personavelvetroomdr | (no subject)

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[It's a perfectly ordinary day in Tokyo, if you ignore the fact that Akechi just got done enduring a horrific, white palace with crumbling architecture, creepy tentacles everywhere, and scraps of memory locked away and scattered like puzzle pieces, culminating in battling a tentacled abomination to free Wakaba Isshiki's Shadow from the prison of her mind, and... well. A mother-daughter reunion is always nice, he supposes.

He's on the phone when he stumbles in, deep in the midst of a conversation.]

Isshiki-san's condition is stable, but we'll have to relocate her before he notices anything amiss. ...Yes, Dad, I'm all right. Not that I don't appreciate the concern, but-

[The signal cuts out, and... ah. The Velvet Room. And not the Velvet Room of his childhood, but... this one.

At first he bristles, eyes narrowed into a razor-sharp glare. He has half a mind to complain to Igor about locking him out, but all signs point to Ren's "Igor" being impostor, and... no. Wait.

Recollection flashes before him. With that recollection, he grimaces.]

...Of course I'd end up back here.

[He shuts his eyes, brings a hand to his face, and breathes in deeply. He was such a stupid tween, and if people connect him to said tween... Who even knows how much time has passed here?]

[ooc: Older version of

fogboundcrow for the funny. Some info on his profile. Yes, he's wearing a Shujin uniform.]

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The goddess Izanami, the very same goddess of our country's creation myths.

[Funny how that happens. To have stood against a literal goddess of legend...

That smile twists into a tight scowl.]

She sought to stimulate Inaba. The murders were not necessarily her end goal: she simply brought out the potential in three unwitting humans and myself.

But if that isn't enough, she was a fragment of one of my friends, the true Izanami-no-Mikoto. Evidently, she split into multiple beings when humanity ceased to wish for the "truth," one seeking to protect humanity and one wishing to grant its distorted desires. Our 'friendly' attendant was the latter, and Marie-san was the former.

[In other words... it's quite a lot. Akechi's had years to let it all sink in, but he can imagine this is all quite the revelation.]

[ Ren squints at him across the booth. ]

...That makes no sense. You know that, right?

Can't the same be said for the Metaverse itself? Or Morgana. Or any number of supernatural aspects to our world.

[Ren's reaction does get a quiet laugh out of him, at least.]

I suppose it's one of those things where you had to be there. But all of that business with gods came much later. My Shadow showed itself very quickly, and I was terrified at the prospect of accepting such a soft, open, and vulnerable side of myself. So I avoided it for a while, just like I did here. Golden Week and exams kept me busy enough, anyway, so it was less of a priority for a bit.

[Well, until Morgana got him to come to his senses.]

[ He nods. ] Yeah. I always wonder how people do school and Persona stuff at the same time.

[ It's not meant as a question so much as an offhand comment. He does really think about it, though, especially recently now that he's infiltrated the Thieves. They're always planning Palace infiltrations around homework and upcoming tests. ]

I suppose I 'lucked out' in that I was too young to work, so my after school time was left relatively open. But, ah... here's where things get complicated.

[As he says this, the sushi arrives. Akechi gives the server an amused little smirk at the timing.]

Thank you.

[He knows the server isn't real, but force of habit and all.]

So... essentially, we'd gone a few weeks without any new culprits. The day I finished exams, I had a chance encounter with Naoto Shirogane, the original Detective Prince, and ever the eager one, I insisted on showcasing my findings to prove myself to my idol.

At the same time, Kanji was adamant about testing our hypothesis about the culprit's movements by purposefully appearing on the news by intervening against an aggressive biker gang. And due to my encounter with Naoto-san, Yu ended up more or less strongarmed into asking his friends for consent to show him the TV world, since he'd more or less deduced that their little party had somehow rescued Yukiko Amagi.

So a lot happened in very little time, and I still hadn't properly accepted my Shadow. ...And I'm ultimately to blame for the added stress my future teammates experienced.

[He brings a hand to his face, growling at his own... well, everything.]

