if you stare into another person’s eyes, for several minutes as you share with each other your deepest emotions, fears and dreams, you will fall in love.”

The android was quiet, wondering what you were trying to imply—his calculations unable to predict your line of thought as it broke into a million pathways.

“If you have a soul, then it is possible for an android to…fall in love,” you were reluctant to complete your sentence but when you did, you felt the reality of it all reflecting on his dark cocoa eyes.

“Is it possible for me to have a soul then?” Jihoon asked, voice as soft as yours.

“An empathy organ is your ticket way there.”

“What if I do have one? Are you willing to try it with me?”

You knew Jihoon was sincerely asking you to try and love him, or everything to his wide eyes, parted lips and pleading expression was a lie, a well-crafted mimicry.

Closing your eyes, you turned your head away and sucked in a breath. He was getting into your system. Fuck, that study seemed true.

“I’m sorry…I’m not sure yet,” you replied, now avoiding his gaze.

“Why? Is it because it is unacceptable to have a relationship with an android?” Jihoon asked.

“No, I don’t really care about that…it’s just that I…I…”

You couldn’t say it. You don’t want to hurt him.

“Then what?”

“I…just…it’s just that—”

“You don’t trust me, do you?”

Frozen on your spot, you stopped your incessant movements and reprimanded yourself for hinting that he had hit you right at the jackpot.

“No, I…! I’m just scared, okay?”

Jihoon narrowed his eyes at you, frowning and cynic. “You’re scared I’ll use analog hack on you. You’re not sure if everything I say is true.”

You pursed your lips as you looked down, eyes beginning to wet. “I’m…I’m sorry.”

Jihoon sighed, his shoulder deflating as he looked at your crumpled figure. “I’ll leave you in peace.”

Standing up, Jihoon walked away with hands on his pockets towards the exit. You knew he was disappointed, or appeared to be, but you just couldn’t help but also look out for yourself. There was no certainty that he wouldn’t leave you for dead just like he did with your kidnappers and the thought of his soon-to-be betrayal left your heart wringing.

“Y/N, we got company.”

You immediately scrambled by the time you heard Jihoon, who was supposed to be outside, suddenly whisper to you in a low voice. Glancing behind him, you saw a man in a trench coat with a large briefcase on hand entering the lab.

“Bounty hunter?” you asked with sheer suspicion.

“Bingo.”

The both of you stood side by side as the man approached the two of you with a courteous smile.

“Good day, sir, ma’am. Let me introduce myself, I’m Detective Choi Seungcheol,” he reached out his hand which both of you shook cordially.

“Is there anything we could help you, detective? I hope we haven’t done something wrong,” you began, a smile on your face trained for situations such as this.

“Oh, don’t worry. You are, Ms. Y/N L/N, I presume? And he is um…Mr. Lee Jihoon?” Detective Choi replied as he checked his papers.

“Yeah, my um…my boyfriend,” you improvised, unable to think of the most appropriate relationship with him. You had concluded that before he came him, Choi had already checked you and Jihoon’s background, which you assumed was already fabricated by the android long before you met him.

“Yeah, well…I just moved a few months ago from the west colony,” Jihoon added, his ears red, giving the illusion of him embarrassed. You were amazed how much they could do.

“Oh, I see. Recently, there’s news about escaped Nexus 9 androids and there were reports that one could be here. So just to make sure, are you willing to take a Voigt-Kampff test?” Choi asked, both you and Jihoon glancing at one another.

“Sure, who’s going to take it first?” you asked, an eager to help smile on your lips.

“You. And only you,” Choi threw in a sly grin masked as a reassuring smile as he sat on the provided seat.

“Sure, no problem. How does this go?” you replied, as you gazed back to Jihoon, who simply held your hand for comfort.

The detective installed his device on top of a metal table you provided as you sat in front of it with an unsure look on your face, wondering why you were being tested but also relieved that Jihoon wasn’t being suspected as one.

“So, these patches on your cheeks will detect slight movements on your face as I read to you scenarios that will determine whether or not you’re an android. Let’s begin?”

You nodded quietly as Choi seated himself in front of you, holding a few cards as he chose the first scenario.

“A cat was ran down by a car, its organs spilling on the asphalt.”

You felt your stomach drop as the image popped into your head. Your breath hitched as you simply frowned.

“I’m sorry…” you replied, as you studied what Choi was doing, glancing at the meter before him and taking in some notes on his small leather notebook.

“Second one. A dog has been clubbed to death because it had bitten a someone,” Choi continued, looking at you expectantly, yet you were silent.

“That’s just…cruel,” you remarked, gritting your teeth.

“I swear you’re the most quiet I’ve ever tested,” the detective confessed. “Third. You saw your mother tortured. They would hit her head when she refused to confess to a crime, and they would leave her in a freezer naked until she gives up, but that doesn’t end there. An android who looks like you is then sent to slowly cut her fingers—”

“STOP! Stop! Stop it!” you suddenly shouted, pushing yourself away from the table, as you covered your ears. Tears were already running down your cheeks as Jihoon hurriedly came to your side, crouching to your level with an arm over your scrunched figure.

“That does it. She’s an android.”

Right after he said those words, the detective grabbed a laser gun from his briefcase and pointed it at you.

Everything was swirling inside your head and you couldn’t believe your fears had materialized faster than you had expected. It would be a no-brainer if Jihoon had already planned this months before, framing you as the android instead of him, so that he could forever be free from the bounty hunters. You didn’t want to hear it right from Jihoon’s mouth that you were duped and utterly fooled since day one.

“What the fuck are you on about?! I’m the goddamn android here, not her!”

His voice rang in front of you, his words a direct confession and a death flag. The impulsiveness of Jihoon’s action had you glance up to him, who was in front of you, shielding you from the laser gun the bounty hunter was holding. You couldn’t believe what he just did.

“If you’re an android, you wouldn’t say that,” Choi retorted back with a grin. “Stop protecting your girlfriend. She’s just analog hacking you!”

“Fuck you,” Jihoon simply replied and grabbed your hand, tossing the metal table up on the air as a distraction when both of you ran towards the exit.

“Hey!” The detective shouted, running after the two of you and shooting laser beams towards your direction.

Easily, Jihoon redirected the laser beams with his electricity and it went up, hitting the concrete beam connecting the two upper labs. You knew you were toast when Jihoon carried you on his back to dodge the large blocks of rock falling. Luckily, it was also blocking the way and the two of you sped up, losing Choi on the chase.

Heading towards the nearby docking bay, the two of you hid behind towers of cargo containers and rested for a while.

“Jihoon, what was—”

“Could you shut up for a while? I’m trying to keep us two alive here.”

“Hey! I just got fucking accused as an android when I’m clearly not—”

This time, Jihoon muffled your mouth with his lips pressed against yours. It was quite effective in keeping you frozen in place.

“Be quiet or that shithead will find us. I’m not done charging yet.”

You nodded quietly, still digesting what had happened.

“Alright. Stay here and don’t come out. I’d rather not see you dead,” Jihoon bid you farewell as he climbed the tower of containers, getting high as much as possible.

“Fuck this, Jihoon!” you cursed him as he had left you alone and without anything to protect yourself.

With the highest view, Jihoon could clearly see where Choi was.

Everything had gone out of his predictions as humans again proved to be quite unpredictable. He didn’t expect the bounty hunter would accuse you as an android as it was definitely clear as day that you were human through and through. Now, he had to protect you and fend for himself, but he didn’t really feel constrained by extra work. In fact, he was more than motivated to keep the fucker’s hands away from you.

Jihoon picked up a large device sitting on top of the container. It was a large but sleek device shaped like a slim black rectangle, yet when Jihoon had pulled the handle on its center and turned it clockwise, the device had morphed into a complex weapon, large arms extended from the center as it formed into something akin to a large gun. Holding it in one hand, Jihoon pressed firmly on the trigger, and pointed it towards the unsuspecting human as electric energy poured into the device and when the blond android let the trigger go, a laser blast hurled towards Choi.

