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]

"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."

[unfoggedlotus]

"The Metaverse has a different way of summoning Personas, so Crow had to re-awaken his." Ren sighs, dramatically. "You, unfortunately, have more cognitive head injuries in your future."

[fogboundcrow]

"Lovely." He huffs, arms crossed. "At least I sidestepped that particular experience here. I just get the costume change whenever I enter the Metaverse."

[unfoggedlotus]

“Lucky,” Ren chuckles. “How have things been here? Aside from Crow overworking himself.”

[fogboundcrow]

"Well, we performed an elaborate cake heist while Magpie was texting sexually suggestive messages to your boyfriend, which turned into an elaborate competition. Magpie did it for a good cause, but Crow... certainly had a reaction." He says it with an oddly casual tone of voice. "It reminds me of how idiotic hormones can make older teens. These next few years are going to be... interesting."

[unfoggedlotus]

“Cake heist? Tell me more,” Ren grins. The second part hits him a bit like a wet clay ball gently lobbed at him, making a dull thud against the inside of his skull as he tries to figure out what part of it could vex his boyfriend. “Well…that’s generally what your body does. Gets aroused when someone’s showing you stuff you find hot. We’re not rocks or anything.”

[fogboundcrow]

"We needed someone to distract Crow so we could steal my birthday cake in a most glorious fashion. It just turned out that his choice of distraction was gay chicken." His smirk recedes a bit and his face crumples up. "But it's funny. Magpie suggested I get earplugs. He suspects you two will be getting quite... intimate in the near future. I wonder if Crow will even last the week before—"

Crow very suddenly does a spit take of the water he was drinking. "Raven, what the—" He stops himself for a moment. "What the heck?"

[unfoggedlotus]

Wait, what? Ren blinks in confusion at the way Raven’s face crumples. “Just because I can talk about sex without dancing around it doesn’t mean I’m willing to drop my pants on a dime. We’ll have sex when we both agree to have sex, and we’re definitely not having it where you guys can hear us.”

[fogboundcrow]

"Good. Then you have sense." Hey, look at that, Raven even relaxes. Not having to think about his future self's sex life is a huge weight lifted, if anything. "Perhaps Magpie simply misjudged your character."

Crow pinches the bridge of his nose. "I don't believe Magpie understands that relationships encompass more than that. Softer, more genuine expressions of affection seem to confuse him."

[unfoggedlotus]

"He doesn't have a good relationship with his Ren, right?" Ren nods. "Makes sense he wouldn't really get it."

[fogboundcrow]

"I'm not quite sure what his relationship with his Ren is in full, but..." He winces. No, he can't talk about that. He made a promise. "Well, 'complicated' is the best way I can put it into words."

[unfoggedlotus]

"So I've been told." Ren...really doesn't have a lot to work off from the vagueness, so he doesn't. "Maybe his'll show up and smooch him better. Seems the jealous type."

[fogboundcrow]

"...Oh god. What if he is jealous? I told Crow that the two of them act like a married couple!" He's not insane. He knows the vibes! It's ridiculous. "I don't believe Crow was cheating, but he spent the night over there with Magpie. You can't blame me for making the comparison!"