🅱️

Eiji was clearly confused by this revelation, "where papa?"

“I don’t know - I was out.” Keicho tells the toddler. “Did you ask your momma?”

"ah.

mama and papa were cooking. Papa went the door."

“I see...” He says, nodding along with the toddler. “Did somebody knock on the door?”

"yeah"

“HmM....” He rubs his chin to make the child think they were on the heels of the mystery despite neither of them knowing jack. “Well, your momma must have heard something, right? Did you ask your momma? I know she’s cooking, but did you ask if she heard daddy leave?”

Having to refer to Akira as daddy around the kid makes him wish he had skin so he could tear it all off in a fit of cringe.

"papa left his shoes"

“Oh that’s not good. He wouldn’t leave without his shoes unless it was really important. Did you tell your momma that he left his shoes?”

"... Papa would go with no shoes?"

“No - that’s why I said Wouldn’t. Wouldn’t is Would and Not together. Would Not. Wouldn’t.”

At least he can teach the guy’s kid contractions before they find him in a ditch or whatever it is this week.

"oh," Eiji was struggling with the gravity of the situation in her head.

"Eiji? Eiji, are you up here?"

“She is, don’t worry.” Keicho calls down before he floats to sit down next to the toddler. “Hey squirt it’s gonna be okay - your daddy’s gonna be okay.”

Eiji stuck her thumb in her mouth. She was beginning to find the whole thing scary. Nana came upstairs, "Oh good."

Eiji scrambled over and clung to Nana's leg, "mama!"

"What's wrong honey?"

Eiji buried her face in Nana's skirt.

“She can’t find Akira,” He tells her. “Said he went to check the door and left his shoes.”

Keicho gently reaches down and rubs the top of her head.

“It’s okay - he’ll come back. Don’t cry.”

"... yeah, i saw," Nana picked Eiji up, "It's okay honey. Papa will be back."

"promise?"

"Yes baby, I promise," she kissed Eiji's forehead before setting her down, "Go wash up for dinner okay?"

"okay bye mama, bye cho"

“Bye bye.” Keicho humors with a little wave.

He’s gonna kick Akira in the pantts if he wasn’t actively kidnapped to leave that kid alone.

"... You didn't happen to see anything, did you," she doesn't sound hopeful, but she figures she should at least ask.

“Sorry - I was in the afterlife checkin up with my mom.” Keicho admits to her.

"That's okay.

It's just," Nana took a deep breath and exhaled, "things have been good and safe for so long."

“Stand users aren’t meant to be safe, it seems.” He says with distant glances. “That kid doesn’t deserve all that.”

"It's been years since anything worse than work, what I've done at work, happened. I just-

He said that something didn't seem right about her execution... What if it's her?"

Nana's mind was starting to race. She took another deep breath.

“Hey hey hey it’s okay. She seems like the kind of person the folks downstairs don’t just let wander back up willynilly. It’ll be okay.”

Eiji was clearly confused by this revelation, "where papa?"

“I don’t know - I was out.” Keicho tells the toddler. “Did you ask your momma?”

"ah.

mama and papa were cooking. Papa went the door."

“I see...” He says, nodding along with the toddler. “Did somebody knock on the door?”

"yeah"

“HmM....” He rubs his chin to make the child think they were on the heels of the mystery despite neither of them knowing jack. “Well, your momma must have heard something, right? Did you ask your momma? I know she’s cooking, but did you ask if she heard daddy leave?”

Having to refer to Akira as daddy around the kid makes him wish he had skin so he could tear it all off in a fit of cringe.

"papa left his shoes"

“Oh that’s not good. He wouldn’t leave without his shoes unless it was really important. Did you tell your momma that he left his shoes?”

"... Papa would go with no shoes?"

“No - that’s why I said Wouldn’t. Wouldn’t is Would and Not together. Would Not. Wouldn’t.”

At least he can teach the guy’s kid contractions before they find him in a ditch or whatever it is this week.

