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smokingasters · 6 months

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PP Novels Resources (for my fellow deranged fans)

As a deranged PP fan, who was starving for dopamine I discovered some novel sources for the characters we all love! All novels/summary is in Russian (can be easily translated to English through Google Translation of the website. Use a VPN if the sites do not load)

If ya'll love the OG cast (Season 1), this is for you! I'm merely linking to the websites for your reading pleasure. I will try to link the ones that are complete, more under the cut.

*All due thanks to the dedicated translators who keep the fandom going* Psycho-Pass Zero

(Tumblr: Novel Translation *pending but I recommend reading this before the radio drama for plot coherence*) (Live Journal: Radio Drama Translation *complete*)

Content warning: Plastination case + Makishima is enough warning Timeline: Prequel to the Psycho-Pass S1 Kogami and Sasayama's bromance/outlines the gruesome murders in the Specimen case/follows the story of Touma Kozaburo and his obsession with Touko. Baby Kogami is so precious. Mitsuru Sasayama is the man, the legend. *sobs* Masaoka's whiskey persists + Ginoza the worrier.

Psycho-Pass Asylum: About A Girl (Live Journal: Detailed Summary *complete*) (Suggested Supplement: Yayoi/Shion Tidbits from PP Novel + Aoyanagi and Kozuki disaster)

Content warning: brutality against women, !pregnancy, !cultism, !infanticide. I'm not kidding when I mean it's brutal. Timeline: Post S1 with some flashbacks. Yayoi and Shion's relationship is the main focus. They investigate a case where pregnant minors are being sacrificed by a cult. Entirely from Yayoi's perspective, has many details about her past and how she and Shion feel about Division 1. I would encourage you to read this if you want a feminine/female perspective of the PP verse. Underlying themes of creativity, sex, romance, and hope + vital issues with the Sybil System. I added the supplement because it covers a bit more about Yayoi and Shion + explores the canon romantic relationships, I believe it is a good study of how PP handles canon relationships.

Psycho-Pass Asylum: Restaurant de Campagne Kagari Shuusei

(Live Journal: Detailed Summary *complete*)

Content warning: None, really. This one is quite wholesome as PP can be except for Sybil's shenanigans. Timeline: Prequel to S1 (Flashback) Kagari and Div 1 + 2 investigate a series of gastronomic malfunctions in Sybil's food preparation system caused by a criminal called 'Harlequin'. It involves a "natural food" supply company called Gusto and a restaurant owner. The novel explores Kagari's interest in cuisines and the impact of food in the PP world. Kagari's perspective is quite refreshing and light, compared to the complexity in other novels.

Psycho-Pass Asylum: Separation Ginoza Nobuchika (Live Journal: Detailed Summary *complete*)

Content warning: animal!cruelty, child!abuse, dogs. This one is a tearjerker. Timeline: Prequel to S1 + post S1 Inspector Ginoza, Kogami, and Sasayama investigate a case of rehabilitated animals/pets that are increasing the stress levels of Okutama, a remote place in the mountains. These pets were reintroduced and have gone feral. A doctor named Miyake was responsible for the reintroduction. Ginoza's calm yet poetic and wistful perspective is quite grounding. There's a sense of loss through this story, the theme of separation, and dogs being man's best friends. Any puns that made you think of Kogami are valid.

Psycho-Pass Asylum: Mungungwha Choe-Gu-Sung

(Live Journal: Detailed Summary *partial translation*)

Content warning: !torture, !mutilation, !castration, graphic, mentions of NK-orea. It's quite disturbing and angsty. MAJOR tearjerker. Timeline: Pre-S1 + follows the plot of S1. This follows the story of Choe-Gu Sung, Makishma's accomplice, and his entry and activities in Japan. Explores family life with his younger sister Suseon and his friend Guynthae. It covers a major portion of his backstory in N-K and his eventual friendship with Makishima. If you felt nothing for this guy in S1, believe me, you will be sobbing through this one. He deserved a better ending ftw.

That's all. If I find anything else, I'll add it in another post. Enjoy delving into the world of Psycho-Pass in-depth, and don't forget the words said by a certain Enforcer:

When it's all over, you can cry as much as you like.

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incorrectpsychopassquotes · 13 days

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#incorrect quotes #incorrect psycho pass quotes #incorrect anime quotes #psycho pass #welcome to night vale #wtnv #tomomi masaoka #teppei sugo #mod hughes #queue bism

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psychopasss4 · 6 months

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Wishing Season 1 cont'd

I miss the gang and wish to see more interactions between them or just simply hanging out together now that Akane is free (after the events of First Inspector).

