Permanent Open RP post! Game based, AU based, meme based, canon based, catch-it-all based - everything is welcome. You can start or tell me what you want and I can start. NSFW is allowed - check kink list if you need/want
[It's not wide and tidy like Inaba's rooftop but there's this sense of comfort and familiarity coming from it. Maybe it's those little gardens and stuff cramped in the corners. Something like a camping place? Yu liked this place already.]
Thank you for invi..ting.. me... [Yu's voice slowly faded out as he spotted in what Akira was heating up the water for the ramen.] ...is that from science lab? [...] How did you get it here without anyone seeing you? [It might not be big, but it's glass and if it breaks, principal's face might pop from anger.
And no, he's not judging Akira for doing this. In fact, he looks more fascinated than he should.]
Oh! [His eyes fall on the cat near Akira's legs and Yu drops his bag to the side so he can crouch and greet the cat as well.] I see you dropped by as well, despite the fact that it's forbidden to bring pets to school.
[Akira doesn't understand at first. The beakers are are damn near perfect for retaining heat. The convection plate doesn't overheat anyway, at least, unless there's a short in it, and then that's a different story. He has no realization that his worry is most likely related to the fact that he smuggled stuff out from the lab, and instead assumes Yu is just about to chide him for the excellent science experiment going on out here on the roof... but when it doesn't come, he's kind of relieved and shows a small smile.
If not the brightest bulb in the world, Akira is at least resourceful. This is your future, Yu. A guy who's good at stealing shit and can't cook to save his life.]
Yeah... It was kind of just... sitting there, so...
[He looks down at the floor. Total shy bad boy.
"Joker and Transfer kid sittin' in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-----"
Akira leans over and pets Morgana's head in a way that he knows the not-cat just loves.]
Told you I'm a troublemaker. [A small laugh.] Morgana's well behaved, though, so he usually just sleeps or pays attention in my desk. I... I didn't want to leave him home all day. He's one of my best friends.
['It was just kind of sitting there'... Yu couldn't help himself but chuckle slightly. That sounds so much like someone he knows. He sits down next to Akira and goes to pet Morgana as well.]
That's pretty smart though. As long as we don't break them. They paycheck from the flower shop can't cover the expenses.
[Taking his bag, Yu pulls out a bag of chips (XL size) and few cans of soda- all properly checked for expiry dates. After Akira warned him about it Yu's been doing it out of habit.]
Troublemaker? [The cans make satisfying sizzle as he opens them-] No, you're not there yet. Until you beat up a biker gang with school desk, you're not a troublemaker. [He offers one of the cans to Akira with a smile. The... rumors about Akira might have finally reached his ears. But Yu's instinct is telling him that there's way more behind that face than the rumors. Ebihara was living, walking proof to not judge people based on rumors and appearances.]
[Akira reaches down to the floor, pulling up the two unrefined bowls of ramen, peeling the lid just back so there's an entrance point for water. He opens his school bag and pulls out a pair of gloves- which is, to say the least, a little concerning that Akira has a pair like this so readily available. With a careful eye to the beaker, he puts them on and takes it by the spout.
Easy does it.
With relative ease, he doesn't spill any water on the roof, and sets the two bowls up, one on top of the other, dragging out two disposable chopstick pairs and laying it them squarely on top of the pile. Hearing the short fizz of a soft drink, he looks up to Yu and gives a thumbs up.]
You were in a biker gang before coming back to Tokyo?
[Akira knows it's not true, but it's a funny image nonetheless. Is this light flirting? Morgana looks happily enchanted by someone doting on him, and for a second, Akira almost blurts out about how they stole a biker gang member's heart once for extorting a poor family in Kanda. Probably not the best idea though, so he keeps quiet.
There's something about Yu that makes Akira want to tell him everything. Anything. This could be dangerous for a thief.]
[The ramen smelled so good and Yu's stomach gave a happy rumble. Yosuke might be right- minutes that you wait for ramen to be ready are as long as hours. It's interesting that Akira has gloves on him, but not enough weird for Yu to ask him about them. The guy probably had work in the lab today. After all, he got the glass beakers here.
With one hand, he picks up Morgana and places him on his lap. It's easier this way to pet the cat. And he continues to diligently do so while laughing at the question.]
No, I wasn't. If I was, one of my friends wouldn't be my friend and instead would be kicking my ass. With said school desk. [His group of friends is... colorful. And Yu could talk about them the whole day- given the chance and if anyone is actually willing to listen to him.
He scratches Morgana behind ear-] If I knew Morgana was here I would've brought some snacks for him as well. [He doesn't like when cats watch him eat with begging eyes! He always gives in and shares his food.]
This isn't right. Joker! Save me------------ow.....
All of which just sounds like a string of meows coming from Morgana to an untrained ear, but more or less he's starting to settle down in Yu's lap. Morgana is taken in by his gentle ear affection, and Akira has this shit eating smirk on his face that he can't contain.
Not a word of this to anyone. I know where you sleep.]
He likes you.
[With a bit of a reach, he takes one of the sodas, and tries really hard not to make eye contact with his not-feline friend, because honestly, for all the spunk the little dude has, it's really kind of sweet to see him acting like the cognitive world thinks he should act. This doesn't help Morgana's case much, who, for the most part, tells anyone who's listening that he's a human.
And the way Yu just settles with him... Akira finds himself watching as he takes a sip.]
I promise I won't kick your ass with a school desk, then. And don't worry too much about Morgana. I took him to a sushi buffet the other week.