"oh," Eiji was struggling with the gravity of the situation in her head.

"Eiji? Eiji, are you up here?"

“She is, don’t worry.” Keicho calls down before he floats to sit down next to the toddler. “Hey squirt it’s gonna be okay - your daddy’s gonna be okay.”

Eiji stuck her thumb in her mouth. She was beginning to find the whole thing scary. Nana came upstairs, "Oh good."

Eiji scrambled over and clung to Nana's leg, "mama!"

"What's wrong honey?"

Eiji buried her face in Nana's skirt.

“She can’t find Akira,” He tells her. “Said he went to check the door and left his shoes.”

Keicho gently reaches down and rubs the top of her head.

“It’s okay - he’ll come back. Don’t cry.”

"... yeah, i saw," Nana picked Eiji up, "It's okay honey. Papa will be back."

"promise?"

"Yes baby, I promise," she kissed Eiji's forehead before setting her down, "Go wash up for dinner okay?"

"okay bye mama, bye cho"

“Bye bye.” Keicho humors with a little wave.

He’s gonna kick Akira in the pantts if he wasn’t actively kidnapped to leave that kid alone.

"... You didn't happen to see anything, did you," she doesn't sound hopeful, but she figures she should at least ask.

“Sorry - I was in the afterlife checkin up with my mom.” Keicho admits to her.

"That's okay.

It's just," Nana took a deep breath and exhaled, "things have been good and safe for so long."

“Stand users aren’t meant to be safe, it seems.” He says with distant glances. “That kid doesn’t deserve all that.”

Eiji was clearly confused by this revelation, "where papa?"

“I don’t know - I was out.” Keicho tells the toddler. “Did you ask your momma?”

"ah.

mama and papa were cooking. Papa went the door."

“I see...” He says, nodding along with the toddler. “Did somebody knock on the door?”

"yeah"

“HmM....” He rubs his chin to make the child think they were on the heels of the mystery despite neither of them knowing jack. “Well, your momma must have heard something, right? Did you ask your momma? I know she’s cooking, but did you ask if she heard daddy leave?”

Having to refer to Akira as daddy around the kid makes him wish he had skin so he could tear it all off in a fit of cringe.

"papa left his shoes"

“Oh that’s not good. He wouldn’t leave without his shoes unless it was really important. Did you tell your momma that he left his shoes?”

"... Papa would go with no shoes?"

“No - that’s why I said Wouldn’t. Wouldn’t is Would and Not together. Would Not. Wouldn’t.”

At least he can teach the guy’s kid contractions before they find him in a ditch or whatever it is this week.

"oh," Eiji was struggling with the gravity of the situation in her head.

"Eiji? Eiji, are you up here?"

“She is, don’t worry.” Keicho calls down before he floats to sit down next to the toddler. “Hey squirt it’s gonna be okay - your daddy’s gonna be okay.”

Eiji stuck her thumb in her mouth. She was beginning to find the whole thing scary. Nana came upstairs, "Oh good."

Eiji scrambled over and clung to Nana's leg, "mama!"

"What's wrong honey?"

Eiji buried her face in Nana's skirt.

“She can’t find Akira,” He tells her. “Said he went to check the door and left his shoes.”

Keicho gently reaches down and rubs the top of her head.

“It’s okay - he’ll come back. Don’t cry.”

"... yeah, i saw," Nana picked Eiji up, "It's okay honey. Papa will be back."

"promise?"

"Yes baby, I promise," she kissed Eiji's forehead before setting her down, "Go wash up for dinner okay?"

"okay bye mama, bye cho"

“Bye bye.” Keicho humors with a little wave.

He’s gonna kick Akira in the pantts if he wasn’t actively kidnapped to leave that kid alone.

"... You didn't happen to see anything, did you," she doesn't sound hopeful, but she figures she should at least ask.

“Sorry - I was in the afterlife checkin up with my mom.” Keicho admits to her.

Eiji was clearly confused by this revelation, "where papa?"

