pancakeboy | ic inbox [ota]

Oh, it's certainly strange, but of all the oddities this world brings, I can't say it's unwelcome.

[He joins his other self in watching the stars, resting a hand on his hip.]

The stars were one of the things I missed the most from Inaba. So much that Ren got me one of those packages of glow in the dark stars you stick to the ceiling. It was... a bit childish, I suppose, but a kind gesture all the same.

[And he turns, blinking, away from the sky. He'd have loved those when he was a kid, but...]

Is that right? You know, Ren has these on his ceiling. On the beams of the attic. [The Phantom Thief hideout, of course; it was the first time he'd seen it.]

And it's... the same ceiling, isn't it? [Wild guess.]

If you mean the Leblanc attic, he did put some up there as well. We're both "country boys," so it's something we can both relate to.

[Heh... And now they're dating. Funny how these things turn out.]

I think the most astonishing part of all was just how easy it was to establish a base of operations there. At first, they wanted to use the school rooftop, but I thought it was too vulnerable, whereas with the attic, we could disguise it as a "study group" and get the privacy we needed.

Not a bad thought. Do you know they—in my world—used one of the walkways in Shibuya Station for a time? As their top-secret hideout? [He starts walking, heading towards Penguin Sniper and the station.]

Right next to the bakery. I used to pick up a melon pan and watch them.

Ah, the melon pan. Not a bad choice at all.

[He'll follow along, eyes narrowing and lips pulling into a flat line.]

But why there of all places? That's hardly secretive. Literally anyone could overhear them.

[Hey, they both appreciate that melon pan? Little music notes play in the background.]

You understand. I tipped the police off about them once, to see what they'd do. That was entertaining. [And just like that, they're at the station.]

I wouldn't have been surprised if they confessed everything there and then.

I just can't fathom why the hell they thought that was a good idea.

[Seriously, if you're going to be discussing highly confidential information, the least they could do is pick somewhere more subtle.]

If they had to meet in public, at least communicate via text. I can only imagine Ryuji blowing their cover in tremendous fashion...

Ren once told me he was a Phantom Thief. Sakamoto, I mean. "Skull", presumably because it's all he has in his head.

[Yeah, there's... no love lost here, clearly. The ticket gates are standing open, attended by mooning cognitions, so through they go.]

Right in front of him, I mean. In the station, again. If I'd been ordered to stop them, I could have done it... considerably before that. [Hm. Actually, that's less funny, isn't it?]

You know, I'm starting to think it's a blessing that my Phantom Thieves had me to rein them in. Not that we had a Detective Prince to worry about- Naoto-san was actually quite charitable toward us, all things considered.

[He thinks he'd mentioned it at least briefly before, but it's funny how different the circumstances are.

Well, through the gate and toward the trains they go. At least there should be plenty of seats.]

[And there's a train waiting right there, almost empty. Even this late at night, it's up there with the most unnatural things Akechi's ever seen.

He drops into a seat, abruptly sombre.]

I gave Shido their names. In June. The first few, at least—Ren, Sakamoto, Takamaki, Kitagawa. Not the cat.

[He'll take a seat near his counterpart, giving him just enough space to not be directly nudged up against him.]

I imagine that was before you got to know Ren, correct? So it must have been different then.

After I met them and confirmed their identities, yes. Sakamoto again, of course. His mouth ought to be my best friend.

[He still hasn't described Morgana to Shido, not in any more depth than "the cat". And he didn't turn in Niijima, or Sakura, or Okumura. Why not? Because what Shido doesn't know won't hurt him, that's why.]

I wonder if Maruki has told Shido about us, or if he's kept it close to the chest. It's a curious thing, I suppose. The one in your "role" isn't a famous celebrity. His public persona is simply a therapist who brings happiness to his clients.

[He leans back in the seat, gazing up at the ceiling.]

Well, regardless, I feel as though we've done enough toying with what-ifs for tonight. I think wrecking some shit will be helpful for both of us.

[He's doing the same. He rolls his head sideways on the seat, watching other-him; oh, there's a limit to his professed patience, for sure. Akechi has no doubt of it. The train starts, and chatters for a few seconds—and then it stops, and they're at Kasumigaseki, having waited longer for the train to start moving than it took to arrive.]

I'm so sick of this. I don't think these trains truly move at all. They're like the Velvet Room. Come on—[and he gets to his feet, tapping other-him's shoulder as he goes]—we have business to attend to, as you say.

Right. Then I suppose it's all just a matter of time...

[It won't be long until they reach the Niijima residence at the rate they're going. It's as neat as it normally would be, but so, so empty.

As they step inside, he can't help but sigh.]

It's so haunting, you know. The emptiness of it all. I admit, there were times where I'd make myself scarce and stay at Leblanc just to avoid the sisterly bickering, but it was comforting to know at least one of them would be there.

