unfoggedlotus | IC Inbox

...and he doth appear! welcome in, new friend or should i say new fRend :>

no sex advice from me rn lol its just what i do. i know things. dw abt it :> also cauchemar-chan says hi

I'll be heading home from my outing with Magpie soon. I've obtained a motorcycle for my troubles, which after sitting through that movie is the least I deserve, I think.

How is everything? Nothing's caught fire, I hope?

Nothing caught fire, but several things caught water! B) The kids had a field day with the bath I mean. Watching Aki-chan splash around happily with such a serious expression on his face... Melts my heart, really! (─‿‿─) Even if the amount of puddles I had to mop up almost melted my knees like the Wicked Wizard of the East ^o^;; How did the movie not-date go? B)

Edited 2023-10-24 21:01 (UTC)

So I presume, then, that you're being accepted by the children and there's been no haunting hazing rituals? That is relieving.

Well, I learned many interesting things from that movie. For instance, Magpie's movie expy had a spiky, black "serpent."

And a version of you appeared, sparkling and shirtless, approaching the ocean with a surfboard of all things. Of course, no movie could compare to the genuine Ren Amamiya experience.

Little-you...er, Raven, tried beating me in Bash Bros! It didn't go well for him lol Well, if your serpent ever becomes a sea serpent, at least we know I can ride your waves B)

And I suppose he was rather sour about it? If you're not careful, he may declare you his gaming rival...

I'd certainly hope it never reaches such a monstrous scale. That would just be inconvenient.

Oh, but there were sharks, and the serpents fought the sharks from your surfboard. It was... surreal, to say the least.

I think the only reason he hasn't is because I'm your rival first lol But you'd know him better than I do! ...Huh. Sounds wild

Also, he's technically me. I suppose that might make him a rival by proxy?

It was so awkward. A dramatic reenactment of gay chicken, some metaphor about Magpie's anxiety about you being here, resolved with the power of friendship and literal trouser snakes.

Unfortunately, I'm afraid the genuine article does not have fangs or a forked tongue. I hope that won't be too disappointing.

[He says that even though they've both gone to the bathhouse before. It's not like what's down there is a deep secret.]

Listen man the fewer sentient snakes we have to deal with in the bedroom our first time the easier I think it'll sjkfd

There's a weird pause in Ren's messages.

Hey so I'm not the only one who still gets jumpscared by the little-not-me, right? o-o I looked up from my phone and he was right in front of me...

Speaking of which, I received some information from the other Ren that may be useful for later.

[But that can wait. It seems that little Akira-kun is up to mischief.]

He can be very sneaky. Perhaps he's just curious?

Do tell him I said hi and that I'll be home soon.

oh my god ohmygod Goro Goro!!!!!!!! he's so cute AAAAAAAA ＼(≧▽≦)／ I'm screaming internally right now!!! He showed up in his dino onesie and fell asleep on me (´｡ಥ ~ ಥ｡`) *｡o○♡ S'eepin time... (人´∀｀)．☆．。．:*･°

He must really trust you. I'm glad that you two are getting along so well.

It should be all right if you bring him into his room, but sometimes he just takes little naps. Perhaps I should leave the motorcycle elsewhere just to avoid disturbing the little ones if they're already in bed.

His trust is worth more than any traesure in the world (★≧▽^))★☆ *Treasure Also...motorcycle? Having your midlife crisis without me? (*´∀｀*)

We'd talked about getting motorcycles a while ago. Now we have them. You're welcome to take a ride any time, of course. ♥

Do you need me to grab anything before I come home? Food, any other essentials?

I'll have to check it out sometime ♥ Hmm...don't think we need anything at the moment I have leftovers for you, too! Just gonna...wait a few minutes to make sure our little dinosaur is fully asleep (/▽＼*)｡o○♡

I think I'll just drive the motorcycle home slowly. It shouldn't be too loud. I should only be a few more minutes. It's just a shame I missed dinner with everyone, but there's always tomorrow.

[True to his word, he won't be but a few more minutes. Once he parks the motorbike behind the gate off to the side of the house, he steps inside, and...

Time to take a page out of Ren's book.]

Honey, I'm home.

Ren grins, gently running his fingers through a sleeping Aki-chan's hair. "You're back awfully late," he teases, quietly. "All our kids are asleep already."

"Need help putting him to bed?" he's quiet, moving closer so he can watch the little guy rest. Goodness, he's adorable...

The baby-not-him chooses this exact moment to twitch in his sleep, but he stays asleep.

"I think I can handle it," Ren murmurs, gently picking him up. "He's so cute."

"He really is. And so are you." He chuckles softly, taking a seat at the kitchen table. "We can talk more when you're done."

He'll just wait to give Ren the chance to take the little guy up to his room.

Ren nods and quietly, gently, picks up the little-not-him -- surprisingly light, for a five-year-old -- to move him. He carries him to his bedroom, then tucks him in with a little goodnight before coming back downstairs.

"Now...food."

"Yes, food. Though if it's any consolation, I did eat some popcorn at the theater." He didn't starve himself! He even drank a cocoa. It's just that those are empty calories and junky snacks.

He smiles as he watches Ren make his next move. What's for dinner, hm?

"We have some leftover udon and katsudon," Ren leads his boyfriend over to the kitchen, grinning.

"That works. I suppose it'll just need a quick reheating?" He chuckles, following Ren's lead. "Next time we plan an outing, I'll try to make sure it's done before dinner."

But he'll give Ren a little kiss on the cheek as thanks.

Ren giggles at the peck on his cheek, feeling almost giddy. "You put the gentleman in gentleman thief, y'know," he wraps his arms around Goro's waist as they traipse towards the microwave.

"Rather impressive for a detective, eh? Though you're quite the gentleman yourself." Well, time to slide the food in, then, he supposes, but he makes no moves to distance himself from his boyfriend's embrace. In fact, he even loops an arm around him.

Ren relaxes, going a little limp in Goro's grasp, as he slides the leftovers into the microwave.

He'll just key in an appropriate amount of time and then set the microwave to start. They can just... stand there, entangled as the food cooks? How silly.

"It looks like someone missed me." He chuckles, giving a little nuzzle. "But I'm all yours tonight."

"Good. I missed my life-sized body pillow," Ren jokes, happily snuggling into him.

"Oh, I can be more than a body pillow..." Just for that, have another little peck. "Actually, once we're done eating, there are some things we could potentially discuss. The other Ren sent me some... rather detailed advice, let's just say. Things we may wish to consider when the time is right."

Speaking of time, that would be the microwave going off. Excellent.

"He wants us to fuck?" Ren asks with a chuckle, opening the microwave.

"He gave me incredibly detailed advice on how to ensure it's not a clusterfuck of poor choices." He'll go ahead and take the food, since Ren was so kind as to open the microwave. "That includes advice for the both of us, by the way, as well as certain recommendations for how to ease into things."

"Well, that's...helpful, I guess." Ren watches like a hawk as Goro takes his food out. "Don't wanna whole cluster of people to fuck during our first time."

"There's no one else for me." Hum de dum, time to go take a place at the living room table. They can sit down and... snuggle, perhaps? As they walk, though, his voice takes on a slightly more sheepish tone. "Although, ah... he advised that I should perhaps be on the receiving end when we make it that far." God, that feels so weird to admit out loud. "But we can figure out a comfortable pace as we go. ...I certainly wouldn't be opposed to covering you in kisses."

He winks. How bold.

Ren snorts, lighthearted -- he can't help it. "Assigned bottom by an alternate universe version of your boyfriend," he teases, lightly. "I can see it, though. Less to think about in some ways, I guess. And you do too much of that already sometimes." A kiss as they settle onto the couch. "When we decide to do it, I'm sure we'll figure it out. But you can cover me in kisses in appropriate spots anytime."

He'll give Ren a little kiss on the cheek just for that. "As long as you're comfortable with it." Granted, he seems to be? The idea amused him, and... damn it. He's just proving Ren's point by overthinking again. Well, just for that, he'll take a few bites of his food to occupy himself that way.

Even reheated, Ren's cooking is lovely. He makes a pleased little hum. "But I think even adjusting to other forms of intimacy would be a good start. Hands and... well, actually, the other Ren had some very detailed advice regarding your 'snake charming.'"

Here, he'll take a pause in his eating to open his phone to the start of the relevant part of the conversation, including some rather frank advice for Ren specifically.

Ren blinks while he's reading the texts. "That sure is...detailed advice."

"...He's been sexually active since he was younger than you, so he's. Experienced, let's just say." But, yes. It is incredibly detailed advice, and it's okay to feel awkward. "To be honest, it's a lot for me, too. I've been... repressed, and knowing that you're willing to take these steps with me is helping, but above all else, your comfort is what truly matters to me."

A laugh huffs out of his chest, and Ren isn't entirely sure why it comes out -- maybe the shock from the "sexually active younger than you" bit? "You being repressed is an understatement," he pokes Goro's cheek.

"...A part of it's due to my early childhood." He stares down at his food, taking a nibble just to ground himself. "I learned what sex was at a very young age, but the associations weren't... positive. My mother and her clients. Knowing how much of a toll it took on her..."

He needs to stop for a second, steady his breathing. Just... ground himself.

"And living with my family... I just didn't want my sister to end up as I was. So whenever I had to relieve myself, I'd do it in solitude, and I'd try to keep quiet, even when nobody else was there. It wasn't healthy how much I fretted over everything."

Edited 2023-11-02 04:12 (UTC)

"I know," Ren says, gently, hugging him. "We'll work on it together. When we're ready."

...The time jump may be affecting him more than he's willing to admit, here. Goro's had a whole two months to readjust to his sexuality and it's thrown him off a bit. Went to sleep with his boyfriend still a blushing virgin, woke up with him still a virgin but much less blushing. Ren's trying to support him all he can, he swears, but sometimes he feels...inadequate, like he's only doing more harm, like the day he arrived in Tokyo before meeting Goro for the first time. He doesn't know what to do for Goro. And that scares him.

He goes a little limp at the touch. It's so much. Even if some of this is retreaded ground, it's still a lingering chain he still has to break. "If it's you... it'll be all right. I can reclaim the part of me that was tainted by everything that happened when I was so small. We can make it our own. Because I love you so much, Ren... and that means all of you."