[Yu was suspicious at first because the cat seemed restless but now he calmed down. Did the scratches help? Either way, Yu feels like he's in heaven. Maybe he should really adopt a cat.]
That's very reassuring. [Knowing your ass is safe is good.
He looks around curiously-]
Do you hang out on the roof often? [Pure curiosity. Also, he feels awkward and doesn't want their conversation to spin in a circle about cats. It's quiet up here, no one comes around- the perfect spot to rest from all the commotion in the school. And the rumors.]
[Akira looks around too, just to give the place a good measure. Considering he's moved into an attic space that was cramped and dirty as all hell, the wide open view of the Tokyo skyline around them is a nice change of pace. Not that he's ever really noticed it yet, considering the only times he's come up here was with Ryuji and Ann to plot how to get into peoples' hearts. But now that he gets a chance to realize it, it's... pretty dingy. But it's also quiet in a way that no metropolitan area should be.]
This was actually Ryuji's hangout spot. He invited me up here and... a few of us come up here from time to time.
[He checks on the ramen. Good enough. Peeling back the lid, he holds out the one on the bottom (the warmer one) and a pair of the throwaway chopsticks to Yu.]
You've probably heard about this by now... but I have a criminal record. I just wanted you to know, since...
[It's a depressing topic.]
Well... It's not really easy to make friends around here. It might make you look bad, talking to me.
Ryuji? [The loud blond he saw earlier today in the hall?] Tell your friend he found great hangout spot. The view of the skyline is pretty amazing.
[He puts his soda on one of the boxes near him and accepts the offered bowl and chopsticks. Yu makes sure not to use the cat as the resting place for his food.]
I heard. [After taking a bite and swallowing, he continues-] What I also heard is that you and your friends cornered the P.E. teacher and forced him to confess the abuse over the volleyball team. [Yu looks up from his bowl and smiles-] And if that's true, then your 'criminal record' is insignificant.
[He leans back, staring absently at his food-] People are too quick to judge these days, too unconcerned, tired or scared to look past the first layer. [With a shrug he looks back at Akira-] Because if they look it might prove them wrong. And people hate being wrong.
[Yu picks up more food as he asks-] Can I hear the full, true story? I don't like rumors. [The TV. Never again.]
[In preparation of Morgana insisting that he doesn't say anything, Akira scoops up a string of noodle with his chopsticks, blows on it to cool it down significantly, and leans over on his chair to hold it up for him to take. He's not entirely sure that cats should eat noodles, but he's already had curry and even a few sips of coffee, so this probably won't be too bad. Cutely enough, he bites on the string, and a drop of leftover soup swishes around and lands on Yu's pants. That... wasn't really intended, so Akira apologizes quickly.
Not to say that Akira isn't a little weary of his upperclassman asking such pointed questions, but he supposes that's just his style- direct and honest- where the former, a thief, is anything but sometimes.]
I just... can't sit around while adults do horrible things to people just because of their status or power.
[He looks at the door to make sure no one is eavesdropping. Lately, the student council president has been snooping around quite a bit lately, and he doesn't need the added complication. If only she came out and asked him directly like this, it might've been different.]
But I can't say that we did anything, in the end. He was trying to get us expelled. It's really amazing that he had a change of heart like that.
[At least he's getting way better at lying.]
My criminal record? It's... weird... I don't really remember all the details leading up to what happened. But there was this drunk salaryman who was trying to rape a woman. I pushed him off of her, but he called the cops on me, and the woman defended him. So... I got booked for it.
[Yu chuckles softly at the cat as he tries to get food from Akira and just waved off the piece of food that fell onto his pants. It was Saturday so he planned to do his laundry anyway.
Ever since he came back from Inaba, Yu never hesitated to ask things aloud. Of course, he'll apologize in advance if it's the intruding type of question, but he doesn't beat around the bush anymore. And it proved to be well accepted by people around him- for now.
He nods at Akira's explanation- fair enough. Yu would've probably done the same thing. And his friends would back him up- Kanji would probably threaten to kick his ass.] Yes. The 'Phantom Thieves' thing? It's an interesting thing to think about. [And after what happened to him, Yu has no problem believing in anything out of ordinary. Even ghosts are real to him now.]
W-Wait a minute-! [After Akira's explanation of his criminal record, a red alarm started ringing in his head. That's-] That's not right! Why would they convict you for something like that!? [He blurted it out before he could actually think about it.]
A-Ah, sorry, I shouldn't have asked like that. It just- sounds so unreal. [Was it a grudge? But Akira's just high schooler. Why would a salaryman hold grudge big enough to sue him and ruin boy's future with a criminal record? Not to mention that what he was trying to do to the woman was despicable.]
[He doesn't know what to say. It was a bad situation all around, which landed him here in the first place. Better. It was getting better, but it didn't stop the fact that he's still on probation, and guilt is always presumed ahead of him rather than giving him the benefit of the doubt.]
It's alright. I was doing what I thought was right and kind of... just got swept up by it. That's how it goes in this world, I guess.
[Akira pushes up his glass towards the bridge of his nose. Playing the field a little, he idly eats more of his dinner and shoots a pointed question at Yu.]
Do you think they're real? The Phantom Thieves, that is.
[Is it? Is that really how the world is? Everything that happened in the past year is telling him that it is not. So he shakes his head-]
No. That's not how the world is supposed to be. How is punishing the good people and rewarding the guilty alright? But I guess, that's just my opinion. [And there's nothing either of them can do about it.