“I don’t know - I was out.” Keicho tells the toddler. “Did you ask your momma?”

"ah.

mama and papa were cooking. Papa went the door."

“I see...” He says, nodding along with the toddler. “Did somebody knock on the door?”

"yeah"

“HmM....” He rubs his chin to make the child think they were on the heels of the mystery despite neither of them knowing jack. “Well, your momma must have heard something, right? Did you ask your momma? I know she’s cooking, but did you ask if she heard daddy leave?”

Having to refer to Akira as daddy around the kid makes him wish he had skin so he could tear it all off in a fit of cringe.

"papa left his shoes"

“Oh that’s not good. He wouldn’t leave without his shoes unless it was really important. Did you tell your momma that he left his shoes?”

"... Papa would go with no shoes?"

“No - that’s why I said Wouldn’t. Wouldn’t is Would and Not together. Would Not. Wouldn’t.”

At least he can teach the guy’s kid contractions before they find him in a ditch or whatever it is this week.

"oh," Eiji was struggling with the gravity of the situation in her head.

"Eiji? Eiji, are you up here?"

“She is, don’t worry.” Keicho calls down before he floats to sit down next to the toddler. “Hey squirt it’s gonna be okay - your daddy’s gonna be okay.”

Eiji stuck her thumb in her mouth. She was beginning to find the whole thing scary. Nana came upstairs, "Oh good."

Eiji scrambled over and clung to Nana's leg, "mama!"

"What's wrong honey?"

Eiji buried her face in Nana's skirt.

“She can’t find Akira,” He tells her. “Said he went to check the door and left his shoes.”

Keicho gently reaches down and rubs the top of her head.

“It’s okay - he’ll come back. Don’t cry.”

"... yeah, i saw," Nana picked Eiji up, "It's okay honey. Papa will be back."

"promise?"

"Yes baby, I promise," she kissed Eiji's forehead before setting her down, "Go wash up for dinner okay?"

"okay bye mama, bye cho"

“Bye bye.” Keicho humors with a little wave.

He’s gonna kick Akira in the pantts if he wasn’t actively kidnapped to leave that kid alone.

Eiji was clearly confused by this revelation, "where papa?"

“I don’t know - I was out.” Keicho tells the toddler. “Did you ask your momma?”

"ah.

mama and papa were cooking. Papa went the door."

“I see...” He says, nodding along with the toddler. “Did somebody knock on the door?”

"yeah"

“HmM....” He rubs his chin to make the child think they were on the heels of the mystery despite neither of them knowing jack. “Well, your momma must have heard something, right? Did you ask your momma? I know she’s cooking, but did you ask if she heard daddy leave?”

Having to refer to Akira as daddy around the kid makes him wish he had skin so he could tear it all off in a fit of cringe.

"papa left his shoes"

“Oh that’s not good. He wouldn’t leave without his shoes unless it was really important. Did you tell your momma that he left his shoes?”

"... Papa would go with no shoes?"

“No - that’s why I said Wouldn’t. Wouldn’t is Would and Not together. Would Not. Wouldn’t.”

At least he can teach the guy’s kid contractions before they find him in a ditch or whatever it is this week.

"oh," Eiji was struggling with the gravity of the situation in her head.

"Eiji? Eiji, are you up here?"

“She is, don’t worry.” Keicho calls down before he floats to sit down next to the toddler. “Hey squirt it’s gonna be okay - your daddy’s gonna be okay.”

Eiji stuck her thumb in her mouth. She was beginning to find the whole thing scary. Nana came upstairs, "Oh good."

Eiji scrambled over and clung to Nana's leg, "mama!"

"What's wrong honey?"

Eiji buried her face in Nana's skirt.

“She can’t find Akira,” He tells her. “Said he went to check the door and left his shoes.”

Keicho gently reaches down and rubs the top of her head.

“It’s okay - he’ll come back. Don’t cry.”

Eiji was clearly confused by this revelation, "where papa?"