Right. Food. He should... take a few more bites. The talk is helping. Communication is important.

"But I'm sorry if I'm coming on too strong. It's that damn gay chicken game. I felt so ashamed. Nothing happened, and rationally, I know it was just my body reacting to evocative words. I just hated that it happened when I missed you so much... but that doesn't mean we need to rush. I suppose I'm just anxious."

A kiss to the side of Goro’s head. Ren just holds him, for a moment.

Sometimes that's all it takes to ground him. It's calming enough for him to resume eating, simply enjoying the comfort of his boyfriend's arm around him. Then he sighs, soft as a whisper. "Just having you with me means so much. I don't feel so lost now..."

He can breathe. It's not a dream. Ren's here. It's okay.

"But I know it's probably difficult, too. What was a few hours for you was so much more for me. I'd like to think I had it together when we left Isshiki-san's Palace. Now, I'm not so sure." There's a weak little laugh. He's aware that he's kind of unraveled in ways he wouldn't even think to under normal circumstances.

Ren...all his words have sorta left him. He's never been the chattiest guy ever...he can't launch into inspirational speeches on a dime like Goro can. Wakaba's Palace was...a lot. It feels weird to be ripped from their lives in the middle of all of it. Disorienting and strange and lonely.

Ren just holds his boyfriend closer, tighter.

"You've done a lot to support me since we reunited, Ren. Is there anything I can do for you?" He'll rest his forehead against Ren's, just trying to be close. Supportive. Funny how things went from lighthearted snark to this.

"Rest," Ren croaks, open and honest, tucking Goro's face against his neck. "Take a break." He's not one to talk, since he is, at the end of the day, an adrenaline junkie too...but sometimes he wishes Goro would just sit and let things come to them.

"I am trying." Ah, give him a moment. He should... also finish his meal. Some more bites come before he speaks again. "The movie— That was a start. Something with no bearing on any responsibilities. But I'll try to... well, take it easy. As best I can, at any rate. And if we both end up needing a day off, several people have volunteered to help take care of the kids."

But perhaps not right away. They still need to adjust to this new status quo. Ren is a new part of their lives.

“I’ll catch up to you yet,” Ren promises, quiet, squeezing Goro. “Backup is good. But you’re still sleeping in, Mister!”

"Well, I'll likely sleep better if I'm holding you close." Here, he'll reciprocate with a squeeze of his own. "Though I wouldn't be surprised if Magpie sends a late night text. Or twelve. If you think I have sleeping problems, just you wait..."

"Why are all Akechis insomniacs," Ren grumbles, but it's lighthearted -- he does know the real reason. "Maybe we should invite him over for cuddles."

"We have engaged in purely platonic cuddles in the past, but he did so in his sleep. I'm not sure how comfortable he'd be with the idea of knowingly doing so..."

It wouldn't be a bad idea. Having the comfort of other people would certainly do wonders, he's sure. "I'd probably have to be in the middle, if only because I'm the one who's dealt with his barbs the longest."

"We'll have to work on him a bit more," Ren nods, understanding. "Still...cuddle piles are good."

"I think he'd be surprised that you're so willing to include him. Magpie had the ridiculous idea that I would abandon him now that you're here." Hmm, just a few bites left now. "We'll just have to show him that our love doesn't undermine our ability to form connections with others."

"Wouldn't be good wildcards if we let that happen, would we," Ren jokes. Good, he's eating the last of his food. Ren watches like a hawk (no, not that one) to make sure his boyfriend is eating.

"Precisely. Plus, Magpie and I did establish a link. Evidently, he's my Adjustment Arcana." Hmmm... and just like that, he has finished the food. "The food was lovely, Ren. I'll try not to miss it when it's fresh next time." Here's a little kiss for the cook, naturally.

"Thank you," Ren blushes a little at the kiss. Then a bit belatedly: "Oh! Arcana links. Do you have 'em with anyone else? What are they?"

"Well, there's Akira-kun. He's my Ace of Wands." Interesting that he isn't one of the Major Arcana, but it's a cute option, to be sure. "He actually started calling me his nii-san recently."

"Aww..." Ren coos -- something about that is just adorable to him. "Minor Arcana for a little guy. And nii-san..." Ren might be melting a bit. "Said he was all shy when you first found him, yeah?"

"Very shy, but he's really come out of his shell since. He talks quite a bit more as well." Guh, he's so comfortable, but he should at least go rinse his dishes. Very reluctantly, he gets off the couch. "Once I'm done, would you like to relocate to the bedroom?"

...He realizes how that came out. Ha.

"For cuddling, of course. I'm not in a rush to sleep, so we can certainly continue this discussion in there."

"That's great. I love the little guy already."

Ren chuckles at the second comment. "I know how you meant it the first time," he reassures his boyfriend. A kiss to distract, then a quick dive-snatch for the dishes. "And you'd better go get started on that bedtime routine of yours. I'll do the dishes in the meanwhile."

"True. I could use the shower after all that motorcycle riding..." Hm, he watches Ren for a moment, contemplating. "Actually, I had a thought. We could always try sleeping shirtless, if you wished? Just a small step without having to commit to anything bolder for the time being."

Still just snuggling, but slightly more intimate. It might be nice, but it's ultimately Ren's call.

Either way, he absolutely plans to freshen up so Ren will get the fresh Akechi cuddle experience.

Edited (no space in motorcycle oops) 2023-11-08 02:20 (UTC)

Ren goes off to wash the dishes. "We can do that. It's still kind of hot here, anyway -- not just from you." Wink. "Would be more comfortable."

Edited 2023-11-08 04:17 (UTC)

Oh, that wink earns a little smirk. "It's a mutually beneficial arrangement. Comfort and a view." He chuckles, shuffling off to his room just to fetch a pair of nice shorts to change into after his shower. "I'll try not to take too long."

To Akechi's credit, he doesn't take a terribly long time, which is a miracle given how meticulous he can be with his hygiene. By the time he's done, he's blow dried his hair, brushed his teeth, washed his face, and comes walking out squeaky clean with his uniform in his arms to wash in the next load of laundry.

He's also shirtless, as promised. "There. All freshened up for the night." The shower does also help with temperature regulation, which is a nice little bonus.

good morning! just thought I'd let you know that everything's going good here take as much honeymoon time as you need!

[ Attached is an image of the Dojima kitchen, taken in a sort of selfie view from Akira; his grinning face (featuring hair even more fluffed and ruffled than usual) is in the corner, cut off by the frame. He's holding a thumbs-up awkwardly. Behind him, Raven and Mini-Magpie are in some sort of deep discussion involving the Featherman ~~toys~~ highly-respectable collector's items in their hands over their already-cleared plates, while Hawk and Aki-chan -- partly covered in whipped cream -- are piling their waffles high with a variety of toppings: whipped cream, chocolate chips, plenty of fresh fruit, and Featherman sprinkles. Shy Hawkmoth, sitting on a chair next to the two younger kids, also features a few dots of whipped cream and sprinkles while sipping on a blood bag. ]

Edited 2023-11-29 04:04 (UTC)

Ren, we have a situation.

I don't suppose you've been in contact with Yoshizawa-san?

I was just talking with her, why???? ᚍ〣( º ﹏º )〣ᚍ

I believe she intends to enter Tartarus during the Dark Hour as part of a reckless rescue mission.

There's another version of me—the one whose Shadow she evidently encountered in Mementos. I got the distinct impression during our brief conversation that she intends to rescue him.

But she'd previously gotten stuck there before. It could happen again.

Didn't you tell her how Shadows work...? And what to do you mean by "rescue" him? (・・ ) ?

Ren, she's known the Metaverse at least as long as we have.

She dragged Kitagawa-kun into Madarame's palace all those months ago. And I know it has to be her because she understood Morgana. I can't think of anyone else who fits the profile of "mysterious maiden in black" who "moved with such poise."

[Yes, he is parroting Yusuke's words back at Ren.]

She still likely has yet to realize she isn't "Kasumi" at all... but I digress. My suspicion is that she aims to take Sparrow out of Tartarus, given that it's likely got him trapped in an endless blank out episode.

But if she was trapped within Tartarus before, then I have to question if it will work in her favor. The Dark Hour is only an hour, after all.

Ren is typing...

Doesn't Shadow-Sparrow have it out for mes? Not sure I'd be the best bet to take along... (´･_･`) But if we can avoid that then I guess I can help out

I doubt his Shadow will reach Tartarus.

But the fact that Yoshizawa-san had been stuck there in the first place leaves me wondering if her rescue attempt will even succeed.

Though if Sparrow did end up stuck within Tartarus and is thus fully incapacitated, that is worrisome all the same.

Such a mission would probably need all the help it can get, I guess.. Who'll look after the kids?

Akira, perhaps?

Though the Dark Hour is only an hour, and electronics don't work. We'll want a Goho-M, and we'll want to ensure that Yoshizawa-san doesn't get in over her head.

As I understand it, the Dark Hour starts at midnight in Iwatodai. When the Dark Hour is active, you cannot escape to the Velvet Room proper. You can leave Tartarus.

If you're still near Yoshizawa-san, I would advise her to not do anything reckless. It may be a better use of her time to inform Igor than to take matters into her own hands.

Ren is typing... Ok When are we stopping her?

The sooner the better, I'd say. We have our hands full as it is, and I don't want to squander our first holiday together.

I mean no ill will towards Yoshizawa-san, but this isn't the sort of thing she should rush into unprepared.

Well, I guess she'll figure out when she's going Tartarus-diving I know we'll have a lot more in the future but I also don't wanna miss our first Christmas Eve (/_＼)

Edited 2023-12-20 03:09 (UTC)

Nor do I.

With that said, if there's anything special you'd like to do, I'm more than willing to add it to the itinerary.

More us time! （*＾ワ＾*） I'll need to think some more (￣︶￣;)

Well, we do have time.

Perhaps we could find a fancy suite in Tokyo? As much as I enjoy our room at the Amagi Inn, a holiday warrants something extra special.

Yeah! Let's make ourselves a new love getaway （｡>‿‿<｡）

Is there anything specific you'd like to try?

Any deep desires you just can't resist?

This would be the part where I'd insert a seductive wink, but using kaomoji would be extremely off brand.