He eats his food in silence, still pondering on what Akira told him. And if he was being honest, he'll be thinking about that even when he comes back home. Maybe he should give Naoto a call about this. Advice from Detective Prince can't hurt.]
Hmm? Well... [Yu idly taps the chopsticks against his lips-] I see no reason not to. If there really is a group of Thieves stealing hearts to make them repent for their horrible deeds, then they have my full support. What they are doing is admirable and gutsy.
[Akira shakes his head- Yu is filled with an intent of optimism, which probably means that he's been touched too much by the rural life, or something like that. It doesn't mean that he's not hiding back a smile, because he ultimately believes that too. Someone has to punish the guilty, and even if they're so far out of reach of the police and justice system, maybe what he's doing is right. Or not, who knows. All Akira can attest to is that he's following the beat of his own rebellious heart, one that's been passed over by society, one that understands that not everything is really just black or white.]
You're an interesting senpai.
[There, Akira starts laughing a little bit. He tries to distract himself with the ramen, bringing the bowl up to his lips to drink the broth that's been cooled down by the crosswinds at the top of the school.]
There's a website, too. Apparently there's a poll on whether or not you think they exist.
[Morgana's glare cuts through Akira's confidence, and he lets his food sit squarely in his lap. Phantom Thieves were a rumor too, weren't they? No one actually knew if they were out there, which only served to increase intrigue. Funny, too, that the people spreading the rumors in school about them were the same people who were whispering in the halls about the felon in school, or the new kid who just transferred in.]
What about you? What was life like before coming to Tokyo?
Interesting? I don't know about that. I'm just a regular guy who does ordinary, everyday boring things. [There's nothing special about him. He probably wouldn't have been here if he didn't meet the others. His optimism shows up only around people for some reason. The need to connect to them and help them out if needed. It's an inexplicable feeling that he didn't mention anyone.]
There is? Cool. I'll take a look when I go home. I'm curious now. [Also it will help pass time. All the books he had were finished the first two weeks back in town.]
It was... stressful, to say the least. [He tries to sound calm, but he can feel his throat tighten.] I don't know if you heard or paid attention to the Inaba murders. I was staying at my uncle's place there. He was a detective on the case. Two women died- one was still in high school. Everyone lived in suspense for a long time, scared they will be targeted next. [He sighs softly-] Luckily they got the killer.
If Akira could, he would have responded to Morgana, but at this point, it didn't seem like it would make much sense to respond to a meowing cat. He notices how the topic of conversation becomes a lot more tense, and instantly feels a little bad for bringing it up. But more than anything, he's convinced that Yu is harmless. Maybe he's not the best judge of character, but he does believe in people who tend to be honest and upfront with things... even when he's not particularly into doing that himself. But anyone who's been through a slew of murders around them must have had a hard time.
He remembers hearing about them in the news, actually. They had caught the killer, who was more or less rotting away in a jail cell. At least justice was working the way it was supposed to somewhere out there. He had no idea about the Midnight Channel, or the TVs, or the fog, but chances are he'd believe anything at this point.]
You're really good at picking things up. I wouldn't be surprised if you were helping your uncle figure it out. You're a troublemaker, after all.
[Akira laughs softly at that, not knowing the depth of his statement. His ramen is pretty much done- save for a little bit of broth and the freeze dried vegetables, which he wasn't exactly the biggest fan of.]
I like hanging out with you, by the way. We should exchange contact information,
[He has a lot of connections to the police. Naoto, Dojima, even several police officers at the Inaba remember him.]
Well- when you put it that way, I guess I am. [He doesn't confirm nor deny the fact that he meddled into the whole debacle with murders. He's not sure if he'd be able to explain it properly without making it look extremely suspicious. Because the way victims were murdered... was not 'normal'.
He finished up the rest of his noodles and placed the bowl aside, thanking Akira for the meal. It really hit the spot.]
I like hanging out with you too, [Yu says with a smile and pulls out his phone-] And somehow, something keeps making us run into each other everywhere. It would be rude to ignore it. You know what they say about karma, right?
It says that... you'll probably lose your wallet soon, right? At least I'll know how to get in contact with you.
[Akira holds up his phone, accepting the contact sharing app's permissions, and hears a ding, indicating that they had successfully exchanged details. He doesn't know what this means- he's met a lot of people over the past few weeks, definitely some of which would prove to help him in his journey, but mostly just a very weird list of people that he was loosely coming to terms with calling friends.
Caroline and Justine's words ring in his ear. Make friends. Strengthen bonds with them. It's the only path to emancipation. Or at least getting stronger personas. He wasn't sure if there was really a difference yet.
Akira stands up, collecting the empty bowl and depositing into a garbage bag, all the while bending to grab a chip, too. (Let it be known that Akira is pretty flexible, poise similar in disposition to none other than the not-cat he carries in his bag with him all the time.) There's the issue of the beaker, which he decides to hide, along with the hot plate, under a discarded cardboard box.]
Maybe it's not karma. Maybe it's fate.
[Akira smiles warmly, smiling turning into a chuckle of sorts. He hasn't remembered smiling and laughing this much in ages.]
Well hopefully if I lose it you're actually the one that finds it. [It was sheer, damn luck that he found Akira's. Then again- fate. He thought of that at the same moment Akira mentioned it. It's... weird how they are on the same wavelength all the time.]
If it's fate, then it's extremely fickle. We have to be careful.
[After saving the info on the phone, he pockets it and stands up. He was eating too so the least he can do is help with cleaning up. He eyes the science set warily and lets him take care of it. It wouldn't be good if both of them were meddling with it.]