Unfortunately, Choi was too jumpy for it to hit directly and Jihoon missed within half a meter, the android clicking his tongue in irritation as it only hit the nearby container. Jihoon again turned the trigger around as the weapon transformed once more; now breaking into several floating stakes, as it spread out into the area.

Now that Choi knew where he was, Jihoon swiftly moved to the next towers to conceal his location. On the other hand, you were scrambling to cover yourself when you heard the explosion, unable to do anything but to hide. However, when you saw that the explosion had caused a domino effect among the following tower of containers, you ignored Jihoon’s warning and ran before you get squashed to death.

Jihoon knew he had to move in for the kill before Choi finds you, so in a fast attack which involved kicking the detective with a dash of electric surge as dessert, he did just that but Choi was more veteran than expected and blocked his kick with his arms lined with anti-static material. Moving away, Choi had time to shoot a few beams but were unsuccessful when Jihoon simply bent them with electric currents, hitting the containers behind them; much thanks to classical physics.

Wasting no time, Jihoon drove a punch right in Choi’s gut which had him flying towards the end of the aisle. Walking towards the bounty hunter, Jihoon was however alerted that you had moved from your place, and when he got back to Choi, the guy had already disappeared.

Y/N, why are you so talented in screwing my head over and over again?!

You ran towards wherever you found was the most peaceful and quiet. You wondered if Jihoon was fine, yet you knew that he could take on an army and return unscathed, so you weren’t that worried. Turning by the nearby alley, you found a laser gun pointed at you.

“Gotcha.”

 By the time Jihoon found you, he had already found Choi pointing a gun on your head as he held you by the neck.

“I swear I can explain,” you began but Jihoon simply looked at you with an unimpressed look on his face.

“I told you to stay in one place, Y/N,” he replied back, rolling his eyes at you. “I can’t always come and save you every single time!”

“But if I don’t move, the containers will crush me! I don’t exactly want to die, Jihoon!” You retorted, your voice getting louder.

“Then what am I supposed to do? He’s got you at gun point! Now I have to think of a way to get you out of there!”

You scoffed, hands on your hips as Choi looked at the two of you awkwardly. “If you don’t want to save me, then why am I even your girlfriend? Break up with me and save your sorry ass yourself! I can take care of myself!”

Jihoon laughed mockingly, now clearly irked. “You aren’t even licensed to have a laser gun, so, how, I pray, are you supposed to fucking beat a bounty hunter?”

“Don’t underestimate me, Jihoon! I have my ways!”

“Like what? The other night you were whining about how you’re supposed to pass your subjects!”

You audibly huffed. “Ok, you’ve gone too far, you little shit. I’ll prove to you that I can do this. Let me go, detective!”

“Alright, alright! I don’t want to interrupt but we’re kinda in the middle of something here!?” Choi shouted quite annoyed, as he held on your neck tighter. “Don’t move or else I’ll blow a hole through your head.”

Jihoon rolled his eyes at you again, uncrossing his arms. “Just pull the trigger Choi. She’s just gonna be a pain all night anyway.”

“What! How dare you!” you shouted angrily, struggling around Choi’s arm holding you.

“So what do you want? Haven’t I already shown you that I’m the android here?” Jihoon ignored you completely, much to your chagrin.

“Yeah, I know. I’ll release her…if I got to shoot you,” the bounty hunter grinned, as the android simply removed his hands from his pockets.

“Alright. I’m all yours,” Jihoon immediately said, his arms up on the air as you stared at him in disbelief.

“No, wait! Fuck! I’m the android, ok? It’s not him! Kill me instead,” you cried out, writhing and panicking as soon as you saw the hunter’s gun pointed at Jihoon. “No, no! Shit.”

Without any explanation, Choi had let go of you and of course, you came running towards Jihoon’s side.

“Bye-bye.”

In a split second, Jihoon knew what was about to happen and it didn’t take him long to find a solution.

He pulled you towards him as soon as he had reached you and when Choi pulled the trigger of his laser gun, Jihoon was already behind you, covering your back from the oncoming laser beam. He didn’t know he actually felt something about death—he didn’t want to. Yet, for your sake, he’ll catch the bullet.

You were thrown to the ground in a painful blow, unable to process what had just happened. You sensed Jihoon covering your back, holding you tightly, as black smoke from what the beam had hit rose to the air.

“You two passed the test.”

Choi’s words echoed across the desolate cargo bay as he dropped his laser gun, walking away from you two. The meaning of the bounty hunter’s words finally got to you, and finally checked if Jihoon was alright. As it turned out, he was already gazing at you with a puzzled look on his face.

“Why? Why did you kill me?” Jihoon asked, his voice ringing.

Choi stopped walking. “An android will never sacrifice his life for someone else. Especially when she’s not his owner.”

“T-thank you!” You yelled back, your hand shaking as Jihoon held on it tightly.

“No worries, ma’am. These days, being a bounty hunter warrants more effort than I’m getting paid for. I’m exhausted. I’ll see you somewhere these days.”

He didn’t look back.

“We’re seriously looking into that empathy organ,” you remarked, settling in between Jihoon’s arms as you watched the colony rotate the solar panels outside the glass dome of the cargo bay.

Jihoon felt a circuit jump, or maybe it was a binary code—he didn’t care that much, but nonetheless, in human terms, he felt happy. Tightening his arms around you, Jihoon pulled you closer to his body.

“Does that mean you want to try the experiment?” he asked with a restrained grin, looking down on your face as his platinum blond bangs brushed against your cheek.

“We humans call it dating. But since you’re an android, everything’s an experiment,” you replied with a playful smirk, which then disappeared when you sighed. “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you before.”

Jihoon shook his head. “It’s okay. That’s understandable. I’m aware we androids have a penchant for analog hack, and I was warned I might be doing it unconsciously. I don’t want that to happen.”

“I’ll trust you despite that. It’s going to be hard but let’s see if that empathy organ is the real deal,” you grinned, poking his side.

“Are you sure?” Jihoon asked. “It’s going to be like infecting yourself with the disease and checking if the cure is effective.”

You chuckled. “Great analogy. But I know what I’m doing. Who knows we might have stumbled upon the future already.”

“If it’s enough for me to act mushy and cringey like this, I guess it’s stronger than we have estimated,” Jihoon joked around as both of you laughed together.

“We’ll see.”

Jihoon nodded and placed a chaste kiss on your forehead. “We’ll see.”

-Hyeri

[crwn]

[024] kogami/makishima

The safe-house was in a busier district of the city than Shinya had been anticipating. 

Unforgiving concrete buildings stretched high on either side of the road, their cold gray outlines imposing and commanding. It was a late hour, but there was still traffic in this part of town, people finally heading home from a late shift of their Sibyl-assigned career. Shinya felt trapped here; very aware of the fact there was now a price on his head and a charge of treason to his name. Every person was a possible enemy and each street scanner a death sentence. Somehow despite this, he’d gotten here into the city without incident and with an almost dreamlike sensation of serenity as he found and procured what had once been his enemies vehicle after escaping the hyperoats field. 

Shinya cast a long look out the window, surveying foot traffic outside and managed to catch his own reflection in the glass. He looked as tired as he felt. Exhaustion had overtook him the moment he pulled that trigger, his three year pursuit finally coming to a close though he was fully aware of what grisly fate awaited him should he stop to rest because of that victory. There was no safe place for murderers. 

Outside there was a modest crowd of people milling by, their fatigued faces glowing in the pale illumination of their phones; the screens likely detailing the riots of only a few days prior. 

Or maybe not, Shinya mused as he exited the car and began making a hasty beeline for the numbered address indicated in the car’s GPS. It was unlikely after all that Sibyl would be advertising its failings and with that went any mention of a runaway— and armed— enforcer. Though even if he was incorrect on that assumption, he honestly doubted someone would actually recognize him. Poor facial recognition had become a thing of the present no matter how frightening that line of thought was and so true to his gamble, Shinya arrived to the safe house and entered without issue.