You mean like this? (^ω~) You can send kaomoji! I believe in you B)

❤ (ɔˆз(ˆ⌣ˆc)

...

This feels incredibly cursed. It's one thing when you do it. That's charming. But it does not suit my manner of presentation.

♡＾▽＾♡ According to other people here, it's cursed when I do it, too XD Besides. I've already seen you present your ass to me multiple times No need to worry about keeping up presentations with me B)

Perhaps I should wrap it next time. Then I'll truly present it.

[...]

God, that was awful.

Being honest? I really like being kinda cringefail in flirting with you As long as we're both getting off, who cares how "smooth" or "good" we are y'know It's part of our charm to me ^-^ Also...I would not mind unwrapping you on Christmas Eve Everything about you is a gift. Including your ass Mmmm...your ass is awesome B)

True. It's nobody else's business but our own.

Though I have to say, it astonishes me that my ass has such profound power over you.

What can I say? I'm a teenage boy with hormones And a boyfriend who is of great ASSistance B) Speaking of! We need to figure out when we're Call-of-Chaos-ing me in the Metaverse!

Do you think it'd be best to wait until after Christmas? We could have something more tender and romantic on Christmas Eve and then have at it after the holidays.

Unless you'd rather try it soon rather than later.

Probably best to save it 'till after the holidays. Don't wanna miss out any time with the kiddos (づ◡﹏◡)づ

Speaking of which, I'm preparing an igloo in the yard for their enjoyment. It's a good way to pass the time while I contemplate appropriate gifts...

Yeah...that sounds fun! Oh, I can see you from here You're lookin' all cute and buttoned-up B) If you need to warm up afterwards, just let me know BD

I may have to take you up on that offer.

Of course, you're always welcome to join me.

I'll be gloo'd to your side B) Incoming!

Crow watches the back door with bated breath. He's dressed rather snugly for the occasion, with a nice plaid scarf, gloves, and a brown jacket to keep nice and toasty outside. The igloo is still just the beginnings of the outer wall, but he's been doing his best packing the snow into a stable shape. Right now, it's about up to his waist and wide enough to fit at least a few kids inside.

Eventually, Ren emerges into the outdoors himself after getting his cold weather gear on again. He's grinning and carrying two hot (but not too hot) chocolates on a plate. "Thought I'd bring you out something before I'd have a date with Snowy the Frostman," he jokes, handing Goro a mug.

"Thank you." He happily accepts the cocoa mug, blowing on it just to be safe. "And don't worry. I'm wearing enough layers that the odds of me turning into another Jack Frost are rather slim."

"The chances are slim, but not zero," Ren laughs. He takes a sip of his hot chocolate. "What's the game plan, here?"

"Well, we want to build an igloo suitable for the children. Preferably one large enough that at least two or three of them can crawl inside at a given time." He sips his cocoa, surveying the surrounding snow. "It'll take some doing, but I believe we have enough snow to work with."

Ren grins. "Let's get to it...any secret snowbuilding tech I should know about?"

"I've been trying to pack it tight enough that the walls are stable. We want to ensure that it won't collapse, after all. So a firm, strong foundation is pivotal."

Is there some greater tech? Perhaps, but this seems most pertinent to start with.

"Gotcha. Want me to collect more snow?"

"If it's not too much trouble." Hmm... "Do you need me to hold onto your cocoa?"

It'll make it harder to gather snow for himself, but at least Ren's hands would be free.

"I brought out the plate for a reason," Ren grins, setting it down and putting their hot cocoa on it.

"Well then. I suppose we'd best get to work..." Goro does a little stretch before bending down and rolling some more snow to pack. "I think they'll all get some enjoyment out of this. Raven never really had the luxury to just play in the snow like this."

"Inaba get snow at all?"

"Yes, it's just that he hasn't—" Before Goro can finish his thought, he freezes up. His breath hitches. He clutches his chest, and he chokes out a startled, "M—Mama...?"

Oops. Goro.exe is not responding.

Ren's eyes go wide. "Goro?" He immediately dives to support his boyfriend.

Then, he hears the choked-out question, a single word and so, so frail. "...Wait, is your mother here?" He asks, as gently as he can.

"R—Rose said so. She's talking to Raven about it..." Just give him a moment, Ren. He's leaning a little. This is a lot. It is a lot.

Immediately, Ren holds him close. "Holy shit," he says, wrapping Goro in a hug. "Holy shit."

He's at a loss for words, too, if you couldn't tell.

"...She's from a different world. One where she lived." He's still leaning. Just letting Ren hold him. God.

This is real. "But apparently she doesn't care that we're different."

Ren rubs his boyfriend's back, soothingly. "Wow," he breathes.

...Is that a good thing? Ren asks himself, thinking of his own parents. That she doesn't care if you're different...?

"Do you wanna go meet her?"

"Raven's going to see her first. I think it will be good for him." Mm... Don't mind him just plopping his chin on Ren's shoulder. This is a lot. So many feelings.

Ren holds him closer, rubbing his back. "Wanna...schedule a meeting with her?"

He's really not sure what to say.

"I may contact her later. Right now, I need to process everything. Chances are, I may need to locate Magpie as well." He shakes his head, sighing heavily. "He deserves to know, and I'm not sure how receptive he'll be."

"Yeah..." Ren makes a contemplative noise. "Should I go with you, or do you think this is something you'll want to do yourself?"

"If you want to accompany me, you may, but it's up to you. I imagine it might be a slightly daunting prospect." Alternate realities or not, he would effectively be meeting one or Goro's parents. That's quite a big step. "We're also going to need to figure out how to break the news to Hawk. ...There's a lot he still needs to learn."

"It is, kinda. But Dojima showed up before we were dating, so. I think I can handle it." Maybe. "And uh. I'm not sure I have your way with words to help Hawk..."

"Oh, I don't mean to imply that you should speak to Hawk about it. Rather, it's something we will need to consider now more than ever." He offers Ren a supportive kiss on the cheek. "I think I'll need to contact Magpie before anyone else, and there's a chance he won't react well. If I do end up having to chase him down, could you hold the fort?"

"Yes, of course." Ren nods.

"Thank you, Ren." Hmm... So he needs to find Magpie before anything else. He digs his phone out of his pocket. "I'll try not to be too long, all right? If I know Magpie, he's likely sequestered himself somewhere, and with the weather so cold..."

Well. Duty calls.

[[ooc: after this.]]

What the hell have you done to Crow?

How much detail do you want about our Christmas Eve getaway ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Let's start with "None?" and go from there. Have you noticed anything off about him lately?

Well, yeah Even Aki-chan has noticed how tired he is

[Wtf.]

So what are you doing about it?

Trying to get him to open up about it so I can help him? It's not like you and the other Ren aging up suddenly has helped at all

[ Ren's bite is worse than his bark, but his bark in this instance is easily enough to strip a tree bare. ]

Edited 2024-01-01 01:11 (UTC)

[Ouch. Hey, hey, hey, this isn't his fault!]

I'd have thought me being out of the picture again would remove a significant stress from his life. I know that guy's been starting fires everywhere he can. I'll deal with him later. Right now I haven't got time for chitchat. Crow's on his way. Tell me what to do, besides "get him to open up".

??? He really likes having you around, dude I do too If you were gone we'd only be more stressed B/c Hmmm...try to get his mind off things? Aki-chan is gonna surprise him with cookies when he comes back, so...ig don't use cookies to do that Hang out with him? He's missed being with you, y'know

[Sadly, this is text, and Ren can't see the utterly downcast look Magpie gives his phone.]

That's not what I want to hear. [Because, awkward. Plus, wrong Ren for that.] I meant that not having a self-destructive twelve-year-old to care for any longer can only be a good thing. Getting him to open up while getting his mind off things sounds like a challenge. Also, if Akira-kun is making cookies, tell him to save one for me.

[He's not saying he'll eat it, but.]

I didn't say do them both at the same time!! I dunno...telling him jokes and stealing food from his plate works for me? But I don't think it'd work for you in the same way B/c B/c B/c B/c

[Okay, hang on a tick.]

Because what?

Because...you're not his boyfriend? Hmm...I guess jokes and food-sharing aren't necessaaaaaaarily romantic And you are his platonic husband...... Could be a good strategy maybe (-｡-;

Edited 2024-01-01 01:53 (UTC)

Please don't say "platonic husband". You'll have me starting gay chicken again. And at this point, the loss might destroy me. Is that really all you have? Jokes and gay chicken and your special midnight food sharing? I was hoping for some scintillating psychological insight.

No gay chicken without me judging! Y'know we haven't shared food in the bedroom before, but that gives me an idea... B)

No. No ideas. Leave my imagination something to torment me with, at least.

Sorry man your reactions are just too funny sometimes （⌒▽⌒） And. I mean. I sure wish I had some sorta big-brained insight on him Was kinda hoping you'd have one ^-^;;; Since you're both Goros What would you want someone to do when you're not feeling good?

I'm not sure we can draw any conclusions from that. I kill things when I don't feel good.

[Nobody does anything for him when he's not feeling good. Only Crow has ever even tried. Ren—real Ren—flirted with the possibility a couple of times, but Ren... actually, Ren fucking knew, didn't he, because of the goddamned pancakes. Also, when did he and Crow's Ren get onto first-name terms?]

Like people who use my given name without being invited.

What else am I supposed to call you-- Wait. Sorry *Akechis You're both Akechis!! Force of habit w/ Crow __(-﹏-。;;) Could go kill things in the Metaverse??

Edited 2024-01-02 18:38 (UTC)

I hope you know I would have arrested you inside of five seconds, all else being equal.

[Mind you, he could have had his own Ren arrested the day he first met him, too. There were... other considerations.]

I'll ask him. I'm surprised the two of you don't do it.

[ You might have your own trauma, but so does Ren! ]

Think you'd need to make it under four to beat your dad's record, sorry Why am I 0/2 on handcuffs before dinner anyway... I've been trying to take care of things at home more to get some of the pressure off him, y'know.

[ There's a very strong "easy for you to talk when you don't have as many responsibilities as I do" in there. ]

Go have your guys' night out and fuck shit up -- it's good therapy Both of you...come back in one piece not together. one piece each? whatever, you get it or there will be hell to pay! (ꈍ ᴗ ꈍ✿)

[Well, that stings. How fucking dare he—]

[But then he thinks about it a bit more, and about what he knows of his own Ren, and this one.]

