personavelvetroomdr | Better late than never [Intro/Open]

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Better late than never [Intro/Open]

His first mistake was loosing sight of Hannei.
Well he’s probably at fault for that one. He did ask her to scout out one of his targets, see they can convince him to back off…

Of course, things can never be that simple. One minute he’s asking Futaba to look into a name, he only stepped away for a minute to collect his thoughts.
And suddenly everything is blue.

…

What the fuck

Okay. Sure. This is happening now. It’s not like he was busy today and doesn’t have the time to schedule in whatever this is. ‘Mandatory team building activity’? Sure, whatever you say weird guy with a big nose.
This is fine.
This is absolutely fine.
No no he can work with this. Deep breathes Akechi, you’re still in control… as much as you can be when suddenly whisked away to some sort of Velvet Room.
Ok, so, tackle this like any other problem. Find out information and then come up with the best course of action.
And would you look at that. There’s some sort of conspiracy board. How helpful. So, attaché case in hand, he’s going to do what he knows best.
Figure out the best way to play his cards.

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As the new Akechi finds himself looking around the Velvet Room, Briar exits the door from Inaba... only to spot him!

"Huh? Oh...!"

She steps a bit closer with a small smile on her face.

"Are you new here? Um... It's a rather strange place, isn't it?"

He’s going over the information on the board and frowning.
He has… a lot of opinions on some of this information but mostly who the hell is this Ren/Akira person and what the fuck does it mean they’re destined to be together in some capacity?!
He’s only just started to process the implications of multiple versions of himself when she gets his attention.
Oh!… well she certainly looks like Yoshizowa, but given that introduction she’s someone who’s been here.
Well strange circumstance aside won’t make him drop his mask. So he looks over and quickly fits on a pleasant, if a bit confused, smile.
“Ah! Hello, yes I suppose I am new here. I suppose you know a bit more about what this place is then?” He asks pleasantly. God if she doesn’t know anything he might try and break something.

You see her blink, growing a bit sheepish.

"Well, it's... How to begin...?"

She knows she can't just leave him hanging, but at the same time she still isn't good at trying to introduce people to the Velvet Room.

"Igor-san probably explained why you're here... To make friends, I think? But the doors though, they lead to different places. There's Tokyo, Iwatodai, Inaba..."

She continues to list off the various places the doors lead.

"B-But they're cognitive versions of those places, not the real thing. It's a shame, but we can't just go home and back from here..."

She's absolutely trying, but she's a bit scattered.

Well, if he knows his own Sumire he knows to be patient. But he can’t help feeling a bit annoyed at this explanation.
Informative, yes, but what’s the reason to be brought here?
Did he and seemingly many others get dragged into this cognitive space just to make friends??
“I see, so we’re in a cognitive world then?” He rests a hand on his chin as he thinks…
Seriously? This is some friendship prison of some sort? Hasn’t he made enough friends already!
“So, if I’m to assume, then the doors lead to a cognitive version of those locations, is the metaverse still a factor here?” Might as well try and ask a few more questions, it’s better than nothing.

OK, good, seems like he at least gets what she was trying to say. She was a bit worried she botched it!

"Yes, of sorts. I don't know the full extent of it, but... well, the Velvet Room is kind of a strange place. I would be brought here-- or another version of it, in my dreams sometimes. So... it's definitely not in the normal world, at least."

As for the Metaverse being involved... Huh, that's a good question!

"You can visit a replica of Mementos here, but I'm not sure if the Metaverse itself is directly connected. Though... it would make sense, given the cognitive nature of this place..."

Yeah about that actually. “Admittedly, while I’m familiar with mementos, the Velvet Room is new to me. And it sounds like it exists beyond just whatever this circumstance is”
He isn’t sure how he feels about that information yet. But he’s going to not think about that too much… For now.
It is a bit annoying though, all of this just for making bonds? Who’s idea was that? He doesn’t let any annoyance slip on his face though.
“Well, I suppose it’s a relief then that time outside of here isn’t passing, it’d certainly be inconvenient to try and explain. I doubt an employer would believe ‘forced to make friends in another world’ as a valid explanation for missing work” he chuckles quietly, because he is silently seething at this whole situation.
This is so stupid.