There was a small, niggling feeling at the back of his mind that told him this was all going too smoothly, that none of this should be so easy. Doing what he’d done and managing to get away with it so effortlessly sent a rolling wave of uneasiness through his conscious. But allowing himself to linger on that notion would do nothing but open the floodgates to a slew of things bothering Shinya at the moment so he mechanically pushed the observations aside and moved to gather up as many supplies as he risked to take. 

That task in itself proved itself difficult. He was numb and tired and every move he made felt like trying to do so underwater. Time had lost its significance as the minutes seemed to last hours and the edges of his vision had gone blurry as the pure adrenaline he’d been running on began to ebb away and leave a hollow feeling in his limbs. The past twenty-four hours seemed so surreal, like the scene from a nightmare he couldn’t force himself awake from. There’d been no relief leaving that field, no feeling of accomplishment or success. Only cold misery and the heavy weight of what he’d done now resting itself heavily upon his tired shoulders.

So when it happened the first time, passing the event off under the guise shot nerves and intense exhaustion had been easy enough.

He’d grabbed painkillers and bandages after locating the bathroom, and took the time to patch himself up. He’d sustained surprisingly little injury considering his last bout with his rival, but there was a fully stocked and extensive cabinet of various bandages, medications, and sutures to rifle through. The place was almost better supplied than any hospital that Shinya had ever been to; various pill bottles and kits neatly packed and organized by use.

Shinya snorted at that, finishing his task with minimal difficulty. “Many thanks.” He murmured darkly to the empty apartment, somehow coming up short with genuine thanks for the other man. It didn’t help that there was no shortage of useful items stocked throughout the apartment— preservable food stuffs in the kitchen (including some of his own personal favorites, he noted wryly), as well as an extensive and versatile weapons stash and even changes of clothing (even if there did happen to be a suspicious amount of items that seemed rather large for the thin frame of his counterpart). 

It was after he’d allowed himself the bare minimum of rest that he prepared himself to leave only to find himself slowing to a stop as he turned to face the extensive collection of novels on display. There was something bitter and unhappy that unfurled in his chest as Shinya’s gaze swept over the titles. He was standing in front of the treasured possessions of the arbitrator; no doubt each one of them meticulously acquired. Shinya was well aware of how difficult it was to come into ownership of paper books in this day and age and so despite his opinions of the criminal he felt a small flare of admiration for his rival at the dedication required to come into such a collection.

This all felt so wrong, and for a brief moment a dizzying bout of nausea bubbled through Shinya’s throat, his vision greying and blurring out. He was standing in the house of a dead man, one who he’d killed not a few hours before. He held bags stuffed full of things that weren’t his and in front of him sat rows of items that had clearly been loved and cared for.

“What’ve I done?” Shinya breathed out, the words slipping past his lips in a heartbeat. 

Silence answered him and with a long, heavy sigh Shinya reached out to take a copy of a book he had been reading just this morning— now to forever be left bookmarked on a nightstand across the city in Masaoka’s own safe house. 

“Well you’re a thief, for one thing.” A wry, deadpan voice suddenly cuts through the stagnant air and Shinya immediately and unceremoniously drops the book in his hand onto the floor with a loud clunk in response.

He whips around with wide eyes just in time to witness Shogo Makishima heaving an exaggerated sigh, golden eyes narrowed and fixed down on Franz Kafka’s Metamorphasis. 

For a long, drawn out moment that truly seems endless there is no sound or movement and for a very real second Shinya is entirely convinced that he truly is living out some twisted deities idea of a disgusting joke. Then the clock hand ticks and the moment passes and Shinya is reminded that he’s been awake for thirty-six hours and has the very real problems of both an overactive imagination and a heavy, unhappy conscious. 

He blinks slowly at Shogo, vaguely disturbed the other man hasn’t disappeared already before picking up Metamorphasis and turning back to the bookcase. Another thing to worry about when everything’s said and done and he’s hundreds of miles away from dominators and hurt colleagues. 

Shogo makes another soft sound of exasperation behind him before moving to lean up against the wall. He looks almost wistful, looking over the shelves with a quiet acceptance. “I wish I’d had more time to decide what to do with them.” He commented, watching as Shinya packed away more books. “Though at least they’ll be safe here.” 

Shinya grunts, hovering over an extensive collection of manga with mild amusement twitching at his eyebrow at the familiar smiling blue creature plastered across the cover.

“Leave those be.” Shogo protests, “I don’t trust you to keep precious things safe.”

“What’s yours is mine.” Shinya shoots back snidely, shooting a dirty look at Shogo and taking the first novel in the set. As soon as he speaks his mouth clamps shut and he frowns. Entertaining delusions… that seems to be the level he’s fallen to. 

He straightens abruptly, ignoring Shogo’s response to that and turns sharply on his heel to exit the safe house at a brusque speed that’s honestly embarrassing considering how he was he only one in the apartment. But he doesn’t look back, doesn’t even entertain the thought until he’s back in the car with locked doors and there’s no dead criminals in sight and it’s only then that he allows himself to acknowledge how badly his hands are shaking. 

—

The second time that it happens, there are no such readily available and easy excuses.

Shinya slept for a solid day and a half after boarding the first boat that would board him. The heavy lidded eyes of the man admitting passengers had barely blinked at him as Shinya offered a sizable bribe in lieu of a ticket. Other passengers seemed as haunted as him, and there had been no interactions as of yet with the other temporary inhabitants of the vessel. 

That sat fine with him, however as Shinya finally exited his room to stagger up onto the deck. His room was beginning to suffocate him. Every time he turned to catch his reflection in the mirror he’d only been able to see blood that wasn’t his coating his skin, every time he shut his eyes he saw the pleading desperation in Akane’s face and the utter and complete despair strewn onto Ginoza’s as he’d knelt over the mangled body of his father.

Entertaining those thoughts sent a heady sent a heady rise of nausea through his chest and Shinya almost choked on the fist that closed itself around his heart. He closed his eyes, falling heavily against the wall and forced his breathing to even, only vaguely registering that he’d closed his fist around the still smoldering cigarette in his grasp. Not yet, he reminded himself sternly, forcing his eyes open and his feet forward to the deck. Those were problems to deal with at a later time, mourning had no place in the frantic path of a fugitive. Not yet.

Finally reaching the deck, Shinya took a deep breath of the surrounding The air was heady with the scent of the open sea and land was all but invisible on every horizon as Shinya swept a long gaze over his surroundings. It was like nothing he’d ever seen before, Tokyo Bay not coming close to comparing to the miles and miles of open ocean ahead of him now. He took a long breath and slowly weaved his way over to an open section of railing to rest his elbows on the cool metal. 

“Impressive, isn’t it?” A sudden, familiar voice sighed next to him, cutting through the quiet calm like a lightening strike through a clear sky. “I’d never seen the ocean before— well, not like this anyway.”

Shinya sucks in a sharp gasp, erupting into a coughing fit in response and flinching back harshly from the abrupt appearance of Shogo at his side. “Fuck!” He gasps aloud, knuckles going white at his grip on the railing. Impossible, impossible, impossible… His mind chants helpfully at him as the thought briefly crosses his mind that he absolutely must be asleep still in his cabin because this—

“Easy now.” Shogo says, amusement curling his lips as he watches Shinya. He’s propped his chin up on his hand and is leaning far too comfortably against the railing. He looks so bright under the open light, pale hair sweeping in the breeze and golden eyes positively glowing and the sight makes something hurt in Shinya’s chest and a cold knot settle in his throat that is all but impossible to swallow around

So he sets his jaw and tears his gaze off of the other man with a difficulty he distinctly refuses to think about and forces himself to calm down and forget these tides of feelings he can’t afford to linger on right now.

Shogo doesn’t speak again after that but Shinya can still feel the presence at his side as he stares out to the horizon. There are no words he can conjure to try and explain the situation, explain the appearance of one Shogo Makishima at his side but it’s something he repeatedly tells himself to worry about later. Later when he can mourn the loss of his friends and family, later when he can find a purpose to all of this, to the path he’s forcibly carved for himself in this life. 

So he stands at the edge of a ship with the man he’d murdered, breathing the ocean air and telling himself that there’s a reason for everything.