Thank you again for inviting me. The ramen really hit the spot.
[For several moments, he was watching him pick up the stuff. The urge to call him to hang out tomorrow is big but- maybe it was way too soon. They just exchanged numbers as well.]
[When everything's squared away, Akira opens his bag and nods over to Morgana, who ultimately obeys, jumping into it as he carries it back over his shoulder. A small head pops out of the opening, looking at Yu momentarily.
See ya later!
Akira quirks a brow, wondering how in the world Yu got on Morgana's good side so easily. He should've taken notes. On the way towards the door, he turns his head to make sure the other is still there. It's a stupid thing, but with everything that's going on in his life right now, he wouldn't be surprised if Yu wasn't even real at all, or something.]
Anytime. Hopefully fate will be good to the both of us troublemakers.
[Taking his leave, he parts with the other. It's a simple enough route home, but the entire way he's caught himself trying to figure Yu out a little better, going through their time on the roof together. The next few days pass, and it's filled with the excitement of breaking into another palace to steal the treasure of an art mogul who's spun completely out of control. They've added a member to the crew, codenamed: Fox, an art student of the former mentioned corrupt adult. They're so close to getting to the treasure room when the security starts to rise exponentially.
Something was going wrong, gravely wrong- there were shadows everywhere. Morgana is trying to keep an intel route together, but there doesn't seem to be any sort of way to break through, and the nearest safe room is a backtrack worth a few hours of metaverse time. The party eventually wounds up split, and then split again, until it's just Akira alone.
His heart is racing, and the only thing he can think about is getting back to his friends in one piece. To make sure they're still alive. Make sure that they've still got fight in them. But there's too much fighting to make his own safe route to the exit. Running low on energy, he switches out personas to target weaknesses....
But it hits him by a surprise attack. A blade right against his chest, slicing right through the garb he was wearing. Eyes wide, he realizes that his is real pain. His hand reaches up, there's blood. It must be adrenaline at this point, but he returns to Arsene, who repels the wave of attack, only for Akira to find a window. There's no other choice but to jump out and pray that he lands on his feet, or at least into safety. The moments following are a blur, he races his way to the exit, leaving a trail of his own blood on the floor in its wake. Exit. That's all he can think about, and as soon as he's out of the portal, he tries to ascertain where in the world he was. None of his friends are around in the immediate vicinity, and it worries him, but first things first. Find somewhere to hide in the shadows.
He looks down- he's still in his costume. This shouldn't have happened, right? Every time he's left the metaverse, he's been back in his regular threads. There's a moment of panic, and he ducks into a nearby alleyway. What does he know about this area? Looking up at a street sign, the only thing that comes to mind is that Yu lives somewhere in this vicinity. He pulls up the contact card on his phone, and finds the address.
This is a last resort, but he heads in that direction, trying to text the others to see where they were. Things were about to get far more complicated.]
[The following days felt a bit weird to Yu because other students were giving him a critical eye. Maybe it was because he spent time with Akira, probably because his exam result placed him in top ten in the school. Again. Yu was sure that half of the student body thought he cheated and the other half that he was in cahoots with some of the professors. And neither was true.
Which is why Yu didn't give them a second thought.
And it felt weird because back at Inaba, everyone would tell him 'Good Work!' instead of '...are you close with Mrs. Kashiwagi?'. It was insane and Yu's patience (which he usually has in abundance) was running low. He didn't plan to make a speech just to explain to people that he actually studies for the exams.
So, he left the school feeling low-strung and tense. He skipped going to the work. Working at the florist shop required him to smile to customers and be kind, and he couldn't do either of that right now. There was also this nagging feeling in the back of his head when he stepped out into the street.]
Fine, fine, [Yu murmured to himself whilst shifting his schoolbag better on his shoulder,] I'm going straight home.
[He passed through Shibuya and stopped in the bookstore to get something to read, since he was skipping out on the work in the first place, and then at the grocery store and got himself a nice piece of steak. As he watched the butcher cut it, it reminded him of Chie and Yu couldn't help but smile.
When, after thirty minutes, Yu took a turn into his street, the odd feeling came back to him. Was he being followed? His first thought told him to hurry, but his instincts told him to check. And he did. He whipped around harshly, startling a lady who was walking her dog. There was no one behind him.
He stepped forward carefully and stopped in front of his building. The alleyway. Someone was definitively there and watching him.
Akira was right. He is a troublemaker- by looking for trouble.
He called out tentatively, but didn't step forward-]
[For as brave as Akira could be when it came to infiltrating palaces, fighting shadows, providing justice for the meek who couldn't find it themselves, he always had his friends with him at his side. And now that they're not, he realizes that he's nothing without them. Hand over his chest, he grits his teeth for a moment, and in that split instance, he almost feels the urge to start crying. What was he? A teenager who was in way over his head, just like the image of those who disapprove of the Phantom Thieves would believe. Running around in little cosplays, getting involved with things they shouldn't have.
He braces himself up against the wall. No, that's not right. He accepted himself for who he was, he had seen his inner self and embraced it, and was better for it. He had to be. Nothing else made sense.
There was a mix of other feelings that washed over him when he saw Yu approach from the distance. Akira wasn't ready to explain his existence, to take his mask off in front of anyone, and so he kept his place up against the darkness. He tried keeping his voice deeper, more manly and refined than the soft spoken tonality he used on the other just a few days ago, and calls out from the alleyway.]