You're right. I shouldn't have thrown that around so casually. My apologies. You know you'll be lucky if I bring him back at all. I have an oubliette down there.

[There is no oubliette.]

Tu dis ça comme si je pouvais vous oublier mes oiseaux (◡‿◡✿) Have fun!

[ OOC // Translation: "You say that as if I could forget my little birds (◡‿◡✿)" ]

[Quickly, he punches that into the translate app on his phone. How is it possible Ren speaks French when Akechi doesn't? The nerve.

Fortunately, then Crow shows up, and he doesn't have to stew about it much longer.]

I'll try to get him back to you intact. Either that or I'll eat him. Thanks.

Ren-senpai, I'm sorry to bother you. I'm sure you're really busy, so if now isn't a good time, I understand.

I just want you to know that there's another version of me here now, and she's

Well, she said a lot of strange things about me. I tried messaging Akechi-senpai, but I think he might be busy. I know I was probably imposing on him, too. Things have been a little tense lately.

It's just troubling. People keep acting like they know more about me than I do.

[ Damn. Wonder why that is. ]

Yeah, things really have been tense around here... There's a version of me here who's a few years older than me We joke around that he's my senpai, just because he has some more experience in being me Is the new Sumi like that, maybe?

She killed her sister, apparently.

[It's... uncomfortable. Very, very uncomfortable.]

It wasn't on purpose, but she got really offended and kept pushing me about my sister. And she accused Maruki of altering my cognition, but that isn't true!

I'm just me...

I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of this, Sumi! (/^.^(^.^*)

[ Hahaha. Haha. Hah. That kaomoji physically hurt to type. ]

What was it Dr. Maruki said...? Sometimes it's okay to run away from your problems? We all know you're you! Maybe it's time to forget the haters and move on! B)

[ Bless him. He's trying so hard. ]

I want to, but that weird Shadow version of Akechi-senpai acted like something was wrong with me, too.

It bothers me. Maybe something happens to my sister in other worlds that makes her act like me, but Dr. Maruki really did just help me face my grief.

He's a counselor, not a monster.

We're all only human! It's possible for him to make mistakes. Maybe he's more prone to it in other universes... I know I would've been in a bad spot if not for Goro helping me. Maybe he got a counselor in ours that changed him around or something! Counselor-ception! （　´∀｀）

[ Please help him. ]

Sayyyy...have you met Aki-chan, Sumi? B) He's making cookies for Goro-senpai right now. You can come over and meet him! It's impossible to feel sad with the little guy around (っ˘ω˘ς )

Honestly, there are still a lot of people I haven't met here. I guess that's the problem with getting stuck in that tower for over a month.

...Are you sure it's okay, though? I don't want to impose! Especially if Akechi-senpai's busy.

Yeah! Goro-senpai is out having some Goro-time with Magpie, he's out of the house right now

[ He attaches a picture of Aki-chan, whose eyes are scrunched up in concentration as he tries to do...something with the cookie dough in his hands. ]

C'mon!! Promise it'll be fun 。.:☆*:･'\(^―^) !

[Oh, goodness! He's so little. And that face...

Bless his heart.]

Aww, he's adorable!

I guess if it's really okay, I can drop by for a visit. I'd just need directions.

Here you go!

[ Ren gives her directions to their house. Hopefully he doesn't regret this in like...twenty minutes when she shows up. ]

"Hey, Aki-chan...we're gonna have a guest over soon, ok?"

It's not too hard to find, thanks to the compressed travel distances, though she has a very awkward run-in with a younger Akechi outside the house on his bike. He dismounts the bike and gets closer to promptly ~~interrogate~~ inquire about her.

"...I see. So you're from the year 2016 and go to the same school as Crow and Ren. Which means you're from my future. How fascinating..."

Kasumi tries so hard not to giggle at his antics or coo at how cute he is. That serious expression! The sharp determination in his eyes... but he's younger and spikier and, goodness. Well, she'll just smile and nod.

"Yep! They're my senpai. In fact, Ren-senpai just invited me over to help with the cookies." ...She thinks, anyway. "Oh, but don't worry! It's completely platonic." She probably doesn't need to warn for it, but it can be hard to tell with kids.

Raven just snorts. "Well, obviously. Those two are so absurdly in love that there might as well be a neon sign pointed over them at any given time." He turns to his bike, but hesitates. "...And are you a Persona user?"

Oh. That's... hmm. Kasumi titters. "Wellll... I'll let you figure that out, detective! It's no fun if I give away too much about your future." With that, she practically skips over to the door and knocks. Save her, Ren-senpai! Little Akechis aren't supposed to know about her powers!

Who answers the door isn't Ren, but the aforementioned tiny Akira-kun. He stares up at this Yoshizawa-senpai with wide, grey eyes. He says nothing, but the inviting smell of fresh-baked cookies wafts from the house.

"Oh, Sumi!" Ren's voice calls from inside the house. "Hey, c'mon in, I'm just..."

"Cooky," says the small Aki-chan.

"The first round of cookies are almost done...you can be our taste-tester!"

O-oh, goodness. He's so little... and cooky. Bless his little heart. Kasumi clasps her hands together, needing a moment to just process this lil' guy.

"Aw, hi! You must be Aki-chan." So tiny, and... wait. Her eyes drift to Ren's hand, to that ring. "I guess I really have missed a lot."

Something inside Ren wants to snatch his hand away from her prying eyes. "Maybe you have," he says, a little stiffly, then remembers who he's talking to. "Er...kinda? I can tell you more about it..."

A little belatedly, Aki-chan bows in greeting to Yoshizawa-senpai. "M Aki-chan, Yozishawa-senpai." His face scrunches up just a little bit. "Yowizawa-senpai. Yoshishasa-senpai. Yo-shi-aw-za. Yo-shi-wa-za. Yo-shi-sen-pai...?"

Ren can't help but chuckle at Akira-kun's attempts to pronounce Sumi's last name. "It's a tough one, isn't it? I don't want to a-Sumi-e anything, but I think it'd be okay if you called her by her nickname."

Oh. Is her name hard to pronounce? Then again, Aki-chan is just a little kid. Despite his struggles, she smiles sweetly. "It's okay. You can use the nickname!" She'd offer a pat on the head, but maybe not until they know each other better.

"And if you want to talk about it, Senpai, I'd listen! Whatever you're comfortable with."

"Sumi-senpai," Aki-chan lets out a small sigh of relief, bowing again and nearly bonking his head on Cooking-Senpai's leg. "Fanks fer name!" Ren smiles at how adorable the little guy is, then glances down at him. He doesn't wanna bring anything potentially triggering up around him...

"Come on inside," Ren ushers Sumi inside the co-opted Dojima residence, showing her where she can put her shoes. "And...Akira-kun, why don't you show Sumi our cookies?"

Aki-chan takes up his mission with solemnity, and Ren whips out his phone as soon as they're on their way.

Hey Sumi! So. Goro proposed. Kind of. Lol We have rings to reaffirm our permanent, monogamous dedication to each other, as he would say (￣ω￣) And I am very very happy about it!!! ✿♬ﾟ+.(｡◡‿◡)♪.+ﾟ♬✿。 But...Aki-chan comes from a troubled household... His parents fight a lot, and because of that he has a hard time understanding that love can be positive and good... (;_;) I think he took the news of our sort-of engagement pretty well!! But I just wanna avoid possibly upsetting him, so I'd prefer not to talk about it with him around o(-( Some other time, ok? B)

Edited 2024-01-05 05:42 (UTC)

Kasumi follows the little guy along, though when he phone vibrates, she takes a quick look at the messages, and—

Oh!

Oh. Goodness. On one hand, aren't they kind of young? On the other hand, it's obvious how much they care about each other. Effectively stating intention to marry when it's made possible is a sweet gesture and shows genuine commitment to the relationship. Not that she'd expect anything less from Akechi.

The rest of the message, though... She frowns for a moment, looking down at little Aki-chan. Rather than press it, she sends a quick message:

Thanks for the heads up! We can talk later.

There's more she could say, but right now, she's supposed to be helping the little guy with cookies. So! She tucks her phone away and smiles once again.

Ren rushes over as soon as he's done texting, just in time to catch Akira-kun showing Sumi the cookies Ren just took out of the oven.

"Dagon-san," Aki-chan says, showing her the chocolate chip cookies they tried -- emphasis on the tried -- to make into dragon shapes. Akira-kun is frowning just a little bit, though. They didn't come out to his expectations, courtesy of his tiny little hands and still-developing motor control.

"I'm sure they'll taste great, Aki-chan," Ren reassures him, grabbing some plates. "Would you like to try the...grains of our labor, Sumi?"

D-Dagon-san... Oh, goodness. Sumi takes a deep breath just to avoid squealing at how cute Aki-chan is. But Ren's right, of course!

"I'd love to! And don't worry too much about the shape, okay? What matters is that you did your best!"

"Bettew," Aki-chan grumbles in the frowning-ever-so-slightly way of his, but he looks a little happier at the reassurances. After climbing up the chair to get to the tray Ren just removed from the oven, he places the fresh, lumpy cookies on their plates for them to try.

Ren raises his cookie up in a mock toast. "Bon appetit!"

Kasumi gladly accepts the plate, raising her own and repeating, "Bon appetit!"

She takes a little nibble, and despite the shape, it's a perfectly respectable cookie. To better encourage little Aki-chan, she makes a happy little sound. And, of course, she swallows before speaking. "You did a good job, Aki-chan! I'm sure the others are gonna love these."

It takes a little while before Akechi and Ren can head off for the day, in part due to the necessary breakfast prep and making sure the kids are all set for the day. Once all the little odds and ends are attended to and the kids head off with Magpie, it's time for them to make their move.

And so they arrive at the Shibuya station, and Crow removes his phone. "Well, here we are. It's certainly been a while since the two of us entered the Metaverse together."

"It really has been, huh..." Ren smiles, following Goro. "I've missed it."

"At least this way, we can get back into the swing of things." He flashes Ren a smile, but... hm. This is going to be quite the ordeal, isn't it? Nonetheless, he punches in Mementos.