Who wants to hear a singing Kogami 🤣😂😌😆❣️

Christmas in Japan in Sybil System time

#psycho pass providence #psycho pass #akane tsunemori #kogami shinya #shinkane #tsunemori akane #shinya kogami x akane tsunemori #koaka #ppofficial #ginoza nobuchika #karanomori shion #yayoi kunizuka #kagari shuusei #tomomi masaoka #division 1 #Psycho pass #happy holidays #christmas 2023

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dollwrites · 6 months

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𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 ∣ smut ( minors dni ), fem!inspector!reader, age gap ( masaoka is in his 50s & reader is in her 20s ), oral sex ( r!receiving ), teasing, masaoka’s dirty mouth, metal hand hehe, 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-five [ tomomi masaoka + cunnilingus ]

“Slow down, Masaoka.” your plea fell on deaf ears as his oral assault continued, devious mouth attached to your breast, pearly fangs grazing the sensitive bud. a bubble of pleasure in the form of a whimper passed your tiers as delicate digits found silky locks, and tangled themselves in the midst of his mane. he’d wasted no time in shoving your top up to your chin to expose your perky swells, vulnerable and his for the taking. “J-Jesus—“

“Slow down?” he repeated the notion in the form of a playful scoff, as if the suggestion itself were ridiculous. “Babydoll, I think it’s real cute that you assume I’ve got that much self control. You just look so damn delicious, and I’m so hungry.” you gripped the table tighter at his words, teeth clenching when cool, metal feelers forced their way into your panties under your skirt and cupped your already dripping heat. Masaoka was well aware of what he did to you, the effect he had on your body at this point, especially on a day like today, his first day back from a mission when you’d been stuck filing reports all day and all you wanted to do was push him into the nearest empty room and ride him until both of you were panting and sore, and then ride him some more. you couldn’t get enough of him, his love was a drug and you were hooked, you wouldn’t kick it even if he let you, which he didn’t seem too keen on doing.

“You’re insatiable,” you shot back in a breathless whisper, brows furrowing as you attempted to push him away. you didn’t want to, of course, you’d rather lean back against the cool wood and enjoy his torturous teething, his filthy mouth and wandering hands, but the setting was all wrong. any minute, someone could walk through the door, and you prayed it wouldn’t be Akane. or worse, Ginoza. there’s no way he’d let either of you forget that he witnessed one of your most intimate moments. moreso, he’d probably never let his father and his newest rookie inspector alone in a room again. “And injured, remember? You should sit back down so I can finish-” your words were cut off by the jolt of icy digits spreading your glistening folds as his metallic thumb speared your swelling, throbbing clit. you choked on them, tilting your head back.

“You’re the only thing I can’t get enough of, sweetness.” was his cheeky response, lidded gaze zeroed in on your features from his position at your breast. you shivered at the delicious sensation of his hum on your skin, sending tingles through seemingly every single nerve ending you had in your body as he teased your core with grueling slowness. “And by how you’re absolutely soaking right now, I’d say you want me just as bad. Am I wrong?” you wanted to tell him yes, that you just wanted to patch him up and that you two could have your own fun in private later, but your mouth betrayed your mind before you could.

“Masaoka, f-fuck, I need you.”

“That’s my good girl,” he was praising you, and in an instant, his metal hand abandoned your sex to wrap a tight grip around the delicate fabric of your drenched panties. one solid yank and they tore free from your frame. the cold air prickling your most sensitive dampness made you hiss.

“Here?” you tried to focus, to look around the room and make sure that you two were still alone, yet all you could see was Masaoka’s very intimidating stature directly before you. he’d always towered over you, and it made you feel two feet tall. sometimes you were embarrassed by it, but Masaoka always assured you that he loved how fun-sized you were. Makes it easier for me to toss ya around like a little ragdoll, he’d said once which had of course turned you into a warm-cheeked shy thing. everything that fell from his lips when it came to you was sinful, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Right here.” Masaoka didn’t wait for you to say more, and was already sliding both powerful hands up under your bottom, boosting you up off the ground. when your feet hovered, you initially expected him to settle your frame in a sitting position on the table like he’d done so many times before, but your eyes grew wide at the realization that you were being lifted higher than that. much higher. the older man raised you up above his head like you weighed absolutely zilch, and you couldn’t stop the squeak of surprise and fear from ripping through your throat as your thighs shook even as he settled them on either shoulder, his head all but disappearing under the fabric of your skirt. “I have you, baby girl. You’re not goin’ anywhere.” you knew he was right; the man could hold you in that position for hours, but you’d never been in such a compromising spot, seated on his shoulders, taller than you’d ever been before, his face nuzzled into your desire for him.

