o how gentle the rain can arrive

[unfoggedlotus]

Ren follows Goro to the Dojima house, steps as sure and confident as he can make them with his heart pounding a bit louder than normal in his chest. Maybe he's nervous for this, so what? It's not every day you get to meet the alternate-reality-family your boyfriend found during his two-month timeskip that was only five hours or so to you. His head's still kind of reeling from the...everything, but he's rolling with the punches. Not like I expected things to be normal with us, he says to the part of himself that's maybe not-very-Joker-like and trying to shy away from everything.

Life comes at you fast, but Akechis come faster-- well. Hopefully not, and Ren's not thinking about that right now, nope throw curveballs at half the speed of light and expect you to catch 'em. And Ren isn't letting one slip by him yet! ...Even if this one might be aimed right between his eyes.

Ren squeezes his boyfriend's hand -- it's what boyfriends are there for, after all -- and readjusts his grip on the little...okay, large bag of gifts against his chest (hey, everything's free here, and he didn't wanna show up unprepared) as they come to a stop in front of the door.

He takes a moment, letting go of Goro's hand, for a once-over just to make sure he looks good, brushing invisible bits of dust from his jacket and readjusting his glasses. Then, with a nod to his boyfriend, Ren raises the hand carrying the pile of gifts to knock on the door.

It's showtime.

"Hey guys!" He calls out as his boyfriend opens the door, resisting the urge to run his fingers through his hair (for now). "We're here!"

> Say hello to Crow's boyfriend?

Comments

[fogboundcrow]

Raven's been a bit anxious since Ren materialized. It's a bit of a daunting prospect, meeting the person he'll one day fall for. He's too young for anything serious to come of this, of course. He's not stupid. He only just turned thirteen. Ren has to be, what? Sixteen, seventeen?

Still, even with Magpie there to keep him company, it's been a little intimidating. When the happy couple returns, he looks up from a book he was reading at the table.

"Oh. You're here."

Funny how he was so nosy before. Now he's just... unsure.

[unfoggedlotus]

…Yeah, Ren’s still not sure how to approach his boyfriend’s younger self.

“Hey,” he tries. “Raven, right?”

[fogboundcrow]

"Yes. That's right."

He surveys Ren closely. Earlier was just so weird. But this is different. The initial emotional rush has probably cooled down. So... now what?

"I've heard a lot about you. ...Some of it in Crow's sleep. He's... certainly needed you."

[unfoggedlotus]

Ow. It sucks to hear just how badly Goro's done without him. "Well. I'm here now." He tries to smile in some sort of supportive way. "Heard from the others that he's been working too hard. Wanna help me change that?"

[fogboundcrow]

"He's been working excessively hard. Not too long ago, he hosted an impromptu beach party, provided refreshments for said party, and the next night, went over to Magpie's place with soup he prepared in the middle of the night and then stayed with him until the next day."

You can just hear the exasperation in his voice. He sighs and grumbles and just... argh. "I'd be a hypocrite if I scolded him too harshly for trying to keep busy, but he prioritizes the needs of everyone around him while taking little time for himself. His actions reek of desperation, if anything. ...So, yes, I suppose I ought to aid in the intervention."

[unfoggedlotus]

"Great," Ren grins, then reaches into his bag to get him his gift. "I mean. Not great that he's done all that--" he shoots a pointed look at his boyfriend, "--but great that you'll help."

Ah, there it is. His hand hits the gift he got for Raven. "You could say that we'll..." he takes out a long toy Featherman-themed saber, "bring his bad habits to justice!"

[fogboundcrow]

Oh! The saber actually gives him some pause. He looks at it for a sec, and granted, it's childish. But on the other hand, it's Featherman merch and potentially useful? He takes it tentatively. "Ah. Thank you."

An idea takes root in his head. "...I wonder how this would fare in the cognitive world. Something to test, I suppose."

[unfoggedlotus]

“Oh! You wouldn’t know. Duh.” Ren’s face turns sheepish as he passes over the weapon. “This’ll become a totally awesome blade in the Metaverse. Promise. It boosts Bless and Curse attacks too.” He moves to pull out something else. “I also got you a notebook. For all your detective needs!”

[fogboundcrow]

Give him a moment.