Beginning navigation.

The station ripples and warps all around them until the familiar red color scheme of Mementos takes over. As they arrive, Crow's typical princely costume materializes, and he heaves a small sigh of relief that this is his 'default.'

Unfortunately, that's not what Ren is here to see. "...So, are you prepared to see my 'other side'?"

Joker lands smoothly, hitting the floor of Mementos with an exaggerated swoop. He adjusts his gloves and lifts up his mask, placing it on his head with a grin, a little bit of that Joker confidence shining through. "Showtime."

So it is.

Crow braces himself, hesitant. The bright, regal costume is more comfortable. Like a warm hug, like a guiding light. It's the image he's upheld with the Thieves for so long. A righteous, virtuous Detective Prince...

But that's not the point of this exercise. They're a couple. They're engaged. It's best if he show it on his own terms than let things fester.

So he takes a deep breath, then slowly releases it, trying to will the darker feelings up from the pit of his stomach. It takes a moment, but soon the white, pristine colors flake away, giving way to something darker. Tattered sleeves, stripes, belts all around, clawed gauntlets, a sharp, black mask more like an ominous helmet.

It's different.

Yeah...different it certainly is.

Ren...needs a moment to process it. Each time he looks at it, it somehow gets. Edgier.

Edited 2024-02-06 04:37 (UTC)

Eventually, Ren shakes himself from his stupor and immediately his hand goes to where the two parts of the suit's pants meet. "You got shorts under here?"

Edited 2024-02-06 04:42 (UTC)

He raises a finger, then drops it. Though the mask obscures most of his face, if Ren looks closely, he will see a very perplexed, almost dumbfounded look on his boyfriend's face.

"To be frank, I haven't spent enough time in this outfit to properly assess how it works." But of course Ren's hand is there. Thank god the black mask hides the blush that's overtaken Goro's cheeks. "It may be akin to a leotard with leggings."

"Huh..." Ren runs his hand over the seam between...pant and pant. "Well. It is different. Very spiky. Very...goth." His other hand goes to Crow's helmet, and he pouts. "Wait...how am I supposed to kiss you like this?" Both hands move to part his boyfriend's beaky mask, and the top part slides up out of his way. "Much better." Kiss to his boyfriend's cheek.

The kiss earns a week chuckle. "Rather impractical, isn't it? At least with the other costume, all you need to do is remove the mask. With this, you might as well remove the entire headpiece." It's less pointy that way, for starters. Less clunky, too.

"And leave you without a persona here? Nah." One more kiss, then he lowers the helmet over his boyfriend's head again. You could probably make some sort of metaphor about letting people close with that. "Besides. I think the whole helmet deal is pretty cool, actually. Is the entire thing your mask, or just the top half?"

"Just the top part." He grabs the front of it and tears it off for emphasis, albeit without calling for a Persona. "Seems it attaches and detaches fairly easily."

He looks down at the rest of this ridiculous outfit. "Honestly, this whole getup seems so cumbersome. Certainly impractical."

"Yeah..." Ren can't deny it's the most restraining outfit he's seen. "Almost like you're being restrained by it, more than it freeing you."

Hmm...a hand goes to one of the belts, and Ren's smile crooks up into a smirk. "Or maybe it frees you in a different way, hmm?"

"I wouldn't exactly call belts liberating." Though Goro stares at Ren's hand, and damn it, that smirk. He's way too good at this.

Goro needs to up his flirting game.

"You'd have quite a time getting me out of this."

"It doesn't look so impenetrable to me," Ren chuckles. With a shhing, his dagger materializes in his off hand.

"My... already eager to tear it apart, are we?" He sets a hand on his hip, shaking his head. "I suppose I'll need to address the other elephant in the room..."

Loki, that is. God, that's a whole other can of worms.

"Oh, yeah. Loki." Ren steps back a bit, giving his boyfriend room to summon. "Can't wait to meet him."

Edited 2024-02-06 05:38 (UTC)

"Right here, right now?" No Shadows in sight to occupy him. Just the top level? Hmm... "I could. I just want to be sure."

"Yeah," Ren reaches out, rubbing Goro's non-spiky arm in comfort. "You can show me everything. I'll love you, still. I promise."

"All right." Okay. Fine. This is fine. Perfectly fine. He trusts Ren, obviously. Ren wouldn't lie. It's just...

So many painful memories. Rage burning, bubbling with in him. Anguished screams of murderous intent. His friends, his family seeing him, and...

He reaches for his mask again, trying to steady his breathing, trying to keep a cool head.

It's okay. It's gonna be okay. He just needs to rip off the bandage. Get it over with.

And so he rips the mask off. "Persona!"

There's a flash of red. A howl of laughter. The often overlooked Persona descends, striped and grinning with razor sharp teeth and slivers of gold eyes and braids swishing, and those sure are gold hooves, and that sure is a huge sword.

Oh.

Ooooh.

Ren whistles.

So this is Loki.

The mask is gone, and there's laughter from an eyeless grin. And delicious bloodlust radiating from them both. The braids and golden hooves and razor-sharp teeth and...ooh.

Ren can't help himself -- he's looking Crow and Loki both up and down, very respectfully, eyes going to some very interesting places while his brain reboots. "Hey there, handsome," he says, to both Loki and his boyfriend, very intelligently. "Come here often?"

Wait. Is Ren... flirting with Loki? What?

Goro stares, trying to process this while the Persona behind him once again howls with laughter. That already toothy grin only grows.

This one's much too afraid to unchain himself... One of Loki's hands rests on Goro's shoulder. He tries so hard to be a good little boy. A pristine prince, a righteous hero, but you've seen what it's done to him...

Suddenly, this is all rather uncomfortable. Goro tries to pull himself free, but Loki does not let go.

Edited 2024-02-06 18:05 (UTC)

Ren can only grin. "You're telling me," he says to Loki, walking up to his boyfriend with a little sway in his hips. "We'll just have to change that, won't we?" Ren's left hand goes to Goro's free shoulder, ring glinting in the light. "His chains are safe with me."

Loki snickers at the prospect. He's had too much safety. Chains are meant to be broken. He tries much too hard to be Mr. Perfect, even when there's nothing to prove...

Goro grumbles at his Persona, because having it all laid out like that in front of Ren is embarrassing. Very, very embarrassing.

"He's having too much fun with this."

Ren takes his grumpy boyfriend's cheeks between his hands. "Loki has a point," he says, squishing his puffed-out cheeks and putting a kiss on his forehead. "You've kept yourself caged for too long. I'm here to take off your chains and coax you out of the safe little hole you've kept yourself in. No matter what you show me. I'll be here. I promised."

Oh dear. More snickers. Someone saying he has a point! Oh, Loki is going to savor this moment, tipping his chin up like a kid who just got a gold star in school.

Goro at least relaxes at his boyfriend's touch. "Of course. I suppose the question is... what now?" They're in Mementos. He's shown the outfit and his often repressed Persona... but what comes after?

"What now?" Ren mimics him. He shares a glance with Loki. "Well...it's showtime."

Hup, up goes the boyfriend for Ren to carry him...and if he takes a moment to feel Goro's ass, well, that's between them. "It's about time you showed me what you're capable of when you don't hold yourself back." Time to head deeper into Mementos to find some Shadows to wreck!

Well, okay. This might as well be happening. Ren might as well be carrying him bridal style while he wears this tight, belt-coated, spiky mess of an outfit. "I suppose it is."

Loki, however, keeps cackling. Just as loyal as Sigyn. You care not what 'poison' has burned his very being.

Yes. This seems like a good start, so Loki takes a bow and then vanishes for now. The pointy mask returns to Goro.

"No poison strong enough to keep me away," Ren chirps to the air, kicking in the turnstiles to Mementos proper. Patpat. "Wanna tell me when we're close to some Shadows?"

"How deep would you like to go? The uppermost floors are always full of such low-level Shadows..." But perhaps that's all they need. If they're just here to blow off steam, the specifics may not matter.

"Just a level or two. Don't wanna risk the angry Sparrow down here, right? Besides..." he slows down with an oof. Boyfriend heavy... "I'm probably out of practice."

"You don't have to carry me the entire way, you know." Goro sees that straining, Ren. He knows. "If it's easier for you, we can continue on foot."

Ren is already on foot, but still!

"Well...if you're gonna be a prince, it's only right that I carry you like one, right?" It's a challenge. C'mon, be a little feral for your boyfriend. "I can make it -- we're almost there already."

Edited 2024-02-07 20:45 (UTC)

"Oh, all right. But I do expect to fight on my own two feet..." Well, while he's being carried, he might as well try and navigate. Beneath his helmet Goro's eyes narrow, and... "I'm sensing incoming Shadow activity, but they're all weaklings. Easy prey for us."

"You'll have to show me just how easy," Ren smirks, using a free hand to rip off his mask. "Persona!" Arsene comes to life.

Just in time, it seems. As they draw close, the nearby Shadows immediately flee. It's a stampede of Slimes, Obariyons, Kodama, and Sudama high tailing it down the tunnel.

Still in his boyfriend's arms, Goro rips off his mask and screams for, "Loki!"

Loki descends with a ruthless laugh, smothering the weaklings with an explosive Megidolaon. Overkill, most certainly, given that Goro's regained his lost strength.

The Megidolaon whips past Ren's face and the exhilaration from the spell so close to him cracks a wild laugh through his own lungs. "Hell yeah!! Arsene, Megidolaon!"

Joker's own Megidolaon, less impressive than his boyfriend's, follows the path of Loki's spell down the tunnel, ruining the days of whatever Shadows were unfortunate enough to survive Crow's initial cast.

"Rather overkill, but I suppose that's the point of the exercise, isn't it?" He'd kiss Ren's cheek if this helmet wasn't in the way. Ren will just have to settle for an awkward lil' pat with the underside of his gauntlet.

"Absolutely," Ren's grin is wild, a little feral, setting boyfriend down. "Wanna go see what they dropped?"

"Very well." As they head down the tunnel, they'll find some loose yen, which ultimately doesn't hold much value here, some misc Shadow drops that would normally be worth selling to Iwai, but again, not much value here, and maybe a low level skill card or two.