—

The third time it happened is when it slowly began to dawn on Shinya that these aren’t something that can be explained away by wishful thinking and a stream of hastily made excuses. 

There’s a distinct accompanying anxiety that hits with this realization, paranoia settling in at the fringes of his nerves and pushing him right to the edge. Voices murmuring just within earshot, his own reflection caught in his peripheral of the mirror, any and all bumps in the night. Everything was an unknown, a possible hostile. There was no Sibyl to ensure the morality of the people around him, no scanners to catch the sinners before they made their moves. This was life without Big Brother in the hovering overhead and amid the liberation there was an uncertainty Shinya had yet to adjust too. 

He’d been moving constantly since the boat docked on the mainland. The possibility Sibyl would come after him was slim, but still probable and that simply wasn’t something Shinya could allow to happen. Having to face the friends and coworkers he’d left behind, living up to his empty words and broken promises�� The very thought made his breath catch in his throat. He’d selfishly accomplished the goal that’d consumed every waking second of his life for the past three years, but at a heavy cost.

That particular passing thought made Shinya’s brow twitch as he struck up a cigarette on the balcony adjacent from the hotel room he’d been staying in the past few nights. The building itself in all honesty probably should no longer be a working place of business. Concrete foundation was flaking off from the base of the building and the very balcony Shinya stood on was deeply slanted with a railing that could probably be pushed off over the edge if he were to try. 

But it was pitifully cheap to stay here, and the few residents Shinya had come into contact with looked like they hadn’t been sober at anytime within the past few years. In a strange way he felt a kinship with that aspect of them— it’d been years since he felt like himself. Years since any other thoughts but those concerning vengeance had crossed his mind. Even now though, even hundreds of miles away from his rivals final resting place and weeks since their last breath Shinya’s every waking moment was spent consumed by Shogo Makishima.

Even after death it seemed the other man demanded Shinya’s full and total attention. 

Shinya sighed heavily, exhaling a long stream of smoke before flicking the cigarette to the ground and grinding it underfoot. Tomorrow would mark his return to the road, an ever bizarre feeling as he made decisions for himself again rather than follow the orders of others. The return of his independence was something Shinya couldn’t help but linger on, entertaining the thoughts of how pleased Shogo would be at his own personal growth since fleeing the country they both once called home. 

 The curling, sun-faded wallpaper was peeling along the seams inside the room and the strong musk of mildew seemed to cling at every surface from the thread bare carpet to the lumpy mattress. 

“You don’t seem very happy here.” Shogo’s voice filtered across the room from where he sat perched atop the tired desk in the corner. 

Shinya flinched as he stepped into the room, averting his eyes away from the other man and consciously reminded himself to uncurl his nails from biting into his palms. His throat closed and for a brief second he was convinced he was going to collapse. Seeing Shogo here and now, once again was like the final nail in the coffin containing all of his uncertainty and doubt and despair from everything he’d done in the past month. 

He didn’t answer Shogo, once again electing to ignore what was surely nothing more than a trick his sick mind was playing on him rather than entertain the notion. His few belongings were scattered about the room so he went about collecting them in an attempt to busy and distract himself from the other presence occupying the room. 

“Is freedom everything you’d hoped it’d be?” Shogo continued, judgement surprisingly absent from his tone. “I can’t imagine the transition is an easy one.” 

It’s not. Shinya wants to say, wants to shout at the other man. It’s not because you’re still here, because you’re the accumulation of everything I want to forget. 

An odd kind of silence settles in as Shinya continues roughly stuffing clothes and medicine and various foods into his backpack. It would never not be strange being so alone— minus the occasional and unannounced visits from a dead man. Ginoza had been within shouting distance Shinya’s entire life, the rest of his Division One family always at arms reach. 

“Do you want to go back?” Shogo asked quietly, an almost reverent quality to his voice. Like he was mentioning a secret the two of them had sworn to never speak of. 

“No.” Shinya answered harshly, berating himself quietly even as he did so. “No, I don’t want that.”

“No?”

Shinya finally turned, meeting a solemn golden gaze watching him with a focus that made Shinya’s heart ache in his chest. “No.” He echoed, unable to stop himself from openly staring at Shogo. 

There really must be some part of himself that held a masochistic edge for rendering the fine details of Shogo’s appearance so well. The prominent bow of his lips and the curling shadow his lashes cast over his cheekbones. The gentle sloping of his shoulders and the dip of his waist. Every bit as beautiful as he was in life but with none of the ambition— a lovely husk full to the brim with biting remarks and a melancholy air. It was Shogo Makishima without the malice and without the worldly scars and it was the cruelest image of the man Shinya could’ve possibly conceived. 

A smile twitched at Shogo’s lips before he cast a sweeping look around the hotel room, disapproval clearly flickering across his features. “You’re better than this.” He said, gesturing at the cracked ceiling. “You know that.” 

“Why would you think that?” Shinya asks, leaning against the footboard of the bed. “You don’t know anything about me, not really.” 

Shogo sighs at that, tearing his gaze away from the ceiling to meet Shinya’s gaze. “You also know that that’s not true.” He answers quietly. A pause before, “There’s no one here but me this time.”

Shinya swallows around the cold knot in his throat that ties at those words. “Yeah.”

Just Shogo, just his enemy and counterpart and all things opposite and similar to him. Just the man he’d left lying in a field of gold after making the most twisted and selfish choice of his life. “I think I’m losing it.” He admits to Shogo, dropping his gaze down to his hands to avoid seeing the other man’s reaction. Scarred, calloused, deep nail cuts into the soft skin of his palms— they told a story all on their own. Shinya wondered what story Shogo’s hands would’ve told. 

Shogo hums softly in understanding, considering. “I think you are too.” He finally says after a moment. “But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.” 

“And how’s that?”

“You’re changing.” Shogo answers simply. “Evolving. Becoming a person rather than a leashed, muzzled dog.” He offers Shinya a smile, “You’re you now, you know. Without the social pressures or threat of crime coefficients and hues— it’s you as you should’ve always been.” 

Shinya barks a harsh laugh, dragging a hand through his hair in something akin to defeat. “I don’t think I like that person.” He murmurs, “I don’t recognize him, I’m not proud of what he’s done.” 

There’s no response from the other man, only the spluttering hum of the air conditioner coming to life. By the time Shinya allowed himself to look up at the desk Shogo was long gone. 

— 

The fourth, fifth, sixth and twelfth times all bled into one another as time slowly passed. Shogo existing in the corner of Shinya’s eyes at all times. A never vanishing reminder of the life he’d once lived. 

“Are you happy?” Shogo whispered, the gold of his eyes bright from the reflection of the street lamp outside. He lay on the other side of the bed, shadowed in the dark of the room but still every bit the man Shinya both remembered and had come to recognize. 

Shinya reaches out, unable to stop himself, and watches as the tips of his fingers phase through the smooth skin of Shogo’s cheek with a sinking feeling in his chest as they do so.

I could’ve been. We could’ve been. I know this just as I always have and just as I always will. 

“I don’t know” He answers honestly, listening to the sound of his voice echo through the empty room.

[shinkanefanatic]

One More Time Ch 1, A Shinkane (Psycho Pass) Fic

Summary: 2 years have passed since the incident at Shambala Float. Kougami Shinya finally returns to Japan, with one thing on his mind: To eliminate Sibyl once and for all. Inspector Tsunemori, however, has no intentions of allowing that. What is to become of the former Inspector/Enforcer duo as tragedy finally rears its ugly head?

Disclaimer: Psycho Pass and its characters belong to Gen Urobuchi. I own nothing (sadly)

Set in a potential season 3 timeline, after the canon movie.

Chapter 1: Deafening Silence

______________________________

“You fool…You fool…”

A young woman’s voice choked out the same words like a broken record as she sat all alone on the dark streets of Japan. The female was covered from head to toe in red, her entire being soaked in blood. It looked as if someone had poured a large bucket of it on top of her. Mixing with the blood were her tears that ran down at an astounding rate, showing no sign of stopping anytime soon.

