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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[ Akira-kun tastes Akechi-kun's ice cream, only taking a polite lick. The ice cream sandwich is definitely better, but his is good too. He nods his approval, and takes another giant bite of his ice cream sandwich. ]

[ After another moment of eating, he stops. They're talking about...taking care of him? ]

[ He looks down. Suddenly, he's very, very aware of just how messy his face and the ice cream are. Akira-kun makes an effort to re-wrap the ice cream sandwich in its napkins and takes a spare napkin from Akechi-san's pocket to wipe off his face. Messy kids aren't easy to care for; he's not messy. After he wipes himself off, he goes back to eating, taking small, polite nibbles of ice cream instead of stuffing his face like he was before. ]

Edited 2023-08-28 02:24 (UTC)

Ah, Akira-kun--

[The younger Akechi puts a hand on his shoulder.]

You don't have to do that. It's okay. Please just do what you're comfortable with.

[The older of the two Akechis also moves closer. Was it something he said?]

Remember what I said? You should be yourself, Akira-kun. Neither one of us was the kind of child most adults would find "perfect," but who cares what they think? I'm truly sorry if what I said made you feel like less than the amazing kid you are.

[The younger Akechi sends his older self a very confused look. Talking like he knows what he's lived through. ...Interesting.]

[ Akira-kun closes his eyes and sends a prayer to whichever spirit is listening. He's easy to care for, don't fight, he can take care of himself, please don't fight-- ]

[ He opens his eyes to see both Akechis close to him, trying to comfort him, looking upset. Great, he made them sad, and ice cream is supposed to be a happy time. ]

[ Akira-kun blinks. Once, twice, then he's blinking pretty hard. He doesn't notice he's crying until a tear lands on his fingers. He's comfy with this, he promises. He's comfy. ]

[Screw it. The older Akechi kneels down beside him, pulling him into a one-armed hug, while giving his younger self a look as if to say, "You too."

So his younger self complies.]

This isn't your fault, Akira-kun. I really am sorry. If you need to cry, that's okay, too.

[The younger Akechi nods, thinking of some interactions with Nanako in the past, when he and Yu would butt heads.]

We aren't fighting. If there's anything we can do to cheer you up, just let us know.

[ ...A hug. ]

[ When was the last time he was given a hug? Akira-kun doesn't know. He can't remember. ]

[ Feels nice, though. Especially since these are his friends. ]

[ Akira-kun registers Akechi-san's words and nods into his shoulder. Yeah, he needs to cry for a bit...tears stream down his face silently as he cuddles closer into the two older boys hugging him. ]

Do you need me to put your ice cream in the freezer? I can do that if you'd like, then you can eat it when you're ready.

[He'll wait for him to respond first. He'd ruffle his hair, were it not for the ice cream in his hand.]

It's going to be okay, Akira-kun. No one is upset with you.

[ The ice cream! A jolt of cold fear runs through his veins, and he removes himself from their grasps to make sure their cold treats are in good condition. He nods. They need to put their ice creams in the freezer before they melt! Akira-kun puts the ice cream sandwich in his mouth to grab both Akechis by the sleeve so he can drag them over to the freezer. ]

[Oh, goodness! Both Akechis chuckle, almost in unison. Isn't that funny?

The taller of the two is first to open the freezer, but...]

Ah, Akechi-san. Do you think you could fetch us some dishes? Perhaps some plastic wrap for our cones. It'd be a shame if we ate ours before Akira-kun was ready to finish his.

[Hmm... The younger Akechi scans the kitchen.]

Right, there should be some plastic dishes... here!

[He opens a drawer, getting a snaptop just the right size for Akira's ice cream sandwich.

His older self nods, then seeks out the plastic wrap and some bowls to rest their cones in.

His younger counterpart watches curiously.]

You seem to know your way around this kitchen...

Hahaha... Lucky guess, I suppose.

[He fetches the appropriate bowls, and the two store their ice cream in an efficient manner.]

[ The cooperation between Akechi-san and Akechi-kun makes Akira-kun smile a little bit again, and he visibly -- if slightly -- relaxes. He nods as they put their ice cream treats in the freezer, helping slot them into the freezer with a few pats for safety. Bye-bye for now, ice cream! He's still a little tear-stained, but he looks better now. After he closes the door, he goes to the Akechis to resume their hug, looking at them expectantly. ]

Well, let's not keep him waiting.

[The eldest Akechi crouches down first, resuming the hug. The younger follows seconds later. It's... strange? Sharing a hug with a version of himself he barely knows outside of two phone calls.

He seems... different? Warmer than his other self, the one that's a detective. But not bad, perhaps.]

[ ...It's been a long, hard day for Akira-kun. As he gets wrapped in a hug again, the sugar comes crashing into his system, making him tired. He's warm and safe and they're not fighting and they like him...his eyes close and he lets out an eeeep of a yawn. He's out within minutes of snuggling into them. ]

Must be time for his nap.

[The older Akechi picks him up very gently.]

The couch, right? I can't imagine you'd want me to impose on your room.

[...This older Akechi knows a lot. Hrm.]