Ren gathers up the skill cards -- you never know! -- and passes up the rest of the stuff on the ground. "Wanna go a little deeper?"

"Well, it'll be a pain without Mona, but I'm sure we'll manage." He does a little stretch before following along.

Ren opens his mouth to say something, but -- surprisingly -- Arsene beats him to the punch. "I have yet to thank you, ma moitié, for your gifts in battle...Nul la Glace et Megidolaon are très magnifique." A deep, demonic rumble of amusement from Ren's persona. "Et votre dernier aussi."

Oh. Arsène is talking to him? Or is it Loki? He blinks, eying the Persona in all his dapper, winged glory. "You're quite welcome." Although... something about that flirtatious tone—

Loki returns with a cackle. It serves you well in annihilating those weaklings, min opprører... A suitable skill for an equal in combat. Loki turns in such a way to highlight his figure. The flirting? Oh, he noticed.

God. The Personas are flirting. Why?

Edited 2024-02-08 05:57 (UTC)

Arsène laughs, a ghostly, clawed hand resting on what could pass for Loki's thigh. "You do well to flatter me, ma moitié. But I am far from your equal in strength yet." Afterwards, Arsène turns to Crow. "So surprised that the manifestations of your souls would find each other appealing, mon corbeau?"

Goro opens his mouth to speak, but off to the side there's a little flash of blue, and his Shadow steps in in his more familiar, Akechi-shaped form. "I believe he's rather concerned about the nature of Persona-based courtship. Especially where Loki is concerned..."

Loki just keeps laughing, and Goro facepalms. This is getting absurd. "I am not accustomed to Personas flirting, no."

"Have you not plans for testing out Loki's powers in the bedroom?" If Arsène could raise a brow, he'd be doing so. "I art thou, thou art I...we can want nothing more than what our other selves want. And perhaps what my other self wants is a night of unbridled desires, as many of those in-love so yearn for."

Ren...he's been slowly putting his face into his palms as his Persona keeps speaking, but at this? Yeah. He's on the ground, face beet red. Don't mind him just dying from embarrassment in the corner.

Uh.

Well, yes. That's obviously a desire they share, but to have it stated so bluntly and out in the open where the Shadows and Personas can hear it. Goro coughs, grateful that this godforsaken mask is so efficient at hiding his blush.

Loki, on the other hand, only grins wider and nudges Goro closer to Ren.

You both know precisely what you want. Perhaps it is not combat you crave, but something more carnal...

"It occurs to me that if we dawdle too long, we may attract the Reaper. Perhaps we ought to move topside?"

Just in case. And there may be more comfortable locations anyway if things... go there.

"Ah, excuse me my lack of delicacy on the subject," Arsène laughs. "I mean no interruption. We can continue with whatever paths your hearts desire."

And with one last meaningful look at Loki, Arsène dissolves into blue fire, reforming into Ren's mask. Ren peels himself off the floor. "Yeah, we should. Probably get away from the Reaper zones..."

Loki snickers a little more before disappearing as well. Akechi's Shadow lingers, eying Ren closely before he sighs and vanishes as well.

So... all right. Back to business, then. Goro offers his hand. "The surface levels of Mementos are near identical to the real world. We could easily find a more comfortable location and see where it takes us."

"Are you sure? We have had a lot of sex recently..." Ren looks out at the deeper parts of Mementos, taking Goro's hand. "Arsène is promising me he'll behave if we do wanna keep fighting. But. Uh." Well. Better rip the band-aid off. A quick glance down at Goro's...assets. "Your ass is fantastic in your Loki costume. And Loki's ass is fantastic too. And your Shadow's ass..."

Oh, what's this? Praise? Goro's Shadow makes another appearance just long enough to smirk and rest a hand on his hip. "Goodness, you flatter me. A shame I don't get many opportunities to show off in this state."

Goro tries not to roll his eyes, instead giving Ren's hand a squeeze. "We're in a cognitive world. I believe we'll be all right, and it's obvious what you need right now." So he'll go ahead and tug Ren along. Best not to linger too much, anyway.

"Two at once..." Ren...yeah, he's blushing, walking with his boyfriend. "You're really hot when you're fighting...but if it wasn't for Arsène popping up, I could've kept it in my pants. Promise..."

His eyes betray him, once more. God, that's a good ass.

[Ren finds himself with a call from... an Akechi?]

Hello? This is Dove, I'm one of the newer guests in the Velvet Room. Ah, Crow recommended I speak with you. I hope I haven't called at a bad time. If you're willing, please contact me at -Insert phone number here-. Thank you.

[And that's the end of the call... He sounded polite enough, at least.]

A little while later, he gets a text.

hey! whats up B)

[It takes a little longer than expected for a message to be sent, possibly because he was stuck rewording it.]

Hello, Amamiya-san. This may sound a little strange, but I was wondering if you would be willing to tell me about yourself. My memory of you, or rather my world's version of you, is very minimal. I'm hoping to correct that.

uh sure!!! what do you wanna kno? Bo

Crow said you were a Phantom Thief. Perhaps we could start there? I know my world's Amamiya-san was a Phantom Thief, but I can't remember any specifics.

oh sure! well I showed up to Tokyo on probation after """assaulting""" a guy I tried to stop him from assaulting a woman He was Shido and didn't like that very much And then I went on probation and I met Crow and awoke to Arsène! he's my persona. the og phantom thief

I'm sorry you went through all of that. Shido has a penchant for causing others difficulty, doesn't he?

['Difficulty'. That's a light way of putting it.]

That said, this does sound familiar. I believe my world's Amamiya-san is similar, at least in this regard.

[But what does it mean though? Did they actually work together as Phantom Thieves? Or was he the Black Mask...? He's not sure...]

yeah hes an asshole but he gave me you so hes done one (1) good thing in his life

You flatter me, but I believe you should be saying those words to Crow, not me.

It does leave me to wonder what the exact relationship between me and my own Amamiya-san is. All of my memories indicate it's amicable, but I only have memory of enjoying some of our free time together.

all akechis are gifts. to me B) yeahhhh i'm not sure on that one. in most other universes it seems like me and you have much more complex relationships??? its weird but understandable given diff contexts ig i dunno how diff versions of me survived bein in tokyo for the first time w/o an akechi there to stop things from gettin. bad

Different context... I can't speak for any other worlds, but in my own world I have memories of leading the Phantom Thieves without your presence. However, given your circumstances in my world, you may very well have been the true leader.

I'm currently trying to determine whether we were also co-leaders or if it was an entirely different scenario. What is it like, the two of you working together?

phantom thieves without me, huh...i dunno if we have anyone like that?? we might for us, its great! since crow already has a ton of persona experience its great having someone by our side who can help us in battle ╰(▔∀▔)╯ aside from morgana ofc! we can also split up to tackle palaces better, and double the wild card is double the persona flexibility

Someone with more experience? We had Morgana, but other than that I can't recall anyone with that sort of experience. Perhaps the circumstances in my world are different in that regard.

Double Wild Cards also doesn't sound familiar, but I think that may be due to the fact I've only recently awoken as one myself.

My world's version of you may be one though. I'm starting to remember being impressed-- or perhaps even envious of what he could do.

yeahhhhh my world is pretty. weird. to the norm most places don't have any older persona users either I think mayb he got his wild card before you did? magpie has been stuck with robin hood and loki for years only just got another something like that? your me helped you with the power of bonds?

I'm not familiar with Loki, is that another Persona we tend to have?

[And if it is... he's wondering why he doesn't have access to it...?]

I don't believe he assisted me in that way. Before I remembered him, I couldn't summon more than one Persona. At least, not that I'm able to recall.

yeah its well. thinking about it loki is your. rebellious spirit of chaos and since maruki. yea (×﹏×) interesting! thats one possibility down at least

'Rebellious spirit of chaos'... I can see why I would be lacking that in my reality.

Thinking on it, we can't be certain I never had Loki, can we? It's entirely possible I lost my connection to that part of myself when I was actualized. Though it's also a possibility that I simply never had access to Loki to begin with.

Could you tell me more about Loki? What kind of abilities does it happen to have?

[Surely there's something that'll snap into place if he just hears the right thing... He hopes.]

im thinkin you probably did have him... my goro's loki has
He sends along a screenshot of a text conversation between himself and Crow. Crow responds to Joker's question of "what that Loki doin" with "Bless, curse, almighty, physical, and gun attacks, alongside Call of Chaos."
those things! Call of Chaos seems to be the signature ability

'Call of Chaos'. That one stands out. What kind of ability is it?

[The rest feels sort of right, but Call of Chaos in particular grabs him.]

its pretty intense its like. it takes the chains off your heart so you basically have 0 impulse control others have used it to do stuff like. make a guy go streaking through a restaurant make a train conductor crash their train make someone jump off a cliff just. impulses. 0 thoughts its not all bad tho!!! just no higher thinkin

That sounds concerning, to say the least. Zero impulse control could lead to so many people being harmed.

Wait a moment, is that what the psychotic breakdowns were? Using Call of Chaos?

[He thinks back to everything he's heard about the Black Mask...]

[...He needs to face this.]

yeah...

I see.

[Dove has no idea how to feel anymore. Is he afraid? Saddened? Angry? Maybe he should go do what Akira suggested and rip some newspapers...]

My apologies, this wasn't what I was intending to linger on. I was trying to recall more about my Amamiya-san, but instead I've gotten us far off course.

I can't help but wonder why it's so difficult remembering him. Speaking with you feels familiar enough, but nothing has re-emerged. Perhaps there's something I'm still missing?

[Continued from here.]

At first, Crow just moves along, limp. Silent. Strangely submissive. Ren wanting to have a... talk is worrisome, on top of everything else that's happened today.

Did he ruin it? Was this a breaking point? His eyes squeeze shut. He gulps. No. Don't panic. Don't make assumptions. Just... breathe.

His Shadow follows along, equally uncertain, but someone has to be the one to break the silence. "So... what did you want to talk about, Ren?"

Joker takes Crow's right hand in his left and rubs it, clinking their rings together as they walk along. "I'm not leaving you." A glance back at his Shadow. "Either of you." Deep breath in, deep breath out. He twines their fingers together. "We haven't eaten out together in a while...let's stop by the food court?"

There is room for negotiation in Ren's voice this time, now that they're back in the real world.