All that ran through the brunette’s mind as she remained there, broken and sobbing, were the horrifying events she had just witnessed. She had been through many awful things leading up to this moment, partly due to her work as a detective for the MWPSB. She had lost many people she cared about. It was a surprise to many how her crime coefficient never clouded because of the horrors she’d witnessed during these past 6 years in her job. Still, if there would be any time her hue would be called into question because of such traumas, tonight would be it. Out of all the things she’d been through, tonight was simply…No. There were no words to describe that night. No proper words whatsoever, could explain the unbearable agony that the Inspector known as Akane Tsunemori felt at this very moment in time.

“Why…?!” Akane screeched, plowing her fists into the crimson soaked pavement. She pounded away, again and again, somehow hoping such actions would put a stop to her pain. Soon, her own blood began to pour out of the tears created by the mashing of her knuckles with the rigid ground. Still, the actions continued own, regardless of this fact.

Why the hell is this always what happens?! The Inspector stopped hitting the pavement and wrapped her arms around herself tightly, Why…am I so powerless to save anyone…? Out of everyone, he was the one…The one person I wanted to…

Akane’s sobs sped back up again, her body collapsing into itself like a falling building in a disaster. Her cries echoed throughout the cold, deafening silence as Akane’s mind thought back to a few moments ago that had led up to this.

______________________________

“Follow me.”

“…Inspector, look-”

“Just shut your mouth and hurry up, Kougami-san.” The mushroom headed brunette spun around at the tall male standing behind her, handcuffs around his wrists- now her prisoner, with no way to go. This man was her former subordinate and senpai- formally known as an Enforcer. His name: Kougami Shinya.

Akane pulled Kougami along like a farmer herding their cattle as the two went in and out of various alleyways, around sharp corners, and carefully dodging every street scanner they came across.

Just a little more. A few more streets and Akane could reach her police vehicle to transport the criminal in her custody down to the PSB. Once there, the Inspector planned to make sure everything would fall into place. No matter what.

After looking both directions in case of anyone spotting them, Akane proceeded on with pulling Kougami along again. The raven haired man followed silently, watching the back of the woman he almost couldn’t believe belonged to the same little girl he had met 6 years ago. What used to be a naive, innocent child had now grown into a strong woman with nerves of steel and a heart of stone. Kougami had to admit, he was impressed with her growth.

One thought hit Kou as he followed behind her- he should have known of all people he would run into after returning to Japan, Akane would be the first. Hell, perhaps it was even what he had subconsciously wished for. Shinya was more then aware that coming back to his home country now was tantamount to suicide. That was fine. While the former detective didn’t want to admit he had grown older, that was only a very small part of his reasons for returning to Japan. He was simply…tired. After all the traveling he’d done after running from the very law he used to follow himself, the idea of living the rest of his days out in peace or quiet were a fool’s delusion. So before leaving Shambala Float and hopping onto an illegal ship set for Japan, Kougami Shinya made what he believed to be the last decision of his life. To take Sibyl down…either with him, or die trying.

From the information the 34 year old had gathered about the system’s expansion over the last 730 days, Kougami knew there was no better time to try his plan than now.

Sibyl of present was far more ferocious than years prior. So many things had changed. For instance, the collars that had been previously tested in the city of Shambala Float had been upgraded and placed around the necks of every one of Japan’s citizens. From newborn babies to the elderly. Even pets. Every single living creature in Japan wore such a device at all times, no exceptions. 24/7, everyone’s well being and actions were monitored. It made no difference, even if one’s hue was clear and pure. This was one of the new laws established by Sibyl. Also regarding the subject, the law pertaining to peoples psycho passes had also grown more merciless than ever. Now, it wasn’t simply one’s career and spouse Sibyl decided for them. No, from your child’s first name and entire life plan, to how one would grow and die. Sibyl controlled everything imaginable.

People would be better off dead then living like this…if it could even be called living at this point. At least that was Kougami’s feelings on the matter.

To add to it, at least 70% of Japan’s population was made up of people deemed unfit for society now. The standard percentage of a person’s psycho pass had changed quite dramatically, in hopes that it would keep the country more peaceful with less crime rates and drama. Today, if someone’s crime coefficient reached at even 50, you were immediately deemed a latent criminal and hauled away to the newest mental facility. Those left alone by Sibyl were the same ones who all had the appearance of a mindless zombie. It was terrifying, at the very least.

Thus what had brought Kou and Akane back together again, under less than ideal circumstances.

“Hurry.” Akane ordered sternly after having finally spotting her car a few ways away.

Before Kougami could respond, he was being dragged along again, once almost tripping from the force of the Inspector’s pull.

After finally reaching her goal, Akane quickly unlocked the car and prepared to force the latent criminal in if need be, “Don’t try anything, Kougami-san. If you do, I’ll be forced to get rough.”

The stoic man’s lips curled upwards at the cold-sounding remark. His mind instantly flashed to their brief fight 2 years ago and how she had managed to pull one over on him by throwing him backwards and pointing an actual gun at him, he who was supposed to be a much more experienced fighter. If there was one thing that hadn’t changed about Akane, it was her guts.

“Sure thing, Inspector. After all, wouldn’t want you to blow out my leg.” Kou joked, poking at Akane’s threat from 6 years ago during the Makishima chase.

6 years…it was short, but felt so long at the same time.

Shinya started to enter the car but stopped when he came to a realization. His sky blue eyes found themselves locked with hazelnut colored orbs that peered back at him with slight suspicion. From her eyes to everything else, Akane stood there before him- looking so powerful, so determined. It was enough to take his breath away.

Akane grew increasingly annoyed at this, however, “What are you doing? I already told you, don’t try to run.”

“No…” Kougami’s eyes softened warmly at her as his smirk developed into a calm smile, “Think I mentioned this to you before, but…getting arrested you like this. It’s not the worst thing that could happen to me.”

“Ginoza would definitely call you a pervert if he had heard you just now, Kougami-san. Enough stalling, and get in already.”

A low chuckle escaped the ex-enforcer as he gave in with an almost happy sounding, “Yes, ma'am.”

Just as Kougami leaned down to take a seat, a loud and all too familiar noise rang out towards the two.

Tsunemori’s eyes swelled widely as her instincts quickly carried her over to Kou’s side. Without warning, Akane pulled him to the ground as if to make him duck from something. The sound grew louder and louder until it seemed to swiftly zip past them, barely missing their ears. An explosion soon followed from the direction of where the sound had gone, blowing up a light post instead of its intended target.

Akane caught her breath as she processed what had just happened.

Kougami, who laid under her, was staring at the destroyed light post with a fowl glare, only knowing who the target should have really been.

Akane picked herself up as she noticed the source of the shot approaching from the shadows.

An old woman with short silver hair with glasses, wearing a black dress appeared with a sinister grin upon her face. In her hand was a dominator switched into enforcement mode.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t know about this, Inspector Tsunemori?”

“…Chief.” Was all Akane said as she stood in front of the gun’s barrel, acting a shield between it and the criminal behind her.

“You do realize this man is a wanted criminal…” Kasei looked over Akane’s shoulder. After catching his attention, the MWPSB head’s smile widened, “Much like Shogo Makishima was. How the mighty have fallen, isn’t that right…Enforcer Kougami.”

Kou remained silent but felt his blood begin to boil as anger rose up from the depths of his soul. Though he had never learned the truth about the Sibyl system and its chief, he had always known there was something…not right about her. Hell, Makishima had hinted it to him as well. The old woman’s current domineer and sudden apperance only served to confirm Shinya’s suspicions.

“Guess it has been a while,” Kougami forced a bitter smile, “Looks like you haven’t aged a bit, Chief. Is that a result of Sibyl’s ‘power’ too?”

Kasei’s eyes grew thin, like that of a fox staring down its prey before devouring it, “…You’d be surprised. The system does work miracles after all. For everyone living in this country now. Even the…mentally unfit.”

Another chuckle left Kou at the bluntness spoken to him. Before, it was 'latent criminals’. Now, society’s undesirables were flat out labeled as something as pathetic as 'mentally unfit’. It should have been no surprise. Not only had Sibyl grown bolder, but its overseer as well.