“What if someone comes in...?” you were surprised at the weakness in your own voice; it sounded as small and fragile as you felt in his arms in this moment.

a dark chuckle vibrated against your dripping core as the scrape of his sharp jaw against your velvety skin made you swoon, both of your hands finding his hair once again. “Then, someone is gonna get an eyeful of you riding my face, little missy. Almost as lucky as I am, so they better be grateful.” another shiver down your spine before you felt a very familiar slick muscle prodding your folds, his hands strong and vice-like on your thighs, keeping your body snuggled against his face. your soft whimpers filled the room as his tongue split your heat, licking a thick stripe up your wetness until his lips wrapped around your aching clit and teased by rolling it around between his teeth.

“T-Tomomi...!” yanking on his salt and pepper tendrils, your body rolled against his face as you instinctively directed his head deeper into your core. typically, he was the one in charge, the dominant one in the bedroom, but he’d given you this power of position over him, he’d willingly handed over the role of dominant so you could feel what it was like to be in charge. you had to admit, you didn’t hate it. a hum against your wetness was what you received as a response, either too busy with his face buried in your sex or a muffled response you couldn’t tell, nor did you care. when the dastardly tongue slipped into your waiting hole, you almost lost it. toes already curling at the sensation of it plunging into your depths, you held on to him for dear life as your weak gaze, slitted, watched the vulgar bob of his head as he dipped in and out of you, tongue scraping your walls each time. whenever he pumped deep, his nose bumped and bat your clit around and lips pressed flush against your skin which was only pushing you closer and closer to the edge of orgasm with every contact. you could already feel the heat gathering in your tightening lower abdomen, the muscles in your legs beginning to clench as he edged you closer and closer. the slurping and smacking of his mouth against your center was truly obscene, and paired with the shamelessly loud moans and curses flowing from your mouth with each thrust of the exploring muscle, created a sinful symphony of need.

“I could eat this sweet pussy all goddamn day,” your core quaked at the tone of his gruff voice as he took a quick pause to catch his breath, grinding his face into your folds and making you whine out for him, which only elicits a gleeful chuckle as the rough stubble grazes your skin. “Use your words, baby, do you want me to eat your little cunt for hours and hours? Make ya cum over and over until you’re red in the face and dizzy?”

you nodded, perhaps a little too enthusiastically. “Yes, fuck! Make me cum, mmm, your mouth feels so good!” another chuckle and he was back at it, tonguing you deep and ruthlessly abusing your desperate core as you felt the bubbling in your stomach come to a boiling point. “I-I’m cumming..” you warned, but you didn’t have to. one of the best things about Masaoka is that he could read your body better than you could, and he was already furiously switching gears, tongue drawing figure eights over your clit, nipping with teeth, and then pumping the muscle into your entrance. you were vaguely aware of the dull sound of mechanical whirring in your pre-orgasm state, vision hazy, but you knew that sound as soon as you heard it. the plates in his arm adjusting themselves. it sent shivers down your spine every time because you knew you’d feel it against your skin any moment. and you were so right, thankfully. a loud smack later, and your round cheek jiggled against the palm of the silver hand, coaxing a desperate shriek from your lips. the overwhelming sensations pushed you right over the edge as your thighs tightened around his head, your fragile fists jerked his head around, but he didn’t mind the abuse. you even got the feeling that he enjoyed it by how he growled into your wetness. pleasure exploded through your body, and Masaoka had no intention of stopping, guiding you through the climax to pull you out on the other side, both hands had found their way to your buttocks and groped mercilessly. you were sure you’d have marks tomorrow, but you couldn’t find it in your body to care at all. you cried his name over and over until it became a mantra, screamed at first but now muttered in a breathless, jumbled whisper as the orgasm took your mind from you.

tidal waves of aftershocks began to wash over you, loosening your muscles but causing them to quake from the potency of the climax. you were still spasming as Masaoka removed himself from under your skirt, carrying you in the same position over to the table with a simper on his lips, slick with your juices. you could see the sheen of your arousal all over his face, tracing the age-lines along his countenance— it reminded you of the large gap between you and him, and you felt yourself get wet all over again at the sight, letting out a soft whimper as he laid you on your back, running both hands over the back of your thighs as he pushed your legs towards your torso. “I love to watch you shake for me, sweetness. Never seen a prettier sight than when you’re needy for me.” hovering over you, he placed a butterfly kiss to the tip of your nose, causing you to blush deeper, before his attention turned to your quivering sex once again, oversensitive and still in recovery from cumming.