Edited 2024-07-09 22:24 (UTC)

The affirmation helps. Crow releases the pent up tension in a sigh. "All right. I doubt either of us is in the right mindset to cook..."

Still, he squeezes Ren's hand in return, perhaps a little tight.

His Shadow keeps following, but keeps enough of a distance so as not to intrude. At least the Velvet Room door is close by. Another pass through it, and they can simply... appear at the Junes food court.

They show up at the entrance to Junes, Ren needing a little more time to cool off. It's not a long walk to the food court, anyway...

He looks back at ShadowKechi with a wry little grin. "I have two hands, y'know." Ren shakes his right hand for emphasis. "Be a shame not to hold both my boyfriends with them."

Edited 2024-07-09 22:34 (UTC)

"Oh. Of course." A bit timid, Goro's Shadow makes his way over and accepts Ren's other hand.

The elevator is just to the left, so at the very least, it won't be long once they step inside.

Unsure of what to add, Goro lets Ren lead.

As the elevator door closes behind them, Ren lets out another deep breath -- tension unwinding from his shoulders and the adrenaline going with it. He leans into Crow, guiding both parts of him out of the elevator and into the food court once they hit their stop.

Tables aplenty span out before them. Further back, multiple stalls. Everything from snack foods like takoyaki to more robust meals like yakisoba and ramen await. Goro gazes off at the offerings, utterly unsure.

"...Is there anything in particular you'd like?" His voice sounds a little hoarse. Definitely tired.

"Let's grab some quick ramen," Ren kisses the side of his face. "Right over here..."

There isn't a line, of course, and Ren places his order easily. It's a quick and dirty ramen shop, so Ren knows it'll be fast and good.

"All right. Thank you." Goro waits for the meal, still tense, but slightly better. Even so, there's a somewhat distant look in his eyes.

His Shadow glances at the two of them, quiet once more. Far be it from him to break the mood.

"Of course." Ren grabs their food from the stall once it's ready, and takes both his boyfriends over to a somewhat quiet spot to eat.

"So." Ren lets out an exhale. "Wait. I almost forgot -- itadakimasu." Okay, now he can dig into his food. A bite. "So. I'm kind of annoyed at you right now, Crow."

Goro joins in giving thanks for the meal and then... slumps a little. "I suppose I had that coming." He doesn't fight it, though. Not now.

His Shadow glances between the two. "It may help to lay out your problems, but do so in a way that's... constructive, I suppose? I believe we're all exhausted, so let's try to handle this with a more positive spin."

"I'm too tired for an argument." Ren shrugs. His stomach growls. "And too hungry," he says with a weak chuckle. "...You get stubborn, sometimes. About the people you love." In any way. "And that's good. But." Another breath. "You were being a prideful idiot, back there. And I don't like seeing you be the one to start fights."

The good thing is, he realizes now that he took it too far. If Ren had brought it up before that breaking point, he would have surely been more combative, but now...

A weak whisper of laughter escapes him. "I suppose I just wanted to nip it in the bud. I didn't trust Glitch, and I felt I had to put my foot down because there's so much at stake. We can't afford to let a setback like this stop us, and when she deemed the mission dead on arrival, I was furious because it felt as though she would sooner give up than dare to try. I suppose just as she had her preconceptions regarding Magpie, I couldn't look past the way she conducted herself in the group chat before."

Ren lets out a snort. "Glitch is kind of a bitch." He stabs his chopsticks into his ramen. "The thing is. So are you, when you get like that. And I just..." he slurps down the egg in one bite. "Don't know how to get you to see reason again without yelling at you."

"There's a reason I spent so long... repressing that side of me." He breaks off a piece of the egg, taking a smaller bite. "But that doesn't excuse it. I suppose..."

Hm. What can he even suggest?

"It's okay to remind me if I get out of control. I don't always realize when I've taken it too far. It's just... this entire situation has been so immensely tiring. I obviously don't excuse Magpie's words, and it pains me to know that he went so far on my behalf, but..."

He digs the fingers of his right hand into his hair, prodding at the noddles with his left. "I suppose on some level, I just wish they'd both get their shit together. It's selfish, but these past several months, I've felt this immense pressure because I care about both of them, and I don't want to cut ties with either."

"Hmm..." Ren chews his ramen contemplatively, then swallows hit bite and puts his left hand on Goro's. "First things first. If I tap your hand and say "control", would that work as a reminder? Promise to try to not get mad, in the moment. If I do it. Because that's what stops me from doing it now...being scared that you're gonna explode on me."

"I don't think I could ever forgive myself if I 'exploded' at you. That's not the kind of partner I want to be." He looks at their hands, at their rings... "I think... something like that is preferable. I don't react as well when I feel cornered. I've tried to get better over the years, but sometimes..."

Well, sometimes, days like today happen.

"I think what hurts the most is that Glitch and I were on good terms before. I even extended an olive branch after I had cooled down and after Raven butted in when he shouldn't have, but I don't think she took it seriously. I even tried to emphasize that we need to find compromise if we're to complete this mission successfully..."

So did he handle it wrong? Well...

"I suppose stepping in before anyone had a chance to speak or react wasn't the gentlest move, but I thought it necessary to nip it in the bud, in a sense, because I knew that it would be contentious, but I also felt like if anyone ought to speak to Magpie, it's me for a myriad of reasons. Him saying such callous words on my behalf was one of them."

"Not like we have many other options. You're the local Magpie whisperer," Ren chuckles. "And...y'know what? Back to what you said before...yeah. They're both being idiots. And they're both immature fuckwads for not having their shit together and making you deal with it. That's not the question here." A snort. "You came in too aggressively and started cornering everyone else, I think. And then they lashed out and you lashed out back."

Edited 2024-07-10 01:55 (UTC)

"I suppose it was a fear response. I was already taken aback by Magpie's words and was terrified of what would happen, so I stepped in to shut it down as swiftly as possible. I see now, though, that I should have prioritized Drake first. I'm sure he's just as upset with me as Glitch..."

He tries to distract himself by taking a bite of noodles. "I've wondered... am I even fit to be on this team? Not in terms of skill so much as... I suppose I've questioned if it's fair to get involved when my presence has caused so much discord, but now that I know Magpie is necessary, it's not as though I can back down."

Ren blinks at him.

Once.

Twice.

"God," he says, because he's just been hit with a massive revelation. "You're my idiot."

He leans over to give the idiot a big smooch on the temple. Mwah.

"...Well, yes. We do have the rings to prove it." He does relax a little at the kiss, though. "What brought this on?"

His Shadow chuckles at their antics. "To be frank, I think dismissing yourself would hardly help. Just as Magpie is interwoven with the Palace, so are you. I can also imagine that giving up wouldn't reflect well on Drake. He might even take it to mean that you're discarding him outright."

"Which is hardly what I want, obviously. I just..."

"You're hurt, and there's no easy solution. It's not a situation where you'll get the 'justice' or 'apology' you feel you deserve, and so you're left without a resolution, which in turn only intensifies your stress because you lack a proper outlet."

Edited 2024-07-10 02:09 (UTC)

"Tell him," Ren nods at Crow's shadow. "You're an idiot if you think you don't belong on the team. And I think you have to accept that some people are going to be idiots when it comes to dealing with people they don't like. But that doesn't have to be you."

"I just don't know what I can do to fix this. I've no doubt Glitch would be happier without me there at this point. I miss when things were simpler, but I also can't forgive her for her horrible assumptions about Magpie when I know he's trying to do better."

Damn it all. Goro goes for more ramen, just to ground himself. He hates this.

"And I don't know how he'll react. We can't just ignore that we know about his message to Drake, but I don't want to drive him away."

"I've no doubt Glitch would be happier with none of us there," Ren points out. "But she'd be happiest of all with Drake's palace gone."

"I think... I just don't do well with betrayal or feelings that overlap with it. And even if it wasn't a literal betrayal, her assertions that Magpie would use the Palace maliciously felt unbelievably cruel. If he truly wished to hurt Drake, he'd pick up a gun and shoot him."

Setting down his chopsticks, he buries his face in his hand and wheezes out a brittle laugh. "And then, when she complained about Magpie's assumptions about her, all I could think was that she was being hypocritical. I realize that's not entirely fair, especially when there's no defending what he said to Drake, but that was how it felt at the time. It got me seeing red."

"Yeah," Ren repeats, softly, wrapping his arm around the boyfriend. He knows how much betrayal and abandonment hurt him; it's why he clinks their rings together. Forever. That's what he promised, that's what he'll deliver. "She's in the wrong, too. Glitch has more problems than just a few programming bugs." He pets Goro.

"I'm not happy that I'm angry with her. It'd be so much simpler if I wasn't, but it's how I feel." Even so, he leans into the touch. He should really finish eating, but he's just so tired.

"What are we even going to tell Magpie? How do we even start a conversation about this?"

He knows they have to. He volunteered, it's just... hard.

"Tell him the truth and have your younger self make puppydog eyes at him?" He jokes, weakly. "We'll come up with something in the morning..."

Ren looks over to Boyfriend The Second, taking another bite of his ramen. "How are you holding up?"

"And you're sure it can wait until morning..." Goro hardly sounds convinced as he attempts another bite.

His Shadow hums. "More concerned than anything. I wasn't thrilled with what happened back there, but it's difficult for me to get angry. Those emotions weren't part of my... conception, I suppose."

"Those are in Loki?" Ren guesses. Then, just for good measure: "You aren't bad for feeling angry or being a hypocrite back there. Feelings are one thing, actions are another, y'know?"

"More or less," his Shadow says. "I'm sure I could get angry if pressed hard enough, but I think I'm more likely to feel sadness than more hotblooded emotions."

Goro heaves a heavy sigh. "The problem is when my actions end up hurting the people I care about. I'm sure Drake won't be happy with me regardless of what I do."

"I'm sure Drake can come to his own conclusions after he gets the Palace out of his head," Ren asserts, poking him. "You're catastrophizing. Your therapist told me about it."

"...Of course she did." Damn it, Maki. Why are you so good at actually caring about the needs of your clients? "Perhaps I'd be in a better place if she was here. It's so hard to put her techniques into practice without her to remind me when I slip."

He pauses.

"So I do appreciate it, Ren."