Briar can't help but chuckle a little, although it's a bit sheepish.

"Yeah... If time wasn't standing still back home, I would have been a lot more panicked when I first arrived, that's for sure..."

She can't help but think about all of her responsibilities. Her gymnastics scholarship, her studies, the Phantom Thieves, her friends, her family... It's all so much...

"...But this place is actually rather nice once you get used to it. There's a lot to learn and discover here. I've been spending a lot of my time trying to broaden my horizons, and get stronger."

Hm… he’s not sure he believes that, but if he cast judgement before finding out all the facts he’d be a really terrible detective.
“Hm… I’ll reserve my judgement on that for now.” He concedes, then looks back to the board.
“… are there really about a dozen versions of me here?” Why? Why are there so many? He can practically hear Futaba cackling about crossover episodes or shitty clone plots at this.
He definitely hears Loki cackling about how much of a disaster that must be but he keeps his expression leveled.

Briar nods, looking over towards the conspiracy board with a sheepish expression.

"It's true... I don't understand it either, but there's a lot of versions of you here. Each one of them are rather different from one another, too. I'm not sure why they'd all be brought here, but..."

...Well... maybe it's because they're lonely? As she told Hannei before, Akechi does seem to be a rather lonely person, though she wouldn't say it to his face.

She looks back to Akechi, getting a bit of a smile.

"Oh, I should introduce myself properly... My name is Sumire Yoshizawa, but my codename is Briar. It's nice to meet you...!"

Hm… that is the question isn’t it? Why so many different versions of himself could be brought here to ‘make connection’
…
Well, he decides not to ponder the implications there for now- shut up Robin he is not procrastinating or refusing to admit his faults- instead he looks to Briar and gives a polite nod.
“It’s nice to meet you, I’ll call you Brair for now if that’s alright?” That’s what nicknames are for and also it’ll mean less internal confusion with his own Sumire.

“I’m Goro Akechi, though I suppose you knew that already?” … is he going to have to pick a nickname? That’s stupid. And reminds him of when Hannei thought codenames would be cool and bugged him till he agreed.
… They are in fact cool but he’d rather step on glass than admit that.

"Yes, that's fine. There's a few versions of me here, too, so it helps differentiate us..."

Briar keeps up a polite smile, trying her best to not seem too worried or nervous.

"And yes, I've met a few versions of you. It's kind of funny, I'm still getting used using the name 'Akechi'... In my world your name is Shirogane."

He blinks in surprise at the name.
“Pardon me, Shirogane? As in the first detective prince Naoto Shirogane?” He, ok maybe it’s because he was a bit curious about his predecessor and maybe spent a little too long looking into their public appearances but.
Well to say he’s curious how another world can come up with a version of himself with that family name is an understatement.

“If you don’t mind, could you tell me more about your akechi? That’s certainly caught my interest”

"Oh! Well... I haven't spoken to him personally about it, but..."

Let's see... Briar thinks back on all she's heard. She hasn't heard much from Shirogane himself, but she's heard rumors here and there on walks to and from school and around the city...

"I heard that he was taken in by the Shirogane family a couple of years ago after spending some time on his own. He apparently caught the attention of the first Detective Prince, and I guess they took him in..."

She pauses, putting a hand to her cheek and tilting her head slightly.

"...I haven't directly spoken to him about it because it feels a little personal, but he's acting as the second Detective Prince now. He doesn't like being compared to Naoto Shirogane too much, even though he respects them a lot. He's also very polite, even if he's made some enemies for being against the Phantom Thieves..."

Some sheepishness crosses her face with that last bit.

He takes in this information with a hand on his chin. How.. fortunate for that Akechi to be taken in. He’d be even more of a lier if he said he’s never humored ‘what ifs’ in the past. In the present he doesn’t have time to consider branching possibilities or linger on regrets.
He bites back any pang of jealousy that this version of himself happened to be taken in by THE Shirogane family. What reason does he have to be jealous of himself??
None!
Shut up Loki!
Though as he takes that in his thoughts pause. Hm, that’s not a name he’s familiar with.
“The Phantom Thieves? Does your world have some sort of criminal problem?” He chuckles like he told a joke, but the question still stands. It’s the phantom thieves, not a band of phantom thieves, which means capital letters. Which means this is apparently prominent enough to have fans who will cause issues to those against them.