“Masaoka?” you questioned, your own hands wandering his still clothed torso. from this position, only your fingertips grazed him.

“What’s the matter, baby? I’m going back for more. Just lay back and relax and let me treat your perfect, little pussy. After all, you said it yourself, I’m insatiable.”

#masaoka #masaoka x reader #masaoka x you #masaoka smut #tomomi masaoka #tomomi masaoka smut #psycho pass #psycho pass x reader #psycho pass x you #psycho pass smut

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sunspots-non-sorts · 3 months

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Psycho-Pass - season 1 - episode 18.

#psycho pass #shinya kogami #akane tsunemori #ginoza nobuchika #tomomi masaoka

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monica2080 · 10 months

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PSYCHO PASS 1st SEASON

I love this picture ❤️

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ginozasdumpling · 7 months

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Have a nice day~~~ 🌸

#psycho-pass #psycho pass #sinners of the system #tomomi masaoka #ginoza nobuchika #dilf ehe

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lyc4ris · 1 year

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and everyone’s happy! the end (jk .. i wish though)

:’)

#manga #psycho pass #tsunemori akane #kougami shinya #kagari shuusei #ginoza nobuchika #tomomi masaoka #yayoi kunizuka

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crystalselene · 11 months

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My life

#psycho pass #ginoza nobuchika #nobuchika ginoza #masaoka tomomi #tomomi masaoka

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pearlsephoni · 9 months

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To Paint a (Still) Life

Can also be read on AO3!

Rating: T

Fandom: Psycho-Pass

Pairing: Gen

Characters: Tomomi Masaoka, Nobuchika Ginoza, Akane Tsunemori

Word Count: 2.2k

Summary: In a world that grows bleaker with every passing year, Masaoka does what he can to immortalize the little joys.

A/N: This was written for In Time: A Psycho-Pass 10th Anniversary Tribute zine. It was such an honor to be included amongst so many incredible creators in this tribute to an incredible series! Thank you to the mods @/temporarilyunstable and @/shikkokans for organizing everything! The zine site went live on November 12, 2022, and this fic was originally published on AO3 on June 26th, 2023. Further author's notes can be found on AO3.

———

Every good still life must first have a subject.

The flowers on the bedside table were starting to wilt, the edges of their petals turning brown and brittle despite the still-vibrant colors clinging to the rest of the satiny surface. Masaoka let his fingers brush the dry edges, a wry smile curving his lips.

“I’ll have to remember to bring you new ones next time, hm?” he asked.

He received no response, nor did he expect one. These visits usually found him speaking into the air, his words falling on unhearing ears.

But still, he came. There was no fixing their family now, he knew that, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t do…something to ease the damage. And he wasn’t the only one.

“I wonder where Nobuchika found these tulips,” he mused, his fingers wandering back to the red petals. “They’re awfully pretty. I’m glad he still appreciates beauty in the little things.”

A soft sigh came from the wheelchair parked at the large window. The sound drew Masaoka to its side, where he took a look at his wife’s—former wife’s, he corrected himself sullenly—blank features. To his surprise, there was an almost-imperceptible upward curve to the very edges of her lips. The small difference was enough to bring some light to her face, and for a single bittersweet moment, she looked like the vibrant woman he had fallen in love with all those years ago.

“You always did love red flowers,” he murmured, unable to resist the urge to brush a wayward strand of hair back behind her ear. “I never would’ve expected him to remember. Our son is more thoughtful than he likes to let on.”

Another soft sigh, and the feeling of her leaning just the slightest bit into his gentle fingers. “He got that from you, Sae.” There was a hitch to his voice, almost imperceptible to his own ears, but the sight of her thumb tracing a small curve along the back of her clasped hands told him she’d heard.

His eyes wandered from her gentle features back to the flowers, the source of her quiet joy. Perhaps he should immortalize them somehow.

———

Draw your chosen objects onto a canvas, taking care to get their shapes accurate.