"We could all use some good therapy," he nods. "She didn't tell me about you catastrophizing specifically. Just how to identify it." He leans over to kiss the boyfriend. "We'll get through this."

Naturally, Goro kisses back. He needs it right now. "I know, but..."

His Shadow clears his throat. "If you need something to do, perhaps it might be worthwhile to text Magpie? Some of the information may be easier to present that way, so that when we do go to speak with him in person, he's had time to mentally prepare himself."

Ren sighs. "If you think you're in a good enough state." He glances down at Goro's bowl. "After a few more bites of food."

"Yes, yes. I know..." He should probably eat it before it gets too cold, anyway, so back to the ramen he goes. "Ha. Magpie would be so disappointed that we're eating here, but sometimes you need the simple pleasures."

His Shadow enjoys his own meal with a pleased little hum. "You've a personal connection that he lacks as well. This was the original meeting place, after all..."

True enough, heh.

Once Crow's had enough to eat, he takes out his phone. "I'm not sure how long this is going to take, but let's see..."

A conversation soon follows, ending when Crow decides to give Magpie space. Once it reaches that point, he leans back in his chair with another, softer sigh.

"Seems Raven is ready to pounce, so by the time we get home, he may be primed to speak with us."

"Magpie's a snob," Ren laughs, lighthearted. "More cheap, shitty, delicious ramen for us."

And...hmm. He's been so distracted by the everything of today that he hasn't even noticed his own mini-self doing things. "Ren's curious, but he's keeping the little guys busy for now."

"We really should get him a codename." In part because Goro sees this Ren as 'Ren,' but they can worry about that later. "I think Raven may be a bit frustrated that we've been so secretive about the Palace. He mentioned Glitch, and..."

His Shadow tsks. "To be fair, you have access to his every waking moment. I can see why he'd be frustrated."

"We should. Maybe he'll like Lotus..." Ren hums. "Yeah. Kinda sucks that he gets no privacy."

"Lotus is taken, I'm afraid, but I'm sure there's something else we can use." He looks down at his phone, frowning. "I think... I'm going to contact Drake. I doubt it will help, but I can't in good conscience leave things as they were if we're to resume the mission."

Ren sighs. The Boyfriend will not rest until his does this, huh... "Just let me see what you're sending him, ok?"

"Of course." Goro types up the message first, then shows him what it says. "I suppose, if nothing else, it'll be there when this is all said and done. It truly is just..."

His Shadow offers him a soft, sympathetic look. "I believe what happened at the Palace reminds him too much of the day he fully awakened Loki's powers."

Edited 2024-07-10 21:09 (UTC)

Ren nods at ShadowKechi. "We need to get you a name, too," he reminds him. "Thanks."

It frustrates him, that he wasn't there to see Loki awakened. There's so much stuff underneath that experience, and he wants to dig down deep inside his boyfriend and gnaw it all from the depths of his soul until he knows it like it happened to him all and he carries it instead. But he can't. His grip on the chopsticks tightens slightly, but he takes a few more bites to calm himself down.

Edited 2024-07-10 23:04 (UTC)

"I wish it was easier to simply settle on a name." Now it's the Shadow's turn to sigh. "I know I could experiment, but it's hard to find the confidence to try."

Crow nibbles a little more, but when the reply comes from Ren, he freezes up, nearly dropping his phone.

He shuts his eyes, breathes in, and then slides it over.

"We're going to have to bring this up with him."

"You're working on it with Aki-chan, right?" Ren grins, then sees Crow freeze. "Hey, are you..."

He takes Goro's phone. Reads the screenshots once, twice, three times before the words sink in.

Edited 2024-07-11 01:36 (UTC)

Yeah. Yeah, we're gonna 'bring it up to him' all right, something deep inside Ren snarls. I'm gonna bring his asshole up to his ribs.

Shut up, he snaps back. "It's official. I've seen toddlers more well-behaved than Magpie."

"I had hoped for something more flattering, but this..." Ugh. He digs his fingers into his hair again. "I can see why Drake reacted so poorly, putting it all into context. The message was already atrocious on its own, and yet..."

Shit. Okay. Breathing. He needs to breathe. He needs to stay calm.

"So. How do you intend to proceed?" Best to gauge where Ren stands.

"I wouldn't be any better than him if I actually lashed out at him for hurting you," Ren says, flat. "So...I'm gonna spend a few minutes dismembering him in my mind until I calm down."

Edited 2024-07-11 02:04 (UTC)

"...I understand." He hardly sounds happy about it, and his Shadow avoids eye contact, soaking in the tension radiating from them both.

He doesn't speak up, though. It's not his place.

Goro needs to ground himself. Needs to keep his head on straight. "We aren't kicking him out. That does not mean he's off the hook, but even at his worst, Magpie needs someone. I can't give up on him, but that doesn't mean I'm going to ignore the hurt he caused back then."

"I'm not kicking him out either, promise." He stabs his ramen again and pretends it's Magpie's stomach. "It's been a long day and I need a moment to clear my head."

"Of course. We shouldn't approach him until we're ready." It's just a question of when that will be. What they'll say. "Magpie knows that we're aware of the message in the Palace. He... isn't aware of the rest yet. He knows we need him for the Palace, and we do even... no, especially in light of all of this."

His Shadow fidgets, adjusting one of his sleeves. His eyes dart at Ren and Goro, then away. Why can't this be simple? Why does it have to be so hard?

Ugh. Ren stands up, climbs up on top of the table, and -- with a giant sigh befitting only the hammiest of actors -- lays face-down in a pile of napkins.

"This sucks," he announces to the world through his impromptu pillow. "Today sucks. Everything sucks. Life is awful and stupid and annoying and stupid and awful. All the smart people are stupid and Aki-chan has more braincells than every version of Magpie combined."

Dramatic monologue done, Ren turns over and looks at Boyfriend The Second. "Hey, Kou. Wanna...Kou-mment?"

Edited 2024-07-11 02:23 (UTC)

Goro... places a hand on Ren's hair, trying to stroke his curls and calm him down. He remains quiet so his Shadow can speak.

...after staring for a few seconds.

"Oh. We're testing names. I see." Okay. So... that's one to start with, he supposes. "Ah, but... well. I really do not want this to blow up in our faces. That would not be ideal."

"Me neither." Ren pushes his head into the pats, carefully avoiding dunking his hair into Goro's soup. He looks a lot happier now that he's got the dramatics out of his system. "We're not tackling this on an empty stomach. Do you like eating ramen?"

Edited 2024-07-11 02:39 (UTC)

"Satisfaction, I suppose? And I suppose it can energize me to some extent, but it's less necessary as long as Goro takes care of himself." Even so, he takes some more ramen in his own chopsticks. "I suppose it's more human. ...Even if I'm not human."

Goro gives him a Look. "You really need to stop dehumanizing yourself."

"You're different than a human, sure, but you're from humanity," Ren pokes him. "You're human in every way that matters, Mr. Keio."

Edited 2024-07-11 02:58 (UTC)

"Another name already?" Ha... Ren is trying. If nothing else, Goro's Shadow appreciates that much. "Falcon suggested Hiro, Aki-chan made so many suggestions... I truly wish I knew what I wanted, but I barely know how to define 'myself' beyond what I represent to Goro."

"You guys need to spend some time apart." And...it hurts Ren to make this suggestion, really, but. "And you should probably spend some of that away from me."

"But I don't want a break from the relationship!" That's... that's what he means, doesn't it? Isn't that what it typically means?

Goro steps in before his Shadow can spiral. "I believe he's referring to getting out of the house."

"Yeah," Ren laughs, and boops Hiro. "I still love you. No breaks. You just need to explore the world more by yourself. Get out of the house. Find your own way!"

"Well, I've done a little of that already. It was how I ran into Falcon..." But... but! This is getting off topic. Huff. "Shouldn't we save this discussion for another time? There are much more pressing matters to attend to."

Ren lets out a sigh. "Yeah..." he looks at Goro The First. "So. You have any ideas?"

Goro takes a moment to reply. "We should sit him down, see where he's at after speaking with Raven, and then... be honest. Tell him that we've seen the entire conversation, so we know that he was the aggressor here. We aren't happy about it, but we don't hate him. However, because he did such profound damage to Drake, we must insist that he join us at the Palace to make things right."

Ren nods, taking a breath. "Sounds like a plan." A kiss for Goro and a kiss for Kou, then he stands up and jumps off the table with a little hop.

"Do we wanna bring him some ramen?"

"He may be too proud to eat it, but he's also stubborn about taking care of himself. I suppose it depends on how daring you feel..."

Goro's Shadow... Kou? Hiro? Keio? He still doesn't know, but he actually manages a weak smile. "It can be his punishment. All things considered, a cheap ramen meal is rather lenient."

"He'll eat it when we're not looking, most likely. If not, the kids'll enjoy it," Ren decides, gathering up his bowl. "C'mon, Goro, Hiro. Let's Kou."

"Oh, I'll bring mine as well." Goro's Shadow of indeterminate name scoops his up as well.

Goro rises, perhaps a tad reluctantly. "Perhaps we should pick up a pizza on the way back, or something large enough to satisfy. I still don't feel like cooking tonight."

"Yeah...we can get Cauchemar-chan's favorite on the way home."

"Ha... By the time we're through, I suspect we'll all go out like a light." Goro's tired enough as it is, but they still have so much to do. "I'll be happy when this is over. At least then, we'll know it's been worth it..."

So he takes Ren's hand, eyeing the elevator. Best to prepare themselves.

"Yeah." He takes both his boyfriends' hands. He frowns a little when he remembers that ShadowKechi doesn't have a ring. "Out of the frying pan, into the fire. Here goes."

[A few hours after he's talked to Crow and Hiro.]

Amamiya. I should not have involved you in the first place in my argument with Crow, regardless of my grievances with him. While the entire thing was nothing short of abhorrent, and my comment regarding you was uncalled for. For that, I would like to apologize.

[There. Sent.]

Thank you; I accept your apology. I apologize for what I said to you, too.

[Whatever. It didn't bother him in the first place. He doesn't care for Amamiya's apology, but he's definitely not bringing that up.]

Yeah. Thanks. Things got too heated. It shouldn't have gotten to that.

IC Inbox

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject