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There were a lot of kids when Anya went to school the first day. A crowd big enough to fill that op-er-a place that Papa brought her and Minato to! A bunch of them were grown-ups, but there were still a lot of kids. Her class was a lot smaller than the big crowd, with the nice mustache man that helped her papa and mama. There was Becky, who Anya decided she liked, and Damian, who Anya really didn't like, and the boy with the black hair.
Anya liked the boy with the black hair, but Minato really liked the boy with the black hair. He thought about sparkly rivers and little music boxes and long yellow scarfs whenever he looked at the boy with the black hair. He also thought about big scary monsters and cold winters and sad smiles whenever he looked at the boy with the black hair. But he still really liked him. They had only taken a couple steps out of the big room with all the people before Minato ran to the boy with the black hair.
The boy ran to Minato too, because the boy with the black hair liked Minato just like Minato liked him. He thought about fun music and late talks and a pretty laugh that Anya never heard from Minato. He also thought about a destroyed bridge and big moons and scared eyes.
The two stopped right in front of each other, staring but not touching because they both worried that maybe it was just a 'co-in-si-dense.' Minato was a little shorter than the boy with black hair, looking up with wide eyes that Anya never really saw from Minato.
"Ryo..ji?" Minato's voice was small, a little scared, but something else to. Like when Mama heard that Anya and Minato were first on the waiting list for Eden but weren't actually in yet.
The boy with the black hair smiled, big and wide. "Mina-chan," he said back. Which wasn't Minato's name but he recognized it anyway, thinking about the boy's big kid voice saying 'Mina-chan' to him a lot. Minato liked it when the boy with the black hair called him Mina-chan. He jumped forward, tackling the boy with the black hair in a hug and crying at the same time.
Mister Henderson stared at them for a moment, his face soft. Then, when a couple seconds had passed, he cleared his throat and barked "Forger! Mochizuki! Stay in line!"
Minato and the boy with the black hair (Minato called him Ryoji) slowly broke apart, but didn't let go of each other's hands. "Sorry, Mister Henderson!" Ryoji chirped, his eyes wet and a big smile on his face. "I just really missed Mina-chan."
Minato brought Ryoji over to Anya when they started moving again, and Ryoji introduced himself as Minato's friend. Minato told Ryoji Anya was his sister, and Ryoji was nice to her. So Anya liked Ryoji, even if she didn't like Ryoji nearly as much as Minato liked Ryoji.
—-
Loid was glad Minato had made friends with Ryoji Mochizuki. The Mochizuki family may not have been his target for Operation Strix, but like many families that attended Eden they were highly influential. The matriarch, Naomi Mochizuki, managed the largest prison company in Ostania alongside her husband. She was a very serious woman, with little care for pleasantries. Getting an in with the Mochizuki family could lead to a treasure trove of information, and Minato managed just that.
Of course, Loid was happy Minato was able to connect with someone outside of Anya as well. He'd have to make sure Ryoji wasn't going to take advantage of Minato's quiet nature. Based on the way the two kids smiled at each other, Loid was fairly certain that wasn't going to be a problem. All told, Minato's new friend made Anya's tonitrus bolt sting a little less. Just a little.
The time where Loid got to actually meet and interact with Ryoji and his mother was brief, thanks in no small part to Anya's actions against Damian, but it was informative. Ryoji and Minato refused to leave each other's side, holding hands like it was the only thing keeping them together, so both Loid and Naomi had to go to them.
"Hi Mom!" Ryoji had chirped first, a big smile on his face. Ryoji seemed to be a very happy child, with wide blue eyes and an open expression, nothing like Minato's. Naomi nodded down at her child, face impassive as she glanced over the small group of children. "Mina-chan, this is my mom, Naomi Mochizuki. Mom, this is Minato-"
"-Forger," Minato interrupted, or maybe finished? Ryoji didn't seem all that upset about being interrupted. Still, Loid would have to talk to Minato about that later. Minato bowed respectfully, still holding tight to Ryoji's hand.
Naomi scrutinized Minato for a long moment, eyes narrowed as they stared at each other. When she finally spoke, there was a displeased curl to her lip. "Hm. Ryoji, I don't like this boy."
"Then it's a good thing that it doesn't matter whether you like him or not!" Ryoji exclaimed brightly, smile never faltering. "Mina-chan is my friend after all."
It's only thanks to his many years as a spy that Loid managed to not choke on his drink. Ryoji had just told his very important mother to her face that her opinions don't matter- those in the upper echelons of society didn't take kindly to that kind of disrespect, even from children. He was calculating in his head how exactly he could play damage control here, ready to step in to try and salvage the situation, keep an in-road with the Mochizuki's when Naomi's face softened, just slightly.
"I suppose that's true. Personal opinions often get in the way of business, and forging connections will only do us good. So I take it you are Minato's father, then?" Naomi turned to Loid, hands folded neatly in front of her. She was about as expressive as Minato, face stuck in a mostly apathetic mask despite her intense red eyes.
Loid recovered from his shock in record time, slipping on an affable smile as he laughed lightly. "Yes, I'm very proud of both him and his sister, Anya." He nodded in Anya's direction, where she was talking with Becky Blackbell. Yet another important connection his children managed to make, he really was quite proud. If only their sociability could extend to Damian Desmond.. "My name is Loid Forger."
Loid bowed like his son did. In all her public appearances, she never once willingly shook hands with someone, and was generally very protective of her personal space. He wasn't sure if Minato somehow knew this or if he was similarly touch-averse, but hopefully that helped her perception of their family. Naomi let out a hum as she looked him over. Of course, she would find nothing wrong with his appearance, such things were complete basics for a spy.
"Well met, Forger," Naomi spoke after a moment of contemplation, nodding her head in return. "Don't let your son drag my Ryoji down."
Loid didn't respond. Naomi didn't want him to respond, after all, and Loid would become exactly who his target wanted.
—-
It took until the first day of actual school for Minato and Ryoji to have a moment to themselves, away from any prying eyes. They both sat in the courtyard, shaded by the leaves of a tree far taller than them. At a different time, in a different life, they would've been able to reach the lowest branches, but that time had passed long ago. Ryoji was still taller than Minato, but the difference was less noticeable. His hair was still swept back away from his face, but the school's uniform policy didn't let him keep his scarf. He was different, much like Minato.
"How are you..?" Minato trailed off, staring at the impossibility before him.
"Probably the same way you are," Ryoji replied with a shrug, "I remember leaving all of you on new year's eve, and then I was here. Remembering my life before." He paused, picking up a fallen leaf and turning it over in his hands. "I.. get glimpses of your fight against Nyx- against me, sometimes. In my nightmares. I don't remember any of it, but… I know what you did. And I'm-"
There were tears welling up in Ryoji's eyes, glistening in the light. Minato grabbed his face, "No." he spoke firmly, forcing Ryoji to look him in the eyes as he did. "No, Ryoji, that was my choice. I don't regret it, so you don't get to be sorry."
Ryoji pulled away after a moment, rubbing the back of his neck with a bit of embarrassment as he nodded. "Right, sorry Minato."
Minato didn't call him on apologizing too much, leaning his back against the rough bark of the trunk. "So are you human now?"
Ryoji's smile returned, blinking away the remains of his tears as he answered. "As far as I can tell! I still retain a lot of my knowledge from being Death too, even if I can't recall it perfectly anymore. That was really helpful in taking the entrance exams, I only really needed to learn this place's history."
"Being Death makes you good at math?" Minato couldn't quite keep the skepticism out of his voice. It was just a complete non-sequitur.
"Being Death means I was there for the invention of math," Ryoji smirked, eyes twinkling with mirth. "The interview was kind of hard though, Mom and Dad aren't very good with people."
"Your mom seems intense," Minato commented idly, reflecting on what it felt like to be under her scrutinizing gaze. Maybe it was just because he was a small child now, but it kind of felt like..
"She's kind of like Nyx if she were human," Ryoji finished Minato's thought for him, putting a finger to his chin in thought. "You took a while to remember you were Minato Arisato right? What if Mom's just taking an extra long time to remember she's Nyx?"
"What if she's known all along and is just pretending not to remember," Minato countered, a small, mischievous smile blooming on his face.
"What if she's actually Nyx from the past, before she became the moon!?"
"Nyx was a human once?" Minato asked, frowning.
Ryoji settled back against the tree, relaxing into the shade. "Well, no, she was always the maternal being, but it's fun to speculate."
Minato settled back as well, letting a moment of silence pass between them. Ryoji was so different now. Lighter. More childish. He wasn't quite the same Ryoji from November, and he definitely wasn't the Ryoji that tried to convince Minato to kill him in December. All three of those Ryojis had such different looks in their eyes, such different views on life.
Then again, couldn't the same be said for Minato himself? Nevermind the fact that they both had the bodies and minds of 6 year-olds, their circumstances were wildly different now. Minato and Ryoji both had families now, unburdened by their fates. There was no Tartarus here, no Fall looming over them all. They were just.. kids.
Minato liked this new Ryoji.
"Hey.. Minato?" Ryoji asked, picking at the hem of his shirt. Minato looked up, Ryoji distracting him from his thoughts. "Are we.. still friends?"
Minato blinked. "Of course we are. We've always been friends"
"...Thank you. I'm happy to be your friend, Minato."
"Me too, Ryoji."