Briar can't help but blink when Akechi asks that.

"You... don't know the Phantom Thieves? Ah, I guess I shouldn't make assumptions... Their full name is the 'Phantom Thieves of Hearts', and they're a group that have been stealing the hearts of criminals, leading them to confess their crimes."

Honestly... She still can't believe she's the leader of the Phantom Thieves... It's been months, and it's still a surreal feeling knowing that she's in a position of leadership, doing such fantastic things, making a difference...

"...They've become a big deal in my world, with fans all over riled up, wanting them to steal the hearts of various big names... It's a little overwhelming at times."

He blinks. Taking in the name and information and.
They know how to steal hearts. The Phantom Thieves of Hearts can steal Hearts. And it sounds like they’re popular too which means there’s definitely an investigation and Shido definitely learns about that and-
Oh
If this is his future then things are going to get really interesting soon.
For a brief moment he forgets to school his expression, and a flash of pure panic sets on his face before he remembers himself and schools it back to something more mildly concerned.

“Aha- well, if those thieves do show up in my world then the next few months are going to be very interesting for me.” Play it as a joke, do not show weakness-

Briar can't help but pause when she sees what seems to be a flash of panic on Akechi's face... but soon enough it's gone. She can't help but wonder if she imagined it, but...

"If it's like my world, then you might get kind of busy with being on talk shows-- especially 'Good Morning, Japan'. Dad seems really eager to book you for more shows, hehe..."

There's a hint of sheepishness in her chuckle there, though she doesn't mean to insult her father.

"...But if they do show up, I hope they don't cause you too much trouble. They mean well, I'm sure..."

She should know, she leads them in her world!

Oh good she didn’t notice. Then he better not slip again because that will raise suspicions. So he lets out another soft chuckle.
“Well, that sounds about right with the man I’m acquainted with. I suppose a few more talk show bookings won’t be the worst thing to anticipate.”
Fuuuuuuck shit, ok, no, this is fine. Hearing about the possibility means he can plan ahead.
Damnit, well meaning or not those thieves risk ruining his whole plan.
Ugh!
“Well, regardless, it sounds like they’re enacting vigilante Justice, so we will likely be on opposing ends of the law. But I’ll have to wait and see what happens won’t I?” Maybe if he’s lucky he won’t encounter them back home.
But glancing at the conspiracy board he has a sinking suspicion he won’t be so lucky.

Dove is still a bit under the weather, and he was just out gathering some things from Junes when he spots the new Akechi.

"Hmm? Hello, are you new here?"

The new Akechi may find that voice very familiar... and find the speaker's face equally familiar. It is him, after all.

He’s been studying the conspiracy board up to this point. Pondering the implications of multiple versions of himself and frowning.
Also seriously who the hell is this akira/Ren person??
But hearing the new(?) voice he turns and.
Oh
That’s his face.
… Christ this is like one of those crossover episodes ok sure this is what we’re doing.
He’s thrown off long enough he almost forgets his mask. Almost.
Giving a pleasant, if confused, smile he greets the stranger(?).
“Ah! Yes, I just got here. I must admit, I was a bit skeptical when the board here spoke about multiple versions of myself but, aha well I suppose it’s hard to deny when the truth is right in front of me.”
This is so weird what the fuck.

Edited 2024-09-03 15:16 (UTC)

Dove can't help but chuckle slightly at the other Akechi's reaction. He doesn't mean to be condescending or anything, but... well, it's a little humorous to him.

"I can hardly blame you. After all, it's quite the stretch of the imagination to encounter what would supposedly be over a dozen various versions of yourself, now wouldn't it?"

He then holds out a hand, for a handshake.

"I'm the one known as Dove, by the way. It's a pleasure to meet you."