At that moment, Akane reached up and gently took hold of the dominator’s barrel. Anxiety replaced Kougami’s previous feelings of resentment as he carefully studied his ex-boss determinedly speak out against the one person no one in the PSB ever dared to cross,

“I apologize for taking this matter into my own hands, Chief.” Akane stood strong as she breathed steadily, praying she could encourage Kasei to lower the weapon against the man she had sworn to protect from death at any costs, “I realize your orders were to shoot on sight-”

“That’s exactly right.” Kasei nodded firmly, recalling back to their meeting in the PSB office a few hours prior after having found a street scanner that spotted Kougami entering the country, “Not only is the man a fugitive of the law, but a murderer as well. We cannot allow such a…plague to roam freely. You should understand this, Inspector. For the sake of our citizens trying to live peacefully here…”

All Akane could muster was an, “I know.”

Kasei continued, “Imagine what would happen if people encountered a man like Shinya Kougami. Just breathing the same air could cloud their hues to the point of no return. What would you do them, Inspector Tsunemori? How would you atone for such a crime? Allowing this man any form of freedom or existence would only add to the headcount he has already managed to pile up.”

The PSB’s director didn’t let her hand stray as she adjusted her gun’s aim directly towards Kougami’s head. The entire dominator glowed blindingly bright, ready to rain death upon it’s target’s head at the pull of a trigger.

“Just wait…!” Akane reinserted herself between the two in a desperate attempt to change the flow of the situation, “I realize the consequences of allowing Kougami’s freedom. That’s why I made the decision to come out here and arrest him immediately. I planned to take him directly back to the PSB and then-”

“And then what? You’d allow us to do a memory scoop of his memories from where he’s been since fleeing Japan and gather information as a result. A fine idea- using such knowledge could speed up the process of expanding Sibyl to other countries, as we had attempted years ago.”

Akane felt her heart catch in her throat at the mention of the memory scoop. The last time she had seen such a process be used on a criminal, the poor soul ended up violently dying in the chair due to shock. The brunette didn’t want to imagine the same fate befalling Shinya.

“That…isn’t…” Akane became increasingly concerned at the situation. Both she and Kou were backed into a corner, with very little chance of any escape.

“Then what would you have us do, Tsunemori?” Kasei’s eyes became darkly glazed over as her smile returned as if she were amused. Soon the dominator in her hand was closing further in towards Kougami’s face. A finger clenched the trigger just slightly, “Do you still refuse to accept it, despite all you’ve seen? Allow me to spell it out for you, Inspector- Tonight, the former Enforcer fugitive Kougami Shinya, will be erased for good.

Beneath her bangs, Akane’s chocolate colored orbs were trembling painfully. The Inspector’s teeth dug into her pale lips, nearly drawing blood.

Something had to be done immediately. Anything. Back when Kougami had fled the country after killing Makishima, Akane had promised- swore- to one day bring him home alive. The Inspector refused to simply let him die. Kougami had to live and atone for his crimes, so he could understand that what he had done, was wrong. For murdering. For breaking his promise to her. For betraying his entire division. Kougami couldn’t lose his life here. No matter what.

Not only that, but in the event that former detective did lose his life, Akane had a horribly, sickening feeling about what would soon follow afterwards. She had lost so many people over her time in this job, but Kougami…he would be the last straw.

It can’t happen. No matter what.

Yuki, her grandmother, Kagari, Masaoka, Aoyanagi; the countless victims of Akane’s past haunted her dreams nearly every single night she laid down. Bearing Sibyl’s truth alone and bearing such regrets were a recipe for anyone’s hue to cloud the darkest of colors. However, two things were keeping Akane from such a fate- or that’s what she told herself anyways. It made her feel better than believing she was an unfeeling monster due to the fact that her hue never clouded despite all the nightmares she’d been through. Of the two things keeping the Inspector going, one was her sense of justice. The other was the man her subconscious constantly showed her in the form of hallucinations in her times of need. The one who was finally physically at her side again.

Akane would never admit it to anyone, but Kougami’s existence had become a necessity in her life- hallucination or otherwise. Whether he were truly by her side or not, the thought of him never existing anywhere anymore was too much to think about. Therefore, Akane wouldn’t allow it.

"Chief, if you please.” Akane slowly turned around so she was facing both her boss and Shinya. The 26 year old raised her face from behind her bangs, the raging fire of determination burning brightly in her eyes, “Allow me to take him in for interrogation. I will personally see to it that something positive for the PSB comes of it.”

Kasei gave Akane a faraway frown, pulling back the gun’s trigger a little bit more, “…oh?”

“If not, you can have…” Akane reminded herself that Kougami was still in the dark about the truth of the things that made up the Sibyl system. She paused for a minute, carefully choosing her words before continuing, “…You may use me in any way you see fit.”

Kasei held back a laugh as the brain inside her head radioed their conversation back to the other brains of the system using the dominator as a communication device. Though no one could hear them, the brains speak out, “What a foolish girl. We already do. Still…”

The Chief’s eyes lit up as a thought came to mind. A very…pleasant idea of sorts. One that would quite indeed work to Sibyl, and Japan’s advantage, “…Yes. This will do nicely.”

The dominator lowered away from Kou’s face, surprising both Akane and Kougami at the signs of Kasei backing off.

“Very well, Inspector. I’ll allow an exception, but only this once. I just have one condition on the matter.”

Akane didn’t question it and agreed, “What is it, ma'am?”

It was then that Kasei’s face lit back up with a disturbing joy, “If Kougami really is as harmless and obedient as you claim him to be, see to it that he is transported via the proper vehicle for escorting criminals.”

It was then a large MWPSB van pulled up suddenly, parking on the other side of the street parallel to Akane’s car. The car shut off and out stepped Akane’s former boss, Ginoza Nobuchika.

“Well, I’ll be damned. So he really did return.” Gino’s tone was as cold and unfeeling as it had ever been when it came to his 'best friend’. The Enforcer’s gaze was glued at the pathetic sight of how far Kougami had fallen, now laying there strapped in handcuffs and at the law’s mercy, “Here I thought I had told you to stay away from us back on Shambala Float. Looks like your listening skills are as bad as they ever were. Or perhaps your just losing your hearing in your old age.”

“That’s rich, considering we’re the same age, Gino.”

“…Shut up, dumbass.”

While Ginoza and Kougami exchanged words in the background, Akane frowned deeply at this new development. Back in Kasei’s office, Akane had understood it that the news of Kougami’s return would be kept as secret as possible, and to not involve anybody unnecessary. If an Inspector had arrived, it would have made more sense. But Kasei had called for an Enforcer- much worst, someone Kougami knew. To add to it, Gino was also unaware of any truth regarding Sibyl and the Chief, yet she had taken the risk and personally requested Ginoza here, despite there being a chance Kougami knew something and spilled any information in front of Gino. Something didn’t feel right about this, not one bit.

Of everyone in the PSB, why request Ginoza to assist with Kougami’s escort? Not only that…Akane realized something else while she glanced at the dominator Kasei still held, A moment ago, Kasei was ready to kill him on sight. She just agreed to my suggestion now…so how did Ginoza know to come here so fast…?

Gino turned his attention away from Kougami and took notice of Akane’s brows furrowed anxiously. The man’s grew eyes softened warmly as he looked towards her with a calming smile, “Don’t worry, Tsunemori.” He began, walking over and placing a hand on her shoulder, “I will follow any orders you give- even if it’s sparing this fool here before us.”

Nobuchika’s stare flashed in Kasei’s direction for a second before he leaned further towards Akane’s left ear, keeping his voice as quiet as he could be as he continued,

“Listen, the rest of division 1 is hiding around the area on Kasei’s orders. If Kougami even acts like he’s attempting to run, he’ll be killed on the spot. The chief didn’t give us any clear details on the situation- she just suddenly came to the office an hour ago and ordered us to help in arresting an ex-hunting dog. None of us plan on killing him so you talk some sense into Kougami’s empty head.” Gino stepped back and looked at Akane strongly, “You’re the only one who can do this, Akane.”

