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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Yeah. [ He's staring at their table now, lip curled in the hint of a snarl. ] Then he tried to sell me. But here I am.

[His fists tremble. That subtle curve of the sine's a more distinct arch now. He's glaring down at his plate.]

You're a strong person to have endured so much. I don't blame you for attacking him in the slightest. All things considered, you had every right to want him dead.

[ Akechi's not wrong, but he also wouldn't be saying that if he knew what really befell Ren's last orphanage director. He sounds upset, though; with a frown, Ren turns back to look at him. It's easier to do when they're not talking about... all of that. ]

Hey, cheer up. I'm fine, right? And he's not in business anymore.

For the record, if you aren't completely fine, that's... also fine. It can take years to unpack those sort of feelings. I had to get therapy, and I'm still not completely "over" it.

[As evident by how eager he was to just... vent about it. Haha...]

And no, the therapist wasn't Maruki.

Did he really say he doesn't have the heart to talk to Yoshizawa about her delusions? Why even be a therapist, then?

[ Yeah, Ren still hasn't forgotten that... statement. ]

Well, what he said, roughly, was that he can't force her to face a truth she isn't ready for. That, essentially, he can guide her, but as a therapist, he has to respect his clients' boundaries and be a source of encouragement and comfort just as much as a doctor.

[In short, Maruki is a bleeding heart who would rather let her live a delusion than face a harsh reality.]

[ Ren continues to look skeptical. ] I'm not an expert or anything. But I would've thought therapists were supposed to push your boundaries some.

[ He feels weird. Like a string that's been plucked, and is still vibrating. It's a relief to turn the conversation to something besides himself. ]

Typically, yes. They obviously aren't supposed to be too forceful, but they also aren't supposed to enable unhealthy coping mechanisms. My own therapist would surely offer Yoshizawa-san a compassionate approach, but one that nudged her toward making peace with her sister's death instead.

[And she has done Akechi so much good that, naturally, the bar is rather high in his book.]

I suspect Maruki's hindered by his desire to erase all the pain in the world. But pain cannot be erased. It can fade, but it is a part of life.

[ Ren wrinkles his nose. ] Even if he's not doing any brainwashing, he still sounds shady as fuck, dude. Erasing all pain sounds like an anime villain motive.

Edited 2023-08-31 01:27 (UTC)

Oh, it does. It's just flat out unrealistic, and it feels as though he's letting his own personal feelings impede on his ability to do his job.

[Nonetheless, he does an irritated hand wave and blows a small puff of air.]

Yet his therapy seems to yield some modicum of results, as he came to Shujin with a "high recommendation." He's more pleasant than Kobayakawa or Kamoshida, but his naivety is nauseating.

[ Ren listens to him rant with a strange, wistful smile. ]

You sound like my world's Akechi when you're annoyed.

Ha. Do you want me to act annoyed more often, then?

[It's a light tease, but it might be... comforting? He's not sure. Either way, it's amusing.]

[ Ren huffs a laugh. ]

That'd be great. Take off the gloves, too, and cut your hair by about a centimeter. Appreciate it.

I'm afraid I'm rather attached to my current hair style, even if my Ren thinks it's "fluffy."

[He flexes his fingers, amused at the glove comment.]

And I think the black gloves compliment my uniform rather nicely.

My Akechi has the same hair. He just had a haircut a couple days before I got here, is all. [ Ren misses him all the time. But if anything, his Akechi is better off if Ren stays here. For a split second, his expression clouds over.

Then it passes. ] And the gloves aren't bad, they just make you look like a spy. You pull it off, though.

Well, a spy wouldn't be an inaccurate way to describe me, seeing how I am an undercover agent for a special, top secret organization.

[Despite the wryness to his smirk, his tone remains sincere, if a tad amused.]

[ ... Ren squints at him. ] That's a real generous way to describe the Phantom Thieves.

Ha. The Phantom Thieves are my extracurricular activity. I'm talking about my job.

[Not that the Phantom Thieves aren't a serious obligation, but oh. There's more to this Akechi than meets the eye.]

[ Ren's squint becomes squintier. ] ...You're serious.

[ What the fuck is Akechi talking about? ]

I met Mitsuru Kirijo when I was just shy of fourteen. One thing led to another, and... well.

[He shrugs as if this is the most mundane fact about his life.]

[ ... ]

Yeah, that checks out. The CEO of Kirijo Group has a top-secret spy network. [ His mouth pulls at one side, but he's not smiling. He knows people like that. He's worked for them, too, on Shido's orders. ]

Well, to be specific, the Shadow Operatives are tasked with Shadow-related and metacognitive phenomena, although recently...

[He digs his fingers into his scalp, sighing.]

Let's just say they've had to lie low. ...Lower than usual. I'm a high school student, so I'm able to investigate on their behalf without drawing too much attention.

[ Ren does not seem reassured. ] So basically, the head of a huge corporation has an entire team to meddle with Metaverse stuff.

[ That could get as bad as Shido. If this Akechi is working for her, is he okay...? ]

To prevent others from meddling as well. That was actually how we met Kirijo-san and her peers.

[This seems like a good time to take a quick sip of water.]

The Midnight Channel had returned for unknown reasons, this time advertising a fighting tournament of all things. Naturally, we went to investigate, only to find that this tournament was a front for something far more sinister, spanning back over a decade.

Edited 2023-09-01 20:06 (UTC)

[ Okay, Ren is at least somewhat distracted from his concern and his cynical little train of thought. ] What do you mean it came back? Did it leave? ...How many incidents did you deal with, anyway?

Edited 2023-09-01 20:19 (UTC)