He returns the handshake, nodding in greeting.
“Goro Akechi, though I suppose you would know that already”
This is weird. This is so weird.
He glances at the board again, then hums.
“I suppose I’ll be expected to pick a nickname? If only to prevent confusion.” While he isn’t against it he’s a bit miffed that all of his first choices have already been claimed.
Damnit. This is so unfair
Loki stop laughing!

Dove can't help but chuckle slightly, raising a hand to his chin as he tilts his head slightly.

"Well, I certainly can't force you to choose one... but I would recommend it, at the very least. It is unfortunate so many options have been taken though... 'Crow' was my first choice, but it was well taken before I arrived here."

He looks towards the board as well, his smile growing a bit more level.

"I nearly took Karasu for myself, but... in the end it was 'Dove' that spoke to me the most. The symbolism stood out to me in the moment, and I decided it was a good fit."

He pauses for a moment, thinking back... He was a lot more naive and clueless when he arrived.

"...Don't feel pressured to choose one immediately."

… Karasu is a good nickname. But then he recalls how both Hannei AND Futaba teased him about it so he decides maybe he should brainstorm a bit first.

“Hm, well In that case, I’ll put a pin in choosing a nickname for the time being.” He shrugs. “There seems to be… Things of a higher priority at the moment anyways”
Like what the hell he’s doing here and also what the fuck the board means by tv world and coffins and vampires- VAMPIRES?? Yeah sure ok Persona bullshit is one thing but VAMPIRES.
this place is so weird

Dove looks towards Akechi, before glancing back towards the board. It seems like his glance is towards the mention of vampires...

"You know, it's quite odd. There's the mention of vampires, and yet I haven't encountered any yet. I have encountered one of the fae though."

Perhaps that's helpful... or not?

“I’m sorry the fae?” What the fuck is up with this place???
Ok, sure. Fine. Maybe he should just accept this place is weird.
He pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs.
“… Perhaps it’s best if I stop assuming real world logic applies here”
He’s going to get a headache

Dove can't help but be just a little amused... but he pauses as something comes to mind.

"...Oh, that's right. There was something I was meant to say to new Akechis. Perhaps it doesn't mean anything to you, but... The Hound is looking for you."

If he knows, he knows. If not, then... well, he doesn't.

Hound is… wait WAIT- Akechi’s attention is immediately snapped to Dove,
“Hannei is here?” She’s here? Is that what happened when he lost sight of her? He’s so caught up in the moment of making sure she’s okay that
He’s somewhat dropped the pleasant mask.
Whoops.

But this is definitely her akechi. Yippee!

So he is the one from Hannei's world! That makes things much easier!

"Don't worry, she's all right. There's no need to worry about that."

He can only imagine that the other version of himself must be somewhat concerned, so he makes sure to try to ease those concerns first.

"I'm not certain where she is at the moment, but she is here in the Velvet Room. She may be in Tokyo specifically right now, or she may have chosen to explore one of the other areas..."

Akechi manages to compose himself more, he needs to figure out this situation now. “I’ll be the judge of that” he shakes his head. “… From how you speak about her it sounds like she’s been here longer than just arriving a few moments before me.” And if she’s already gone off to the Tokyo door… How long has she been here? Better question, how long has she been on her own?

"Ah, yes, she's been here for some time. Not as long as I have, but it's certainly been a while now."

Dove can't blame this Akechi for not taking his word for it though, it's definitely better to see her in person...

"If I knew where she was at the moment, I would take you to her... but she does frequent the Tokyo area, I believe. It may be wise to begin looking there?"

A while? Oh no. He’s fighting to keep up the pleasant mask but the worry seeping through is real.
“I suppose I’ll have to ask her when I find her but… well, she tends to get stir crazy when she doesn’t have anything to do. One time she reorganized my entire bookshelf twice because the power went out and she couldn’t watch tv for a few hours”
And if she’s been here for a while, he’s betting it was more than just an hour.
He’s got to find her.

“I suppose I’ll have to start looking then. Hopefully she’s staying in one of her usual haunts” he fidgets with the edge of his attaché case handle. He really hopes she hasn’t broken anything.

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Better late than never [Intro/Open]

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