[Ah, breathless laughter follows.]

That's the thing with bonds, I suppose. I'd argue they've been fulfilling, but when they're stripped away, it's... disorienting.

[So this is Sae's apartment. It's... neat. Clean. Like someone loves the place, and he knows better than to think it's Sae herself. Yet there are so many things scattered around, that make it seem a home and not a holding area.]

You were a little slow to talk about their disadvantages, yes. [His objections to forming close relationships are a matter of long record. He grumbles as they follow along.]

Look at this place. It seems so... busy. [He means lived-in. Other-him has seen his apartment, after all.] I don't even own a rice cooker.

It's not that there aren't disadvantages. I just find that the pros outweigh the cons, but I also know why you'd disagree.

[Bonds are dangerous business when leading a life like his counterpart's. He at least sees that much.

But as for the apartment itself... he sighs.]

In all fairness, you haven't exactly had the time, I imagine, to eat more than quick snacks. After all, you're a student, a hitman, and a celebrity.

And a Phantom Thief. Don't forget that. At least, I was when I left. Also, I'm a terrorist. [He makes it sound bright, running a gloved hand along the edge of the kitchen counter as they pass it. But then he sighs.]

I haven't forgotten what it's like to be in an empty home. [His mother. But he moves on.] What was it even like, to live with Sae-san?

Not too unlike living with my dad and sister, at least in some respects.

[He'll motion for his counterpart to follow down the hall. The bedrooms are a bit further.]

One of them being exceptionally busy due to a thankless and demanding job, and the other left to fend for herself when the work became too demanding. I suppose the key difference is that Dojima-san never placed heavy expectations on us. Sae-san... well, she changed after their father died. She certainly was a warmer person in 2011, at least.

[And there's an interesting little reveal, isn't it?]

You knew her when you were living in Inaba? She was involved with the murder case? But she must have been too young.

[He follows right to the bedroom door. Witnessing grief reminds him how much of him still lies behind his secrets; he sounds subdued. Like he hasn't made it his business to change Sae Niijima.]

Edited 2023-09-13 14:31 (UTC)

Her family came down to Inaba over the summer, after a suspect confessed to being the killer but was ultimately a copycat killer who murdered a school teacher. Naoto-san, Kanji, and I did a stake out the night we expected his kidnapping, and thus we learned that the presumed culprit drove a large vehicle that would be difficult for a fifteen year old to obtain, let alone drive undetected.

[He opens the door, revealing a bedroom with the aforementioned glowing stars on the ceiling. A pride flag with the Featherman emblem is pinned to the wall. There's a desk in the corner, a wardrobe and dresser for his clothes, and a small shelf with some books.

Everything is very tidy. Oh, and there's an attache case with an A on it.

He moves over to unlock it.]

[It looks so... real. Neat and clean, yes, as anywhere he lived would be; and there's his case. He wonders if the combination is the same.

But yeah, what draws his eye is the rainbow flag pinned up on the wall. It's so... out. He murmurs, rather inanely, staring at it.] Oh, there are your stars.

[Oh, he noticed that staring. That staring earns a chuckle as the case pops open.]

I figured myself out as a thirteen year old. I suppose what made it easier to come to terms with was that nobody in my friend group was entirely straight to begin with, no matter how much Yosuke protested otherwise.

[Ah, those were the days... The blatant denial until he finally caved and ended up with Yu of all people.

What the other Akechi might find alarming is what's inside the case. Namely, a sleeve shaped very much like a gun holster.]

Oh, and just so we're clear- this wasn't all a ruse for me to shoot you. Evokers... well, they're meant to trick our bodies into thinking we're on the verge of death.

[And yeah, the confusion vanishes in less than a heartbeat. He comes within a hair of stepping back and drawing his own gun, which is holstered against the small of his back. His voice drops to a killer's pitch.] You need to be more careful than that.

[But there's no need for his counterpart to bring him to his own home, his own room, to murder him. He knows that. He comes closer.]

Are you serious, though? A word to the wise—don't use that in the Metaverse. If you'd ever need to.

Oh, I know how it would work in the Metaverse. I had to warn Kirijo-san and the others, once they'd figured out what I was up to.

[He'll strap the evoker to his belt. Fortunately, though his uniform mostly covers it, there is a place for it. Then he briefly casts a glance to the very real sword in its sheath in the corner by his bookshelf.]

To be honest, I'm essentially using this room as a storage space for now, and for a place to slip away if I need a moment to myself. I can't exactly keep real weapons in a house with little kids, after all.

[But they got what they came for, so he'll snap the case closed for now. His laptop is safely back in his Inaba room, along with his cosmetics, so there's not much else of interest, really.]

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