Yes. That will be fine.

[And so Akechi the Eldest sets the little buddy down very gently, while his younger counterpart fetches a blanket. When the little guy's set up, the two just sort of... sit next to the couch, awkward.

There are many questions the younger of the two could ask, but he doesn't want to disturb his little friend, so they'll wait. For now, the older Akechi turns on a nature documentary on low volume.]

[ Akira's nap is short, but restful. He makes little kitty twitches in his sleep and wakes up about half an hour later, feeling a little groggy and thirsty. ]

"Morn."

Good morning, Akira-kun.

[Even if it might not actually be morning, he'll reach out and give a friendly pat on the head all the same.

His younger self keeps watching closely. Hmmm...]

Did you sleep well?

[ Akira-kun nods at the question, stretching out from his curled-up position. He had a good sleep. ]

"Thank you for the ice cream," he writes in his notebook. Then, feeling calmer, he adds on, "sorry for crying."

You don't have to apologize!

[...The younger Akechi took the words right out of his mouth, which makes sense. They're the same person.

Ah, but this is fine. It's good to see he's calmed down.]

And you're quite welcome. Although, if you don't mind me asking, what have you been eating lately?

[The younger Akechi goes quiet for a few seconds.]

I can't cook, so I've mostly been gathering meals from the nearby restaurants. It's not like they charge anything, so we can eat like kings.

[ Akira-kun nods to agree with Akechi-kun's statement. They don't even have dessert before dinner too much! ]

True, and that is one of the many beauties of this place, but I can imagine you miss Yu's cook-

[...Shit.

His younger self stares very intently, crossing his arms.]

How do you know about Narukami-san?

[Ah, time for damage control. The future thing could be a bit much, so!]

You live in Inaba, do you not? It's a simply matter of connecting the dots.

[Hmmmm... His child self isn't fully convinced, but it's a start. He doesn't want to stress Akira out.]

Are you saying you can cook?

Astonishingly, yes. So, should you two ever require something fresh, I would be happy to oblige.

Edited 2023-08-28 05:20 (UTC)

[ Slowly, a little nervously, Akira-kun raises his hand. He can cook, too! Probably not as good as Akechi-san, but his parents leave him to fend for himself enough that he's learned how to do it...he's just been enjoying being able to have good food that he hasn't had to cook. ]

Oh, you can cook, too? You're so talented, Akira-kun.

[Have a lil' pat on the head. Support is important! The younger Akechi frowns a little, though.]

You don't have to. There's so much to choose from between here and Tokyo that I'm sure we'll get by.

True. I don't "have" to, but I offered anyway. I can only imagine you've missed being doted on by your unruly roommate. Yu did tend to spoil you, didn't he?

[His younger self squints again.]

...I'm getting highly suspicious of how much you know, just for the record.

[The older Akechi simply shrugs.]

Is it really so hard to believe that somewhere in the multiverse, there's someone else like you?

[Very quickly, he whispers to Akira:]

I'm not sure he's ready to learn that I am literally him, so that's our secret, okay?

[The younger Akechi watches closely, but... he doesn't want to grump about it when it might upset Akira. Dang it!]

Edited 2023-08-28 15:20 (UTC)

[ Akira-kun is...confused. The rock is all he needed to know Akechi-san was a bigger version of Akechi-kun, so why is he hiding the truth from his younger self? This is a weird place, anyway. He hasn't been to Tokyo or Inaba before, but he's pretty sure they're like, nowhere near each other on the map. Plus there's that weird door area with Nose-sama...surely they've both been around long enough to understand that maybe weird things can happen here? ]

[ Sneakily, he eyes where Akechi-san keeps their rock in his back pocket. Their rock is unmistakable, so maybe he should show it to Akechi-kun... ]

[ Before anyone can catch him looking, he heads over to the kitchen. Cooking time! He can cook. ...As long as he can reach stuff that isn't too heavy for him... ]

Edited 2023-08-28 15:44 (UTC)

[Despite being a detective, the older Akechi hasn't considered such devious schemes from the little guy. A glance at his pocket isn't all that strange, and so he follows his little friend into the kitchen.]

Hmmm... Akira-kun, do you have any preferences? You're the guest of honor, after all!

[His younger self follows closely, hands tucked behind his back.]

[ Actually...Akira-kun pauses. The Akechis were talking about this person named Yu-san and his cooking...maybe they should have some of that? ]

"What about Yu's dishes?" he writes in his book, large grey eyes boring into them.

Edited 2023-08-28 16:14 (UTC)

We can't be certain that he knows-

[The older Akechi chuckles.]

There are a few options. I could make sweet and sour pork. I could...

[He double checks the fridge.]

How fortunate! There seems to be some fresh fish, if you'd favor seafood. Perhaps with a side of miso, vegetables, and rice. Or perhaps you'd simply favor the simplicity of of a nice omurice...

[There's a skeptical eyebrow raise from the younger of the Akechis.]

And you can actually cook all of those.

Indeed I can.

[ Akira-kun can make omurice! But he'd like seafood tonight. He's already reaching for the mackerel fillets in the fridge, eager to help out. ]