“I don’t know - I was out.” Keicho tells the toddler. “Did you ask your momma?”

"ah.

mama and papa were cooking. Papa went the door."

“I see...” He says, nodding along with the toddler. “Did somebody knock on the door?”

"yeah"

“HmM....” He rubs his chin to make the child think they were on the heels of the mystery despite neither of them knowing jack. “Well, your momma must have heard something, right? Did you ask your momma? I know she’s cooking, but did you ask if she heard daddy leave?”

Having to refer to Akira as daddy around the kid makes him wish he had skin so he could tear it all off in a fit of cringe.

"papa left his shoes"

“Oh that’s not good. He wouldn’t leave without his shoes unless it was really important. Did you tell your momma that he left his shoes?”

"... Papa would go with no shoes?"

“No - that’s why I said Wouldn’t. Wouldn’t is Would and Not together. Would Not. Wouldn’t.”

At least he can teach the guy’s kid contractions before they find him in a ditch or whatever it is this week.

"oh," Eiji was struggling with the gravity of the situation in her head.

"Eiji? Eiji, are you up here?"

“She is, don’t worry.” Keicho calls down before he floats to sit down next to the toddler. “Hey squirt it’s gonna be okay - your daddy’s gonna be okay.”

Eiji was clearly confused by this revelation, "where papa?"

“I don’t know - I was out.” Keicho tells the toddler. “Did you ask your momma?”

"ah.

mama and papa were cooking. Papa went the door."

“I see...” He says, nodding along with the toddler. “Did somebody knock on the door?”

"yeah"

“HmM....” He rubs his chin to make the child think they were on the heels of the mystery despite neither of them knowing jack. “Well, your momma must have heard something, right? Did you ask your momma? I know she’s cooking, but did you ask if she heard daddy leave?”

Having to refer to Akira as daddy around the kid makes him wish he had skin so he could tear it all off in a fit of cringe.

"papa left his shoes"

“Oh that’s not good. He wouldn’t leave without his shoes unless it was really important. Did you tell your momma that he left his shoes?”

"... Papa would go with no shoes?"

“No - that’s why I said Wouldn’t. Wouldn’t is Would and Not together. Would Not. Wouldn’t.”

At least he can teach the guy’s kid contractions before they find him in a ditch or whatever it is this week.

Eiji was clearly confused by this revelation, "where papa?"

“I don’t know - I was out.” Keicho tells the toddler. “Did you ask your momma?”

"ah.

mama and papa were cooking. Papa went the door."

“I see...” He says, nodding along with the toddler. “Did somebody knock on the door?”

"yeah"

“HmM....” He rubs his chin to make the child think they were on the heels of the mystery despite neither of them knowing jack. “Well, your momma must have heard something, right? Did you ask your momma? I know she’s cooking, but did you ask if she heard daddy leave?”

Having to refer to Akira as daddy around the kid makes him wish he had skin so he could tear it all off in a fit of cringe.

"papa left his shoes"

“Oh that’s not good. He wouldn’t leave without his shoes unless it was really important. Did you tell your momma that he left his shoes?”

Eiji was clearly confused by this revelation, "where papa?"

“I don’t know - I was out.” Keicho tells the toddler. “Did you ask your momma?”

"ah.

mama and papa were cooking. Papa went the door."

“I see...” He says, nodding along with the toddler. “Did somebody knock on the door?”

"yeah"

“HmM....” He rubs his chin to make the child think they were on the heels of the mystery despite neither of them knowing jack. “Well, your momma must have heard something, right? Did you ask your momma? I know she’s cooking, but did you ask if she heard daddy leave?”

Having to refer to Akira as daddy around the kid makes him wish he had skin so he could tear it all off in a fit of cringe.

Eiji was clearly confused by this revelation, "where papa?"

“I don’t know - I was out.” Keicho tells the toddler. “Did you ask your momma?”

"ah.

mama and papa were cooking. Papa went the door."

“I see...” He says, nodding along with the toddler. “Did somebody knock on the door?”