“Ah, Ginoza.” Masaoka tried and failed to keep his surprise out of his voice. He had more success in biting back the smile that nearly rose to his lips at the sight of Ginoza’s mouth twisting. “To what do I owe the honor?”

“No honor, just news.” Ginoza’s green eyes flickered over his shoulder before snapping back to him. “Well? Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

That was more like it. Masaoka never knew what to do with the brief glimpses he caught of his son’s deep-buried insecurity, and the quiet manners it brought out. This, though, this show of superiority and power that he’d put on ever since he entered the PSB as an Inspector, was something Masaoka was much more familiar with. “Of course. Come in.”

He didn’t wait for Ginoza to step in, simply left the door open behind him as he made his way back to the windows, where he’d set up a new canvas and his sketching pencils in front of a chair. He sat just as he heard the door clicking shut and Ginoza following him. “Well then,” he said as he took his pencil back up, “what is this important news?”

Silence fell where he’d expected a curt answer. He looked over his shoulder, and found Ginoza staring at the photo of Sae’s flowers that Masaoka had taken and was now projecting from his communicator. “…Ginoza?”

“Ah.” Ginoza blinked as though he’d been dragged out of a dream. Masaoka could easily read the way he shoved his glasses back up his nose, knew that it was a way to stall, but he didn’t say anything. He simply turned back to his canvas, and sketched.

“…Our division has been issued a new Inspector,” Ginoza finally announced. “She will be starting in a month, after she has completed her pre-work training.”

“I see.” Masaoka finished sketching out the petals of the second tulip. “And have the other enforcers received this news?”

“That’s none of your concern.” Ginoza’s voice sounded tight, and Masaoka almost felt bad about his gentle teasing. “What matters is that you will all know when she gets here, and you will all treat her with the respect that a superior deserves. I’ll have enough on my hands showing her the ropes as the only other Inspector. I don’t need to worry about your basic manners.”

With his face safely turned to his canvas, Masaoka finally let a small grin pull at his lips. “Understood, Inspector.”

“…Good.” Another beat of silence, then the sound of business shoes clicking back to the door.

“I’m sure she’ll be an excellent Inspector,” Masaoka suddenly spoke up, just before Ginoza reached the door, “especially under your instruction. You don’t have anything to worry about, Nobuchika.”

“I don’t need an Enforcer to tell me how to feel about this,” Ginoza bit out, “I know I’m capable of doing my job.”

That was about the response Masaoka expected to get. What he didn’t expect was the soft, “…I’ll see you Tuesday,” that came right before his door opened and closed.

His small grin broadened into a smile as he sketched out the smaller branches of leaves. “You’re welcome, kiddo.”

———

Paint in the base colors, working from the darkest colors to the palest.

Akane Tsunemori proved to be a little bundle of contradictions. Where Masaoka had expected a no-nonsense Inspector, he saw the walking embodiment of nerves and an eagerness to please. Where he anticipated her to crumble under the pressure of having such a gruesome first case, she instead stuck to her morals and shot down their most intimidating Enforcer. And where he expected her to flee the PSB after a hellish first day, she instead dug her heels in and worked to adapt. And she did so remarkably well. He just wished that didn’t include her stubborn attempts to understand one Shinya Kogami.

It was unnerving how much she reminded him of both Kogami and Ginoza when they first began working as Inspectors. She was determined to make a difference, wanted her work to be for the greater good, and not just the preservation of Sibyl. And just like before, Masaoka could already see the signs of their work hardening Akane’s skin like armor.

But there was something else. She wasn’t becoming tough to the core. Somehow, she still held on to her sense of justice, still wanted to believe in the inherent good of both the people and the system she worked to protect. Her determined optimism was achingly familiar to Masaoka—he remembered seeing it light up his son’s eyes when he was first assigned to the PSB, remembered seeing it flicker behind Kogami’s smile back when he was still an Inspector…remembered feeling it burn hot in his own chest when he was still a detective with a happy wife and a newborn son.

It never lasted long, not in this line of work, and especially not with Sibyl breathing down their necks. He knew it was only a matter of time before it faded from Akane as well. And yet…he still found himself wanting to protect it—protect her—for as long as he possibly could. If that meant discouraging her from lingering too long on her fascination with Kogami, then so be it. He’d seen first-hand the way Kogami’s dangerous mix of charisma, intelligence, and focus could tempt those around him into the same destructive habits.

“If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you,” he told her, only to earn furrowed brows and a small frown in response. Ah, he realized, she really is cut from the same cloth. It didn’t matter what he said to her—she’d already made up her mind. Her wide eyes and gentle voice couldn’t hide her fierce curiosity and immoveable stubbornness.