[Yu felt his heart climb up to his throat. The voice is familiar yet... not? A slight shiver went down Yu's back. Logic demands that he backs away from the ally because the person might be lying and waiting to ambush him. But... if the person is truly hurt then Yu won't be able to live with himself knowing that he could have helped but didn't.
He shoves the bags he was carrying into the school bag so his hands are somewhat free (and got bag a tad bit heavier in case he needs to use it as a weapon) and steps forward.]
Uhh... if I can... [Yu has to squint a bit in the shadowy alley and he finally notices a man- no wait, a younger guy (student!?) leaned on the wall. With a huge slash over his chest. The amount of blood and size of the wound completely distracted Yu from the fact that the guy was wearing a mask.
There was no hesitance in Yu's step anymore as he hurried over to him.]
How- this is serious cut-- [and the guy is losing a lot of blood.] Wait a second. [He drops the bag on the ground and shrugs off his school blazer and folds it, then presses it against the wound.] Are you dizzy? Can you lean on me and hold onto this? I live on the third floor here. I have first aid kit there.
[Morgana was wrong about Yu. Nothing firmed it up as much as it did right there, when the boy dropped everything he was doing, took the coat off his back, and ran to help him. That sort of courage, to help out someone even though he didn't know who it was, was downright admirable. And stupid. A little stupid. Akira could've been a serial killer for all Yu knew, but he doesn't think about that as much as the fact that he's bleeding out, and he needs to get it to stop.
He noticeably winces when Yu presses his blazer up against his chest. It stings, and he lets out a rough sound at the initial contact of it. Thank god Yu isn't trying to take him to the hospital. He doesn't have the mental faculties to actually find a reason not to, and that is a complication that he can't deal with right now.
Where was Ryuji? Ann? Morgana?
He can't tell if it's because it's dark, but the edges of the wall of the alleyway look blurry and indistinguishable from the street not very far off. Akira leans on Yu, in the end, holding up the makeshift first aid bandage to his chest.]
[Whether the guy is a criminal or no, Yu didn't care. Nobody deserved to die. If he was guilty of something- stealing or anything else, he will pay the price in prison. But not die. Not on Yu's hands.
With his free hand, he grabs the bag he dropped, while supporting the guy with his other hand, holding him firmly around his waist. He helped him up the first steps into the building and stopped in front of the elevator. Thankfully no one was around and building actually had an elevator. Yu wasn't sure if he could help him out up the staircases.
While they waited for the lift, Yu's eyes constantly looked from guy's mask to his wound and back at the mask. He couldn't properly see his face so he doesn't know if the man is still conscious.]
Keep talking and don't close your eyes, okay? Don't pass out on me.
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no subject
Thank you for invi..ting.. me... [Yu's voice slowly faded out as he spotted in what Akira was heating up the water for the ramen.] ...is that from science lab? [...] How did you get it here without anyone seeing you? [It might not be big, but it's glass and if it breaks, principal's face might pop from anger.
And no, he's not judging Akira for doing this. In fact, he looks more fascinated than he should.]
Oh! [His eyes fall on the cat near Akira's legs and Yu drops his bag to the side so he can crouch and greet the cat as well.] I see you dropped by as well, despite the fact that it's forbidden to bring pets to school.
no subject
If not the brightest bulb in the world, Akira is at least resourceful. This is your future, Yu. A guy who's good at stealing shit and can't cook to save his life.]
Yeah... It was kind of just... sitting there, so...
[He looks down at the floor. Total shy bad boy.
"Joker and Transfer kid sittin' in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-----"
Akira leans over and pets Morgana's head in a way that he knows the not-cat just loves.]
Told you I'm a troublemaker. [A small laugh.] Morgana's well behaved, though, so he usually just sleeps or pays attention in my desk. I... I didn't want to leave him home all day. He's one of my best friends.
no subject
That's pretty smart though. As long as we don't break them. They paycheck from the flower shop can't cover the expenses.
[Taking his bag, Yu pulls out a bag of chips (XL size) and few cans of soda- all properly checked for expiry dates. After Akira warned him about it Yu's been doing it out of habit.]
Troublemaker? [The cans make satisfying sizzle as he opens them-] No, you're not there yet. Until you beat up a biker gang with school desk, you're not a troublemaker. [He offers one of the cans to Akira with a smile. The... rumors about Akira might have finally reached his ears. But Yu's instinct is telling him that there's way more behind that face than the rumors. Ebihara was living, walking proof to not judge people based on rumors and appearances.]
no subject
Easy does it.
With relative ease, he doesn't spill any water on the roof, and sets the two bowls up, one on top of the other, dragging out two disposable chopstick pairs and laying it them squarely on top of the pile. Hearing the short fizz of a soft drink, he looks up to Yu and gives a thumbs up.]
You were in a biker gang before coming back to Tokyo?
[Akira knows it's not true, but it's a funny image nonetheless. Is this light flirting? Morgana looks happily enchanted by someone doting on him, and for a second, Akira almost blurts out about how they stole a biker gang member's heart once for extorting a poor family in Kanda. Probably not the best idea though, so he keeps quiet.
There's something about Yu that makes Akira want to tell him everything. Anything. This could be dangerous for a thief.]
no subject
With one hand, he picks up Morgana and places him on his lap. It's easier this way to pet the cat. And he continues to diligently do so while laughing at the question.]
No, I wasn't. If I was, one of my friends wouldn't be my friend and instead would be kicking my ass. With said school desk. [His group of friends is... colorful. And Yu could talk about them the whole day- given the chance and if anyone is actually willing to listen to him.