Mm. You were like that. Are like that...? [ Is Akechi's baby form still around? That probably is an important question, for all that they've been ignoring it. Oh, well. ]

I'm glad you got yourself a team. I worried about that, you know.

I'm... not sure what to make of my younger self. My memories get hazy after a certain point, so it's possible that he is here, but it's just as possible that he left.

[He pauses for a moment, and an impish smirk takes form.]

I have an idea.

[He takes out his phone, sets it to speaker, and dials a number he remembers quite well...]

Ring, ring...

[Suddenly, a voice picks up on the other end!]

Okay, who the hell are you, and how did you get my number?

Oh, don't worry, Akechi-san! Your number hasn't been stolen by nefarious telemarketers nor have any political parties sought your allegiance.

[There's a brief pause and a gasp thrown in.]

...Damn it. You're another version of me, aren't you?! But how did you find my number? I expect an explanation.

[Akechi's trying very hard not to laugh. This is so surreal? Was he always this angry?]

[ Meanwhile, Ren's face has lit up in a grin of absolute delight. Baby Akechi is funny, and proving himself to be real didn't make him any less so. But he presses his lips together and keeps his laughter restrained to silently shaking shoulders. If Akechi looks at him, he's going to shake his head. He's not getting involved in this. He doesn't want to face baby Akechi's outsized sense of insult. ]

Well?! What do you have to say for yourself?

[Okay. He needs to breathe. He needs to compose himself. He's got another idea...]

I am calling as a part of the top secret Akechi Alliance. Our purpose is to...

[Damn it. This is stupid.]

To connect with our fellow selves to form a support network in this unsettling domain we've found ourselves in.

[He's trying so hard to keep a level tone of voice. It's not as though it's a terrible idea, anyway.]

Even if I were to believe that, you still haven't explained how you got my phone number. Are you that version of me with the striped tie and the olive colored uniform? Your inflections seem... different.

[Ah... Right. There was one of those, wasn't there?]

I'm afraid I can't reveal my true self, save for those who swear their undying loyalty to the cause. But, should you accept our mission statement, you will receive a heavenly order of pancakes as a welcome gift.

[There's a bit of a grumble.]

I'm not stupid. If there was truly an 'Akechi Alliance,' I'm certain I would have heard about it. And seeing how you are the only version of me that's made contact, that's highly suspicious. I haven't given my number to anyone yet.

[Ah, the impetuous preteen mind... Good to see he's as sharp as he remembers.]

Well, I'll let you think about it. Take care, Akechi-san.

[He hangs up, and then... Finally, the laughter bursts free.]

That may be the stupidest thing I have ever done.

[ The moment Akechi hangs up, Ren bursts into peals of laughter. ]

Holy shit. Undying loyalty to the cause. The cause of a support network. A heavenly gift of pancakes. [ He slumps forward against the table, still snickering. ] Your voice. You were so mad.

We couldn't even make one of those. What would it be called? Amamiya Association? Kurusu Club? It'd never even get off the ground, we'd just argue about the name.

"Akiren Anonymous"?

[It's said with a light chuckle and a wry smile that suggests he isn't completely serious, at least.]

But yes... I forgot how squeaky I used to sound. I really was like a feral kitten back then...

[Ah, how his child self would hate to hear that.]

That name would make us even less stealthy than the Phantom Thieves, and that's saying a lot.

[ He straightens up and rolls his shoulders. ] You can see it from my point of view now, right? You were funny. [ Sorry, Akechi. ]

To be fair, "Akechi Alliance" isn't particularly subtle.

[He was bullshitting, but hm... What will his little self do? He can imagine him going on some dramatic hunt for the mystery prank caller. Heh.]

But yes, I can see it. The benefit of age is the ability to reflect on your own stupidity. And I haven't even gotten to the worst of my story.

Oh, yeah. [ He'd almost forgotten about the story for a minute. ] You made that guy you hated take Shirogane into the TV world, right?

Said I hated because I was petty and jealous. But yes. And then Kanji had to get on the news, and we decided we'd use the opportunity to do a stake out once we saw his silhouette on the Midnight Channel. So Naoto-san, Kanji, and I waited...