Well…if he couldn’t convince her to protect herself, maybe he could find some way to keep her safe himself.

———

Add details to the foreground and background, deepen the shadows to add more depth. This will help your subject stand out.

The door shut behind him with a soft click. Just like that, he was alone, isolated in his own home—or, cell…he really couldn’t tell the difference anymore—and left with no distractions from the mess he’d just made.

He’d thought he was so much older and wiser, thought that he had left behind the wide-eyed idyllicism that had drawn him to this god-forsaken career. But here he was, down one pistol and one set of keys to his safe house. He had just sent Kogami on what was essentially a suicide mission, and now he would have to face Tsunemori and Nobuchika and all the others, and watch them figure out what he’d done.

He knew giving Kogami a gun and refuge was a mistake. He knew it. And yet…he couldn’t find it in himself to feel any regret. The fool was always going to pursue Makishima, no matter the personal cost. At least Masaoka could tell himself he’d done what he could to lessen that cost, just a bit.

His eyes burned with exhaustion and his stomach burned with bourbon, but he didn’t move towards his bedroom. He instead found himself wandering into the moonlit living room, flicking on a lamp on his journey to the easel that was still set up by the windows. There was no way he was going to sleep. He might as well get some other work done while he could.

———

At last, you can add the final details to your piece, such as brighter highlights. But be careful—less is more.

“Thank you for helping me with this.”

“Of course, Ginoza-san.” Akane was growing used to the grief that had settled in her chest like a rock. It felt like her days were a never-ending parade of sorting through the things her loved ones had left behind—Kagari’s vintage tech collection, Kogami’s books, and now, whatever secret interest Masaoka had stashed away.

And yet, for all that she was getting “used to” the process, she still felt her eyes sting when she stepped into Masaoka’s old living quarters and breathed in the familiar scent of bourbon and paints. She could see the effects of being surrounded by his father’s presence weighing on Ginoza, and no amount of wry grins could keep her from noticing his curved-in shoulders.

“No need to use ‘-san’ with me,” he chuckled as he led her further into the salon. “You’re the superior, now.”

“I still learned everything about this job from you.”

“Not just me.”

The quiet words pulled her eyes from wandering around the room back to Ginoza. He was standing by a covered easel near the window, holding up one edge of the fabric to peer at the painting underneath with a small, sad smile. “He never finished.”

“Finished what?”

“This.” It was surprising, seeing how carefully Ginoza unveiled the painting, but not as surprising as what awaited underneath. Akane’s breath caught in her throat—she...she knew that painting. She could distantly remember watching Masaoka lay down the base colors so many months ago.

And the strangest thing was, it looked finished to her. The vase looked almost real from how detailed the reflections were, and the flowers looked like they could bloom straight from the canvas. “It looks done to me.”

“It’s not. The flowers, they…they look too alive. They were starting to go brown at the edges when he started painting them.”

“How do you—?”

“I gave these flowers to my mother. He must have taken a photo of them and painted them to let her enjoy them forever.” Something around his eyes hardened, and his fingers tightened in the fabric he was still holding. “He…he had plans and projects and now—”

His voice broke. The next thing Akane knew, the fabric was fluttering to the ground as Ginoza pressed his hands to his eyes, shoulders drawn up tight around his ears.

Akane had never seen anyone in the PSB cry. In fact, the last person she’d seen cry was Kaori at Yuki’s funeral. So she did what she’d done for Kaori: she stepped up to Ginoza, gently wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and didn’t let go, not even when she felt him stiffen. “Don’t,” she murmured firmly, “don’t apologize. We have to grieve for him. We have to remember him. We’re the only ones who can, Ginoza-san.”

He was frozen for a moment, his only movements coming from his shaking sobs. Then, like a drifting boat in search of a mooring, his hands fell from his eyes and clutched at the back of her shirt as his forehead came to a rest on her shoulder. “...Thank you, Tsunemori,” he whispered, his voice rough from his tears.

“Of course.”

Ginoza gave himself a few more breaths before he pulled away, granting Akane a look at his reddened eyes. “Um,” he murmured, rubbing at the lingering tear tracks on his cheeks, “would you…be willing to help me take this to my mother? I don’t know how well she remembers him, but…I think he was painting this for her in the first place. She should be the one to have it.”

“Give me the time and place,” Akane agreed with a smile. “I’ll be there.”

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