Said woman gave a small smile and nodded. She still wasn’t sure what Kasei was up to, but at least for the moment, she knew she could count on Gino who had probably given a similar speech to the rest of the division. He knew as much as she did that Kougami needed to live, to atone. Simply dying on the streets like a dog, didn’t suit Kougami. Or at least, it didn’t need to. One thing was certain, and Akane couldn’t be more thankful- Ginoza was on her side.

“What’s the holdup, Inspector?” Kasei seemed to be growing more impatient by the minute, “Hurry and take the criminal in.”

Gino gave Akane a confirming nod, to which she responded with walking back to the spiky haired fugitive.

Like before, Akane grabbed Kougami’s arm and began leading him towards the PSB van. The two of them exchanged no words as they approached the back of the car and waited for the doors to open.

As the car opened, Kougami suddenly broke his silence, “Brings back memories. Never thought I’d ride in one of these again.”

Akane wanted to say something smart but she bit her tongue.

As the doors finally came completely open, her grip on Shinya tightened immensely. So much so that the force of the grip made him wince.

“Already starting on the torture, I see.”

“Shut up.”

“First Gino, now you tell me that.”

Kougami turned his neck to peer at her over his shoulder. At first, he held an amused smile but it quickly faded as he noticed something unusual about the woman who was always so collected and together.

The Inspector was trembling, quite violently too. She stood next to him, frozen in place like a statue.

“I don’t know what it is exactly, but something feels…wrong about all this.”

Akane just couldn’t believe how easily Kasei had been convinced to simply arrest Kougami. What was the PSB, or rather, the system really playing at? What did they really intend to do to him once Kougami was brought in?

Terrible thoughts plagued Akane’s waning mind as she held onto Shinya tighter and tighter.

Will they torture him, followed by disposing of him? Experiment? Do a memory scoop like Kasei had suggested earlier?

Her thoughts only worsened as Akane’s brain twisted the situation more and more, hoping to make sense of what was happening. Just as Tsunemori’s anxiety was hitting its peak, a sudden warmth grasped her right hand that was placed on Kougami’s shoulder. Akane snapped out of her trance and looked up. Her eyes widened, a handsome smile being reflected in them at the person before her.

“This isn’t like you, you know.” Kougami spoke in a hushed tone. His hand traced Akane’s carefully, “The Inspector I know would keep her cool under any situation. After all, that’s what makes a detective so good at what they do. So just calm down for a minute, all right…Akane.”

The Inspector was awestruck for what felt like several minutes. Though in realty only a few quick seconds had passed, leaving her heart to return to normal beating speed and her normal composure coming back.

Tonight hadn’t been the first time she had been on the receiving end of one of Kougami’s talks, but it was certainly just as effective as it had been all the times before.

Akane held back a smile as she felt the center of her chest tingle.

“…It’s pretty sad when I get lectured by a fugitive.” Akane gently removed Kou’s hand from her own, “Looks like I still need more training.”

Kou’s smile slightly grew at the sight of her returning to normal. Akane always did bounce back quickly when it came to serious situations. The Inspector was the very definition of strong, in every sense of the word. Perhaps it was one reason the raven haired man didn’t mind being arrested by her.

“Now that that’s settled, looks about time-” Just as Kou took a step towards the van’s interior, Akane pulled him backwards until he was within earshot.

“I need you to promise me something, Kougami-san. Do that and I’ll make sure everything works out.”

Kougami had several questions rise at that moment but instead of asking for answers, he replied, “And what exactly is it that you want me to promise, Inspector?”

Akane pretended to inch the two of them more towards the car as she mumbled, “Please, no matter what happens, don’t try anything stupid. If you even look like you’re about to attempt anything, you’ll be immediately killed. I know you may not care at this point about your life one way or the other…”

A part of Shinya silently agreed with her. Yeah. At this point in time, it didn’t matter what happened to him. It shouldn’t matter to the Inspector either, as far as he was concerned. However, he continued to listen carefully,

“Look, you may not give a damn whether you live or die tonight. But I’m saying you have no right to choose death.” Akane moved her arm downwards towards his forearm. Without warning, the detective gave it a good twist. Kougami flinched at the sudden action and peered back at her, where she responded with a quite angry look, “After all you’ve done, you really think you’ll just be allowed to die and that’s the end of things? I wont’ allow it. I can’t allow it. Chief doesn’t understand and neither does Sibyl- but I’ll make sure you aren’t simply shot like a dog. You have to live and atone.”

“Live and atone…huh.” Kougami hadn’t thought of it like that before. Not once had he ever felt an ounce of regret for murdering Makishima. To him, it was a crime that needed to be committed, no matter the cost. The only thing he wished had turned out differently was perhaps how it had happened. Akane had been hurt back then, Masaoka killed during the chase after Makishima at the time. That was his only regret otherwise though.

“Kougami, I’m not blind.” Akane tightened her grip on his arm, “I know you plan on dying tonight. Knowing you, I’m sure you had only one reason for suddenly returning to Japan after all this time- to do something about Sibyl, correct?”

Shinya wasn’t even surprised at this point. Akane’s detective instincts were as spot on as ever. Or perhaps it wasn’t her instincts that told her the truth of his return. Maybe Akane just knew him that well. Either way, it made no difference. At least, it shouldn’t have.

“Whatever you plan to do, I need you to put a hold on it until I say otherwise. I know more than you realize and if you charge in to attack Sibyl now, I guarantee it won’t be pretty. So please, right now, just promise me two things- Survive at any cost, and obey my instructions until we’re back at the PSB. All right?”

The latent criminal thought long and hard about Akane’s words. She made sense. And he had to admit, he was curious about what she meant when she claimed to know more then 'he realized’. But the part of her lecture that had stuck with Kougami the most, was her telling him to live. That it was…okay to live. That there was a reason, for him to continue existing in this world.

By this stage in his life, Shinya knew there should have been nothing tying him to this world any longer. He’d lost so much and knew his desired life of peace was all lost at this point. However, for just a brief moment, for the first time in 6 years…Akane had made him think, that perhaps he wanted to live, even just a bit longer. If nothing else, it was so he could be near the Inspector as long as possible before his end came. If that could happen, then he could die peacefully without any pain when he finally did reach his end.

A weight suddenly felt as if it had been lifted on Kougami’s shoulders. To think Akane could still tell him all those things, even after his betrayal…she really was a remarkable woman.

“…Akane.” Her name echoed softly as Kou barely parted his lips to say it. Spheres as blue as the ocean tenderly stared down at the female detective, unable to avoid her breathtaking gaze peering back at him. Without any more thought, he replied, “…Okay. You have my word, Inspector.”

Akane breathed a sigh of relief, “Good. Now, one more thing.”

“You’ve become awfully demanding after all this time,” Kougami’s face softened further with amusement, “Maybe you’ve been hanging around Shion too much?”

“Maybe. Had you the common sense to stick around, you would have known this already, Kougami-san.”

All Shinya could do was whistle and hold back a chuckle.

“More to the point…”

“Before that, may I say one thing, Inspector?”

Akane’s brows furrowed impatiently. They didn’t have much time and if they kept stalling, Kasei was sure to become suspicious.

“What?”

“You’ve really developed into one hell of a detective. Not to mention, a tough woman to boot.” Kougami leaned down until his height was on par with the shorter girl’s, “I gotta admit this now- I completely understand Gino’s over-obsessiveness of you.”

Confusion was the only thing Akane felt an such an offhand remark. Had he just…? No. This was Kougami Shinya, not Shion. He would never flirt, least of all, at a time like this.

Kougami finally shut up and turned to enter the car. His back still facing her, more surprising words escaped him as he stepped inside, but these fell on deaf ears.

“Always knew you’d grow into your own like this. No wonder you’re the one I often…”

At that moment, time seemed to bolt to a grinding stop.

Out of no where, Kougami felt his instincts screech out at him from the very depths of his being. He didn’t even have to think as he spun his body around as fast as he could.

For a moment, his left eye caught sight of a shimmer a few feet behind Akane. The man’s stomach dropped to his feet when he realized the source of the all too familiar shine. Before his own body even knew it, Kougami was making a mad dash towards Akane.

His arm grabbed onto Akane and swung sideways. Before the Inspector could question what was happening, her body was thrown away at incredible speed. As her body tumbled backwards, Shinya’s face reflected in her brown spheres. The look she saw on his face was enough to make her pupils dilate. When her brain registered what the reason for the expression on Kougami’s face was, Akane’s heart became like glass, getting ready to be shattered the moment she landed on the ground.

Though it was hard to hear through all the rapid movements, Akane then heard Kougami’s voice call out to her. It sounded…more faraway than it ever had before.

“Akane-”

The world went utterly silent. Tsunemori was still staring right at the man in front of her with an unwavering look of questioning and bewilderment. A second passed. Everything surrounding her felt like it shut down- time included.

The only thing Akane could hear was her own heart beating. The only thing she saw were Kougami who’s lips as they formed a few words.

…I’m sorry…

Akane’s lips also parted. Her voice screamed out as loud as it could but it reached no one.

…I couldn’t keep my promise again.

At that, the only sound that the world could hear was the firing of a dominator…set on execution mode.

______________________________

Author’s Comments: End of chapter 1 for a possible 3-4 chapter fic, based on my idea of events that would potentially happen in the event of a 3rd season of Psycho Pass. This was originally only going to be 2 chapters, but I decided to extend it. I’ll say this now- This fic, unlike so many of my others, WILL be finished. I’ve already got all of chapter 2 and part of 3 started. So please, please, please, leave me your thoughts and let me know what you guys thought of this. I apologize for any errors, misspellings, bad punctuation, and OOC-ness.

*Edit: Read Ch 2 here

[dream-thief-forever-amen]

My headcannon for Tay is he’s an angelic psycho. I imagine him using blades. And being just so… cute little calm shoulder shrug about it. That he’s ruthless yet remains serene and everyone who knows him is a little wary of him.

Like the villain in Psycho-Pass, Shogo Makishima. It’s the hair. And the angelic face.

#just Tay being a beautiful angel ❤

[khalix-hyetology]

If Ruvik was in Psycho Pass he would so be Criminally Asymptomatic. But I think he would be an inspector and not a criminal in the Sybil system. Stefano would not be  Criminally Asymptomatic but would most likely be a criminal. He just wouldn’t have too much of a clouded hue. I don’t think Stefano would like Shogo Makishima or Kouzaburou Touma at all. He would like Shion, Yayoi and Akane a lot including Kamui. 

I can imagine Ruben Victoriano with a dominator.  Ruvik would get along with Ginoza a lot and somewhat with Shinya. But I think he and Akane would have a special bond. 

[pendulumprince]

(1) My fickle shipper's heart started to ship Yusaku with Shoichi's's bro... and then I remembered my theory about him being Ai. Imagine that he, back when he was a human, was best friends with Yusaku (or maybe there was even mutual young love going on), but all this shit happened and he became disconnected from his human body leaving it to be an empty broken shell. As for his mind, he became an Ignis but five years ago he was attacked by Revolver etc.

And he lost all of his memories, his human life, even his name but he never forgot about one person, the one he loved the most… Yusaku. So when he saw Playmaker he became subconsciously gravitated to him, though not remembering exactly why. I rewatched episodes 18-19 and those moments about Ai’s real name not being among the data held by Akira and then it’s mentioned that Hanoi Project’s survivors’ names were not in there too.. and we still haven’t learned Shoichi’s bro’s name.. suspicious

And now imagine at some point Ai returning his memories and reconnecting with his human body, becoming Shoichi’s bro again. Imagine Yusaku’s reaction when he realizes that he was treating his own lover like a thing and even threatening to kill him in front of his older brother. Oh, and I figured that if Ai sounds kinda robotic and clumsy, Shoichi’s bro would sound, well, human and cool, if you heard his VA in other roles (my personal favorite is Makishima Shogo from Psycho-Pass).

(In reference to these posts.)

So I think your old Ai=Shoichi’s Brother got a Heroic Second Wind with everything that was revealed in episodes 18/19 lol

Because first, barring an extreme change in circumstance, Revolver=Shoichi’s Brother has been debunked. But more importantly, we got Yusaku’s confirmation that Shoichi’s Brother “hasn’t recovered” from the trauma they went though. For this theory to work, Shoichi’s Brother has to be an empty shell. If we’re meant to take these shots literally

That means Shoichi’s Brother is huddled up in the corner of a dark room, all day, staring blankly at the ground. As you said in the post this is referring to, he may be in an psychiatric ward/care center. Until we see him outside of a flashback, it’s not too far off to think he may be unresponsive to his surroundings.

So working on the assumption that the Ai-Soul theory is at least partially true, it could be as you said all those months ago: Shoichi’s Brother is unresponsive not because of the trauma, but because he literally isn’t in his body. Something went wrong (or horribly right) with his case; instead of taking just part of Shoichi’s Brother, his entire being was sucked up by the eyeball that was watching them

And was then made into a sentient AI. An ignis. Ai. 

So getting to this message proper, which destroyed me in the best possible way:

First of all, you’re really appealing to my aiballshipper’s heart here lol. Because if Yusaku and Shoichi’s Brother were friends/were in puppy love all those years ago, then Ai seeking Yusaku out ten years later only speaks to the magnitude of those feelings. It means what Shoichi’s Brother felt was strong enough to survive the very alteration of his being, five years of being trapped in another universe, having his memory wiped, and another five years on the run. 

It would certainly answer the question of why Ai was drawn to Yusaku in the first place. We know that part of it was obviously because of their common enemy (the KoH); but there has to be something more to it than that, even if neither of them are aware of it right now. 

We know that Ai was probably more, uh, proactive in what went down in episode 1 than he’s let on. That means Ai was so desperate to be close to Yusaku that he not only allowed but literally set up his own kidnapping, at the hands of someone who doubts his sentience, doesn’t treat him well, and has shown no qualms about threatening him with death. And despite that poor treatment, Ai has done so much for Yusaku. He sincerely thinks Yusaku is his friend. From his point of view, what they have is passionate. That’s a… very strong word to use in any context, let alone one meant to describe your relationship with your (supposed) captor. There’s something more going on here.

All of Ai’s behavior here would be explained if he and Yusaku have a preexisting relationship, one that Yusaku isn’t aware of. It only becomes more profound if he’s actually Shoichi’s Brother, because…

Then that means that his brain/programming refused to let go of the memory of Yusaku. Even subconsciously, Ai remembers his friend and the bond they shared, and it still colors his perception of Yusaku even ten years later. Ai can look past the mistreatment and the death threats because whether he realizes it or not, when he looks at Yusaku he still sees the kid who inspired in him one of the deepest and most human things anyone can feel: love. So of course he’d help Yusaku at every turn, and have faith in him, and tease him, and be shocked when Yusaku says that there’s “no friendship between [them]”. 

But that’s not all, because as you said: if Ai=Shoichi’s Brother, it’s bound to get found out at some point. And yes, that means Yusaku will have to contend with the fact that he treated his first love like garbage and literally threatened to kill him in front of his own brother. Hell, we could even throw Shoichi himself in this, because he stood by and watched it happen. That, to the person they were so bent on saving. They’d certainly have a lot of making up to do. 

One last note. Us not knowing Ai’s real name is understandable at this point, he doesn’t have any of his memories. But us not knowing Shoichi’s Brother’s name, when there are at least two people (Yusaku and Shoichi) who should know it well? That’s highly suspicious. It could easily be a plot point. And that could mean anything at this point, but…

His name being connected to Ai would certainly be a good reason to hide it, right? 

[exile-wrath]

15, 16

15) why did you start writing?

I started writing because I had a very active imagination when I was younger, around 7th grade I tried writing my first original things. As one can guess, they weren’t very good, but they were my beginning nonetheless. I just wanted to share the stories that I came up with in my head somehow. 

16) are there any characters who haunt you?

Makishima Shogo from Psycho Pass. Will Graham from Hannibal, recently.