Eiji was clearly confused by this revelation, "where papa?"

“I don’t know - I was out.” Keicho tells the toddler. “Did you ask your momma?”

Eijiro almost fell back down the ladder at the initial reaction, but he managed to pull himself, "thuh-the alley huh-happened to it luh-last month."

"Wh- It just up and ripped your arm off!? What'd you do!? How'd you piss it off that badly!?"

"ih-its still pissed fruh-from when i moved it thuh-that one time."

"D

Wait, did you apologize at all or did it jump right to Surprise Amputation?"

"... ih-it tried to guh-get everything, but i didn't let it."

Keicho paces around the roof for a bit before stopping.

"Yeah no you fucked up supremely." He says. "I don't even think offering it some other poor bastard’s body as a fucked up apology would patch that up. This is an insurmountable fuck up."

"thuh-the arm is fine. thuh-that's under control."

"If it wanted All of You and it only got An Arm, when do you think it's gonna come for the rest of you!? Did you even think of that?"

"ih-its under control."

"Fine - whatever helps you sleep at night," he says with a dismissive raise of his hands. "But if you get torn apart like string cheese, know I said I Told You So."

"fuh-fine," Eijiro sat grumpily on the edge of the roof.

"Well okay." Keicho punctuates that conversational victory before sitting next to him. "Did you come for anything or is this the Brooding Roof now?"

"i-i don't knuh-know. thuh-things are weird right now," he hadn't been expecting the reaction to his arm. He'd been thrown off.

"Well get to brooding then and see if that puts words with those feelings."

Like a brooding crossword puzzle, but he doesn't say that part - that's dumb.

"nuh-nii's been muh-missing for a while, and i duh-don't know what's going on."

"Hmm..." Keicho only makes the noise to acknowledge he listened.

"Well after Okuyasu's little escapade with Josuke, I'm sure there are a cavalcade of Would Be Stand Detectives at your school. Beats the cops."

"buh-but they kn-knuh-know what's huh-happening. i-i'm just nuh-not allowed tuh-to know."

"Well maybe it's cause of your tendency to cause things to go ass-over-tits by just being around a Problem. And if that Problem is Akira Related you're gonna skip Ass-Over-Tits and just ruin whatever plan this detective squad has already come up with by the need to be a Big Boy Who Doesn't Need Help."

Leave it to a big brother...and a hypocrite.

"...

... >:<"

"Aaand that means that's dead on," Keicho says with the smug smile only a big brother who just owned a little sibling can muster. "And that also means you've gotta take your hands off the wheel before you crash and lose your other damn arm."

"i-i don't nuh-need thuh-them worrying about me."

"Have you considered that they're worried about you because they care about you? That you're loved? Don't you christians have a thing about Pride? Cause this seems like it's very much a Pride thing."

"thuh-they don't nuh-need to love me. i-i can handle thuh-that. i-i need to love thuh-them and that's what matters."

"Handl- wait, are you seriously only this against being helped because you feel like you don't like the people helping you? Like they don't GET to help you?"

Kinda self-centered. Keicho is judging.

"nuh-no.

wuh-well yes buh-but muh-most people feel like that."

"...Eijiro, most people appreciate being helped with shit that's Too Much? It builds trust and friendship??? I mean, I was deeply fucked up before dying and also stubborn, but even I knew that that's how that SHOULD work."

"yuh-your implication wuh-was if i wuh-would want help from someone i didn't like. thuh-that answer is no, and most people would suh-say no," Eijiro shrugged.

"But do you not like the people who are literally trying to save your brother?"

"oh," Eijiro is quiet for a very long time, "i-i'm not sure who's duh-doing that. thuh-that will probably be okay. i-i think. i-i still duh-don't know what's going on."

"Well, who at your school cares about you or your brother - it's a good place to start guessing."

"i-i don't think anyone aside fruh-from higashikata-sensei knuh-knows him."

He shrugs.

"I don't spend my afterlife at school; you figure it out."