He was not expecting his future self's boyfriend to be this doting on day one. Then again, it is his future self's boyfriend who calls him sappy things like 'my little tuft of feathers' and 'my sweet songbird.' It is clear that he is utterly smitten.

He accepts the notebook with a sheepish, "Thanks." Let him just... set that on the table for now. That's a good place for it. "I wonder how the blade would pair with my blaster. The thought of dual wielding had crossed my mind..."

[unfoggedlotus]

Ren smiles to himself at Raven's reaction. Good to know some things stay the same, apparently. "You can use your blaster for ranged attacks and your blade for melee! That's what we do. I have daggers and a gun. They go pretty well together."

[fogboundcrow]

"Efficient. Though I'll have to use a real blade in places such as Mikage-cho, regrettably. Lack of cognitive space combined with real demons does make for a steeper 'difficulty curve' in my experience."

But knives... Not a bad choice, even if he prefers something with a bit more reach. Then again, there is a certain appeal to getting so close to an enemy.

[unfoggedlotus]

Ren blinks.

Then blinks again.

"Demons...in Mikage-cho?"

What?

[fogboundcrow]

"Demons are real and want to kill you. Also, a boy in a frog costume sells weapons for some reason."

Don't question it, Ren. Look into his eyes. Look at that smile. They are truly sincere. There is no tomfoolery at play.

[unfoggedlotus]

"...Got it."

A beat.

"Any other places I need to know about? Crow told me about not going to Mementos alone..."

[fogboundcrow]

"...Ah, yes. There is that Shadow Akechi who feels deeply betrayed by his world's Ren." He blows a heavy sigh, drooping. "I was lucky I had a memento to pacify him with, but he's highly volatile. As for other places... some strange things happen in Iwatodai after midnight. Coffins appear all over, and it's deeply unsettling."

[unfoggedlotus]

"Gotcha. Don't go through the non-Inaba doors without backup," Ren nods. "Thanks for the heads-up."

[fogboundcrow]

"For what it's worth, I've gotten by in Mikage-cho by myself. Robin Hood and Loki are quite powerful, particularly the latter. Though he is a bit... exhausting to use, so I tend not to rely on him too heavily."

Loki? What's a Loki?

Across the room, Crow winces. Damn it.

[unfoggedlotus]

"Loki, huh?" Ren is, predictably, oblivious to the deeper implications here; his boyfriend is a Wild Card, after all. "Is that one of the Personas you got in the TV World with the Investigation Team? Or is that a new one you've picked up here?"

[fogboundcrow]

"Not quite. I awakened Loki here under... stressful circumstances, but it all ended well enough." If anything, the experience drove him and Magpie closer. He appreciates that. "I've yet to obtain any other Personas just yet, though I'm trying to get there."

[unfoggedlotus]

"...Huh." Ren peers over at Goro -- his Goro, the taller one. How many secrets can a Crow keep... "I've never heard of you awakening Loki before. What's it like?"

[fogboundcrow]

"I had a horrible headache. There was a lot of screaming. I could barely walk. Or think straight." He very hesitantly glances across the house. He shouldn't say too much. "But as I said, it was resolved, and the pain subsided."

Don't mind how tense Crow looks. Arms crossed. Eyes shut.

[unfoggedlotus]

"Well, that sounds like it sucked." Here, Ren'll reach over to give Raven a pat. "Awakening to Arsene wasn't all fun and games, either. I had to rip off my face, basically. It healed and I got a cool mask out of it, thankfully."

[fogboundcrow]

...And Crow's face reddens, and he coughs. "It was very memorable. And... badass. Yes."

Raven gives him a look. "Oh my god. You found it hot, didn't you?"

[unfoggedlotus]

"It felt less than that in the moment, I promise," Ren wheezes. "I had to rip my face off. That wasn't fun. Even if it looked cool."

[fogboundcrow]

"Can confirm," Crow says, bringing a hand to his own face. "I was such a seething mess during mine that it caused the Palace I was investigating to skyrocket in its security level. Though I probably looked quite dangerous with that blood dripping down my face..."

Raven just squints. "But you already had Personas."

"I did, but I had to unleash my rebellious spirit. It was a whole ordeal."