He got kidnapped and thrown into the TV world, and his Shadow...

[Akechi briefly averts his gaze and plops a piece of sushi into his mouth.]

Well, let's just say it wasn't pleasant to see something so... deeply personal showcased to all of Inaba who tuned in.

I still hadn't accepted my Shadow, but I was adamant that I had to be there. So I took Naoto-san with me, and we trailed after Yu's group. Kanji-san at least had the glasses, and while we lacked Personas, our weapons and Naoto-san's skills with stealth aided us for a bit.

Then Yosuke had to open his mouth, piss Kanji off, and cause him to reject his Shadow and make it go berserk. And then I had to try and fight despite being woefully outclassed, and... it didn't end well.

So I ran, screaming for my Shadow to come out of hiding.

[He'll pause to let that all sink in. It's... quite a bit, after all.]

[ Ren starts to frown; as Akechi keeps talking, the frown only deepens. He's all for taking risks, but. ]

That sounds... reckless. [ Also very in-character for baby Akechi, unfortunately. ]

Beyond reckless. I was too exhausted, and Yu had to drag me out of the TV world... which only pissed me off, because of course it did.

[He pauses to enjoy a bite of his unagi.]

And because I couldn't accept such a humiliating blow to my ego, I left a note basically daring Yu and the others to follow me back into the TV to prove that they gave a shit. Then I dived into our own television, forcing their hand.

[It was so, so stupid. Selfish. Reckless beyond belief.]

[ Ren is too engrossed in this train wreck of a story to eat yet. ]

... Maybe I don't have room to judge. [ Since he stabbed a man when he was that age. But still, dude... It's not even that baby Akechi ran off into the TV world alone that's getting to him. Preteen Ren was alone in the Metaverse all the time. But he had a Persona when he was there. ]

Oh?

[Well that's an interesting remark.]

Are you saying you have your own share of embarrassing childhood escapades?

[Oho. Then again, kids can be... well, dumb. They're still growing, after all.]

I don't know about embarrassing. [ More like really fucked up, and the pivot point on which his whole life turned. ] But I did stab a guy when I was that age.

[Give him a moment to process this, because wow, that's a swerve.

On the other hand, he was in the system as well, and far less fortunate. Akechi hardly condones murder, but self-defense is still a very legitimate thing, and sometimes it's a requirement to survive.]

I'm guessing he deserved it?

[What a horrible thing to say.]

Orphanage director.

[ That could mean all kinds of awful things. Ren doesn't choose to clarify. ] I'm kind of surprised more of the kids there didn't carry knives. It seemed like the obvious solution to me. I think the word was he was going to be okay? I didn't, like, stab him to death. But that's when I ran away. [ He gives Akechi an easy grin, like it doesn't bother him anymore.

None of that's even a lie. He's left out the really gruesome parts that culminated in killing the guy after all in the Metaverse, and you could argue that those are important elements of the story. But the words he's said are all true. ]

...Abusive, I assume.

[That would explain so much. The comment about knives. The necessity of stabbing and running away.]

In that case, it sounds like you did what the other children were too scared to even attempt. There are times when the law will not listen, and it's necessary to take drastic measures for one's safety.

[ A shadow flits past across Ren's expression. He meets Akechi's gaze with a strange, dark glimmer in his eyes. ] You're not wrong.

[ Or maybe you imagined all that? Because there's sure no sign of it now. He tilts his head with a rueful smile. ] But my point is, I was a dumb preteen, too. Nowadays I'd skip straight to running away.

Fair. Sometimes the best strategy is an escape strategy.

[That dark look wasn't lost to him, but he won't press it for now. This was meant to be his embarrassing story time, after all.]

At any rate, my Shadow was understandably irritated. Yu at least had the foresight to call my school and claim I was too ill to attend, but Nanako-chan...

[He blows a heavy sigh, a deep frown lining his lips.]

I think Yu lied and said I had left the house early, but it wasn't fair to do what I did when it could have led to her and our dad- Dojima-san- panicking given the prior kidnappings and the ongoing serial murder case.