He scratches Morgana behind ear-] If I knew Morgana was here I would've brought some snacks for him as well. [He doesn't like when cats watch him eat with begging eyes! He always gives in and shares his food.]
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What do you think you're--
This isn't right. Joker! Save me------------ow.....
All of which just sounds like a string of meows coming from Morgana to an untrained ear, but more or less he's starting to settle down in Yu's lap. Morgana is taken in by his gentle ear affection, and Akira has this shit eating smirk on his face that he can't contain.
Not a word of this to anyone. I know where you sleep.]
He likes you.
[With a bit of a reach, he takes one of the sodas, and tries really hard not to make eye contact with his not-feline friend, because honestly, for all the spunk the little dude has, it's really kind of sweet to see him acting like the cognitive world thinks he should act. This doesn't help Morgana's case much, who, for the most part, tells anyone who's listening that he's a human.
And the way Yu just settles with him... Akira finds himself watching as he takes a sip.]
I promise I won't kick your ass with a school desk, then. And don't worry too much about Morgana. I took him to a sushi buffet the other week.
[Akira wishes he were lying about that.]
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[Yu was suspicious at first because the cat seemed restless but now he calmed down. Did the scratches help? Either way, Yu feels like he's in heaven. Maybe he should really adopt a cat.]
That's very reassuring. [Knowing your ass is safe is good.
He looks around curiously-]
Do you hang out on the roof often? [Pure curiosity. Also, he feels awkward and doesn't want their conversation to spin in a circle about cats. It's quiet up here, no one comes around- the perfect spot to rest from all the commotion in the school. And the rumors.]
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This was actually Ryuji's hangout spot. He invited me up here and... a few of us come up here from time to time.
[He checks on the ramen. Good enough. Peeling back the lid, he holds out the one on the bottom (the warmer one) and a pair of the throwaway chopsticks to Yu.]
You've probably heard about this by now... but I have a criminal record. I just wanted you to know, since...
[It's a depressing topic.]
Well... It's not really easy to make friends around here. It might make you look bad, talking to me.
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[He puts his soda on one of the boxes near him and accepts the offered bowl and chopsticks. Yu makes sure not to use the cat as the resting place for his food.]
I heard. [After taking a bite and swallowing, he continues-] What I also heard is that you and your friends cornered the P.E. teacher and forced him to confess the abuse over the volleyball team. [Yu looks up from his bowl and smiles-] And if that's true, then your 'criminal record' is insignificant.
[He leans back, staring absently at his food-] People are too quick to judge these days, too unconcerned, tired or scared to look past the first layer. [With a shrug he looks back at Akira-] Because if they look it might prove them wrong. And people hate being wrong.
[Yu picks up more food as he asks-] Can I hear the full, true story? I don't like rumors. [The TV. Never again.]
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Not to say that Akira isn't a little weary of his upperclassman asking such pointed questions, but he supposes that's just his style- direct and honest- where the former, a thief, is anything but sometimes.]
I just... can't sit around while adults do horrible things to people just because of their status or power.
[He looks at the door to make sure no one is eavesdropping. Lately, the student council president has been snooping around quite a bit lately, and he doesn't need the added complication. If only she came out and asked him directly like this, it might've been different.]
But I can't say that we did anything, in the end. He was trying to get us expelled. It's really amazing that he had a change of heart like that.
[At least he's getting way better at lying.]
My criminal record? It's... weird... I don't really remember all the details leading up to what happened. But there was this drunk salaryman who was trying to rape a woman. I pushed him off of her, but he called the cops on me, and the woman defended him. So... I got booked for it.
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Ever since he came back from Inaba, Yu never hesitated to ask things aloud. Of course, he'll apologize in advance if it's the intruding type of question, but he doesn't beat around the bush anymore. And it proved to be well accepted by people around him- for now.
He nods at Akira's explanation- fair enough. Yu would've probably done the same thing. And his friends would back him up- Kanji would probably threaten to kick his ass.] Yes. The 'Phantom Thieves' thing? It's an interesting thing to think about. [And after what happened to him, Yu has no problem believing in anything out of ordinary. Even ghosts are real to him now.]
W-Wait a minute-! [After Akira's explanation of his criminal record, a red alarm started ringing in his head. That's-] That's not right! Why would they convict you for something like that!? [He blurted it out before he could actually think about it.]
A-Ah, sorry, I shouldn't have asked like that. It just- sounds so unreal. [Was it a grudge? But Akira's just high schooler. Why would a salaryman hold grudge big enough to sue him and ruin boy's future with a criminal record? Not to mention that what he was trying to do to the woman was despicable.]
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It's alright. I was doing what I thought was right and kind of... just got swept up by it. That's how it goes in this world, I guess.
[Akira pushes up his glass towards the bridge of his nose. Playing the field a little, he idly eats more of his dinner and shoots a pointed question at Yu.]
Do you think they're real? The Phantom Thieves, that is.
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No. That's not how the world is supposed to be. How is punishing the good people and rewarding the guilty alright? But I guess, that's just my opinion. [And there's nothing either of them can do about it.
He eats his food in silence, still pondering on what Akira told him. And if he was being honest, he'll be thinking about that even when he comes back home. Maybe he should give Naoto a call about this. Advice from Detective Prince can't hurt.]
Hmm? Well... [Yu idly taps the chopsticks against his lips-] I see no reason not to. If there really is a group of Thieves stealing hearts to make them repent for their horrible deeds, then they have my full support. What they are doing is admirable and gutsy.
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You're an interesting senpai.
[There, Akira starts laughing a little bit. He tries to distract himself with the ramen, bringing the bowl up to his lips to drink the broth that's been cooled down by the crosswinds at the top of the school.]
There's a website, too. Apparently there's a poll on whether or not you think they exist.
[Morgana's glare cuts through Akira's confidence, and he lets his food sit squarely in his lap. Phantom Thieves were a rumor too, weren't they? No one actually knew if they were out there, which only served to increase intrigue. Funny, too, that the people spreading the rumors in school about them were the same people who were whispering in the halls about the felon in school, or the new kid who just transferred in.]
What about you? What was life like before coming to Tokyo?
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Interesting? I don't know about that. I'm just a regular guy who does ordinary, everyday boring things. [There's nothing special about him. He probably wouldn't have been here if he didn't meet the others. His optimism shows up only around people for some reason. The need to connect to them and help them out if needed. It's an inexplicable feeling that he didn't mention anyone.]
There is? Cool. I'll take a look when I go home. I'm curious now. [Also it will help pass time. All the books he had were finished the first two weeks back in town.]
It was... stressful, to say the least. [He tries to sound calm, but he can feel his throat tighten.] I don't know if you heard or paid attention to the Inaba murders. I was staying at my uncle's place there. He was a detective on the case. Two women died- one was still in high school. Everyone lived in suspense for a long time, scared they will be targeted next. [He sighs softly-] Luckily they got the killer.
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If Akira could, he would have responded to Morgana, but at this point, it didn't seem like it would make much sense to respond to a meowing cat. He notices how the topic of conversation becomes a lot more tense, and instantly feels a little bad for bringing it up. But more than anything, he's convinced that Yu is harmless. Maybe he's not the best judge of character, but he does believe in people who tend to be honest and upfront with things... even when he's not particularly into doing that himself. But anyone who's been through a slew of murders around them must have had a hard time.
He remembers hearing about them in the news, actually. They had caught the killer, who was more or less rotting away in a jail cell. At least justice was working the way it was supposed to somewhere out there. He had no idea about the Midnight Channel, or the TVs, or the fog, but chances are he'd believe anything at this point.]
You're really good at picking things up. I wouldn't be surprised if you were helping your uncle figure it out. You're a troublemaker, after all.
[Akira laughs softly at that, not knowing the depth of his statement. His ramen is pretty much done- save for a little bit of broth and the freeze dried vegetables, which he wasn't exactly the biggest fan of.]
I like hanging out with you, by the way. We should exchange contact information,
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Well- when you put it that way, I guess I am. [He doesn't confirm nor deny the fact that he meddled into the whole debacle with murders. He's not sure if he'd be able to explain it properly without making it look extremely suspicious. Because the way victims were murdered... was not 'normal'.
He finished up the rest of his noodles and placed the bowl aside, thanking Akira for the meal. It really hit the spot.]
I like hanging out with you too, [Yu says with a smile and pulls out his phone-] And somehow, something keeps making us run into each other everywhere. It would be rude to ignore it. You know what they say about karma, right?
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[Akira holds up his phone, accepting the contact sharing app's permissions, and hears a ding, indicating that they had successfully exchanged details. He doesn't know what this means- he's met a lot of people over the past few weeks, definitely some of which would prove to help him in his journey, but mostly just a very weird list of people that he was loosely coming to terms with calling friends.
Caroline and Justine's words ring in his ear. Make friends. Strengthen bonds with them. It's the only path to emancipation. Or at least getting stronger personas. He wasn't sure if there was really a difference yet.
Akira stands up, collecting the empty bowl and depositing into a garbage bag, all the while bending to grab a chip, too. (Let it be known that Akira is pretty flexible, poise similar in disposition to none other than the not-cat he carries in his bag with him all the time.) There's the issue of the beaker, which he decides to hide, along with the hot plate, under a discarded cardboard box.]
Maybe it's not karma. Maybe it's fate.
[Akira smiles warmly, smiling turning into a chuckle of sorts. He hasn't remembered smiling and laughing this much in ages.]
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If it's fate, then it's extremely fickle. We have to be careful.
[After saving the info on the phone, he pockets it and stands up. He was eating too so the least he can do is help with cleaning up. He eyes the science set warily and lets him take care of it. It wouldn't be good if both of them were meddling with it.]
Thank you again for inviting me. The ramen really hit the spot.
[For several moments, he was watching him pick up the stuff. The urge to call him to hang out tomorrow is big but- maybe it was way too soon. They just exchanged numbers as well.]
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See ya later!
Akira quirks a brow, wondering how in the world Yu got on Morgana's good side so easily. He should've taken notes. On the way towards the door, he turns his head to make sure the other is still there. It's a stupid thing, but with everything that's going on in his life right now, he wouldn't be surprised if Yu wasn't even real at all, or something.]
Anytime. Hopefully fate will be good to the both of us troublemakers.
[Taking his leave, he parts with the other. It's a simple enough route home, but the entire way he's caught himself trying to figure Yu out a little better, going through their time on the roof together. The next few days pass, and it's filled with the excitement of breaking into another palace to steal the treasure of an art mogul who's spun completely out of control. They've added a member to the crew, codenamed: Fox, an art student of the former mentioned corrupt adult. They're so close to getting to the treasure room when the security starts to rise exponentially.
Something was going wrong, gravely wrong- there were shadows everywhere. Morgana is trying to keep an intel route together, but there doesn't seem to be any sort of way to break through, and the nearest safe room is a backtrack worth a few hours of metaverse time. The party eventually wounds up split, and then split again, until it's just Akira alone.
His heart is racing, and the only thing he can think about is getting back to his friends in one piece. To make sure they're still alive. Make sure that they've still got fight in them. But there's too much fighting to make his own safe route to the exit. Running low on energy, he switches out personas to target weaknesses....
But it hits him by a surprise attack. A blade right against his chest, slicing right through the garb he was wearing. Eyes wide, he realizes that his is real pain. His hand reaches up, there's blood. It must be adrenaline at this point, but he returns to Arsene, who repels the wave of attack, only for Akira to find a window. There's no other choice but to jump out and pray that he lands on his feet, or at least into safety. The moments following are a blur, he races his way to the exit, leaving a trail of his own blood on the floor in its wake. Exit. That's all he can think about, and as soon as he's out of the portal, he tries to ascertain where in the world he was. None of his friends are around in the immediate vicinity, and it worries him, but first things first. Find somewhere to hide in the shadows.
He looks down- he's still in his costume. This shouldn't have happened, right? Every time he's left the metaverse, he's been back in his regular threads. There's a moment of panic, and he ducks into a nearby alleyway. What does he know about this area? Looking up at a street sign, the only thing that comes to mind is that Yu lives somewhere in this vicinity. He pulls up the contact card on his phone, and finds the address.
This is a last resort, but he heads in that direction, trying to text the others to see where they were. Things were about to get far more complicated.]
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Which is why Yu didn't give them a second thought.
And it felt weird because back at Inaba, everyone would tell him 'Good Work!' instead of '...are you close with Mrs. Kashiwagi?'. It was insane and Yu's patience (which he usually has in abundance) was running low. He didn't plan to make a speech just to explain to people that he actually studies for the exams.
So, he left the school feeling low-strung and tense. He skipped going to the work. Working at the florist shop required him to smile to customers and be kind, and he couldn't do either of that right now. There was also this nagging feeling in the back of his head when he stepped out into the street.]
Fine, fine, [Yu murmured to himself whilst shifting his schoolbag better on his shoulder,] I'm going straight home.
[He passed through Shibuya and stopped in the bookstore to get something to read, since he was skipping out on the work in the first place, and then at the grocery store and got himself a nice piece of steak. As he watched the butcher cut it, it reminded him of Chie and Yu couldn't help but smile.
When, after thirty minutes, Yu took a turn into his street, the odd feeling came back to him. Was he being followed? His first thought told him to hurry, but his instincts told him to check. And he did. He whipped around harshly, startling a lady who was walking her dog.
There was no one behind him.
He stepped forward carefully and stopped in front of his building. The alleyway. Someone was definitively there and watching him.
Akira was right. He is a troublemaker- by looking for trouble.
He called out tentatively, but didn't step forward-]
...H-Hello?
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He braces himself up against the wall. No, that's not right. He accepted himself for who he was, he had seen his inner self and embraced it, and was better for it. He had to be. Nothing else made sense.
There was a mix of other feelings that washed over him when he saw Yu approach from the distance. Akira wasn't ready to explain his existence, to take his mask off in front of anyone, and so he kept his place up against the darkness. He tried keeping his voice deeper, more manly and refined than the soft spoken tonality he used on the other just a few days ago, and calls out from the alleyway.]
May I ask you for help?
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He shoves the bags he was carrying into the school bag so his hands are somewhat free (and got bag a tad bit heavier in case he needs to use it as a weapon) and steps forward.]
Uhh... if I can... [Yu has to squint a bit in the shadowy alley and he finally notices a man- no wait, a younger guy (student!?) leaned on the wall. With a huge slash over his chest. The amount of blood and size of the wound completely distracted Yu from the fact that the guy was wearing a mask.
There was no hesitance in Yu's step anymore as he hurried over to him.]
How- this is serious cut-- [and the guy is losing a lot of blood.] Wait a second. [He drops the bag on the ground and shrugs off his school blazer and folds it, then presses it against the wound.] Are you dizzy? Can you lean on me and hold onto this? I live on the third floor here. I have first aid kit there.
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He noticeably winces when Yu presses his blazer up against his chest. It stings, and he lets out a rough sound at the initial contact of it. Thank god Yu isn't trying to take him to the hospital. He doesn't have the mental faculties to actually find a reason not to, and that is a complication that he can't deal with right now.
Where was Ryuji? Ann? Morgana?
He can't tell if it's because it's dark, but the edges of the wall of the alleyway look blurry and indistinguishable from the street not very far off. Akira leans on Yu, in the end, holding up the makeshift first aid bandage to his chest.]
I think... I can make it... Thanks for this...
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[Whether the guy is a criminal or no, Yu didn't care. Nobody deserved to die. If he was guilty of something- stealing or anything else, he will pay the price in prison. But not die. Not on Yu's hands.
With his free hand, he grabs the bag he dropped, while supporting the guy with his other hand, holding him firmly around his waist. He helped him up the first steps into the building and stopped in front of the elevator. Thankfully no one was around and building actually had an elevator. Yu wasn't sure if he could help him out up the staircases.
While they waited for the lift, Yu's eyes constantly looked from guy's mask to his wound and back at the mask. He couldn't properly see his face so he doesn't know if the man is still conscious.]
Keep talking and don't close your eyes, okay? Don't pass out on me.
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