Eijiro almost fell back down the ladder at the initial reaction, but he managed to pull himself, "thuh-the alley huh-happened to it luh-last month."

"Wh- It just up and ripped your arm off!? What'd you do!? How'd you piss it off that badly!?"

"ih-its still pissed fruh-from when i moved it thuh-that one time."

"D

Wait, did you apologize at all or did it jump right to Surprise Amputation?"

"... ih-it tried to guh-get everything, but i didn't let it."

Keicho paces around the roof for a bit before stopping.

"Yeah no you fucked up supremely." He says. "I don't even think offering it some other poor bastard’s body as a fucked up apology would patch that up. This is an insurmountable fuck up."

"thuh-the arm is fine. thuh-that's under control."

"If it wanted All of You and it only got An Arm, when do you think it's gonna come for the rest of you!? Did you even think of that?"

"ih-its under control."

"Fine - whatever helps you sleep at night," he says with a dismissive raise of his hands. "But if you get torn apart like string cheese, know I said I Told You So."

"fuh-fine," Eijiro sat grumpily on the edge of the roof.

"Well okay." Keicho punctuates that conversational victory before sitting next to him. "Did you come for anything or is this the Brooding Roof now?"

"i-i don't knuh-know. thuh-things are weird right now," he hadn't been expecting the reaction to his arm. He'd been thrown off.

"Well get to brooding then and see if that puts words with those feelings."

Like a brooding crossword puzzle, but he doesn't say that part - that's dumb.

"nuh-nii's been muh-missing for a while, and i duh-don't know what's going on."

"Hmm..." Keicho only makes the noise to acknowledge he listened.

"Well after Okuyasu's little escapade with Josuke, I'm sure there are a cavalcade of Would Be Stand Detectives at your school. Beats the cops."

"buh-but they kn-knuh-know what's huh-happening. i-i'm just nuh-not allowed tuh-to know."

"Well maybe it's cause of your tendency to cause things to go ass-over-tits by just being around a Problem. And if that Problem is Akira Related you're gonna skip Ass-Over-Tits and just ruin whatever plan this detective squad has already come up with by the need to be a Big Boy Who Doesn't Need Help."

Leave it to a big brother...and a hypocrite.

"...

... >:<"

"Aaand that means that's dead on," Keicho says with the smug smile only a big brother who just owned a little sibling can muster. "And that also means you've gotta take your hands off the wheel before you crash and lose your other damn arm."

"i-i don't nuh-need thuh-them worrying about me."

"Have you considered that they're worried about you because they care about you? That you're loved? Don't you christians have a thing about Pride? Cause this seems like it's very much a Pride thing."

"thuh-they don't nuh-need to love me. i-i can handle thuh-that. i-i need to love thuh-them and that's what matters."

"Handl- wait, are you seriously only this against being helped because you feel like you don't like the people helping you? Like they don't GET to help you?"

Kinda self-centered. Keicho is judging.

"nuh-no.

wuh-well yes buh-but muh-most people feel like that."

"...Eijiro, most people appreciate being helped with shit that's Too Much? It builds trust and friendship??? I mean, I was deeply fucked up before dying and also stubborn, but even I knew that that's how that SHOULD work."

"yuh-your implication wuh-was if i wuh-would want help from someone i didn't like. thuh-that answer is no, and most people would suh-say no," Eijiro shrugged.

"But do you not like the people who are literally trying to save your brother?"

"oh," Eijiro is quiet for a very long time, "i-i'm not sure who's duh-doing that. thuh-that will probably be okay. i-i think. i-i still duh-don't know what's going on."

"Well, who at your school cares about you or your brother - it's a good place to start guessing."

Eijiro almost fell back down the ladder at the initial reaction, but he managed to pull himself, "thuh-the alley huh-happened to it luh-last month."

"Wh- It just up and ripped your arm off!? What'd you do!? How'd you piss it off that badly!?"

"ih-its still pissed fruh-from when i moved it thuh-that one time."