( closed ) Scout! Heist

[adoringpast]

WHO: Akira, Goro, and Sena
WHERE: a nice hotel that looks and functions like a ryokan inn
WHEN: 11/4-11/5
WHAT: Akira treats Sena to a spa day and an overnight stay with Goro for a belated birthday gift, and they dress up like and talk about Phantom Thief shit in the process.
WARNINGS: despite the hypothetical gacha name they aren't actually comitting crimes so don't worry about it, but heavy p5 spoilers are imminent in the other thread with akechi

[ it's finally a saturday, and what better way to wrap up a birthday celebration and cope from a breakup than spoiling yourself at the spa with your peers? akira better not regret this because sena goes all out in spas, getting a mani-pedi and a little haircut and a Swedish massage, and a body scrub/facial combo. he comes out of it feeling rejuvenated, almost like an entirely new person altogether.

but before mulling over the fact that he technically IS a new person altogether because of alternate world shit that recolle has going on, they're back in their shared room of this ryokan-style hotel, with sena putting down his bag of clothing for the next day along with - ]

Right. Okay. I know I'm no part of your Phantom Thieving business, but Retrospec gave me one anyway. It's from a special Live of sorts back in that school.

[ it's nice, having to talk about yumenosaki out loud. even if these two lovebirds can't relate. he starts pulling the articles of clothing that makes up the entire outfit and lays them onto the tatami floor, saving the stupid hat for last. ]

Comments

[twostringsonebow]

[As if Goro wasn't going to treat himself to just the same, by god did he need this. He hasn't felt so good in ages? He needs to do monthly spa visits, he's setting aside money for this, that is official. And the hotel to top it off... Ah, so nice. It feels kind of homey.

And... wow, that outfit. He folds his arms, staring down at it. His face is clear of any judgement. Absolutely impassive as he looks it over.]

Akira's the odd man out.

[Sena'll see what he means when Akira shows it off, but for now his friend's getting pleased smile.]

But I think it's handsome! It truly captures the gentleman thief spirit in design, though browns would be better to blend in... then again, it's all about becoming a striking person, glamorous and memorable. I think it fits you.

[he fuckin loves it]

[maskreant]

[ Akira legitimately fell asleep each session because it was that nice, but he enjoyed it! And thank god Goro and Sena are here to wake him up. Luckily,a full pass ended up being high value considering how many things Sena added to his spa to-do list. He’s relieved and has enough money to burn overall, so this is a nice treat. The room doesn’t exactly feel like home to him, but he definitely likes it. It’s time to scrutinize the outfit on the tatami, fingers stroking his chin as his eyes practically scan every article of clothing down to a single thread.

He has come to one conclusion: ]

Isn’t this everything you find gaudy about Phantom Thief attire, Senya?

[ Not to burst anyone’s bubble!! Since Akira does like what he sees so far. Can he play with the hat that’s still in the bag? He’ll play with the hat. ]

[adoringpast]

[ sena can only throw a deadpan look at akira's conclusion, but he lets him play with the hat nonetheless. ]

Exactly, which is why I don't understand why this was our stupid outfit as a unit a long time ago. The designer could've at least considered our aesthetic?

[ what he knows about knights is still pretty vague, but judging from the songs that leo made for them and their uniform, they should have that regal air around them. THIS IS NOT REGAL AT ALL.

he does appreciate goro's words though, and positively beams at him. see this bias here? ]

I do get your point, Akechin, including the part where it should've been brown instead of all white and blue. What's the point of being a Phantom Thief if you stick out like a sore thumb at night, right? But then again, we were just performing on stage instead of being actual thieves in the first place.

[ sighs, then sits down on the floor to stare at both of them. ]

Now, what does yours look like?

[twostringsonebow]

[Look at this bias. Beautiful. This is actually the first time he's seen Akira and Sena truly interact, though... interesting. Senya. Should he think of a nickname as well, seeing as Sena calls him Akechin..?

Ah. Right. Matter at hand. Goro cups his hands in front of himself, admittedly more shy about his own absolutely inappropriate thieving garments. Then again, his other self had said they were his idea of someone who stuck to their justice instead.]

Would you like to go first, Akira? I think yours are a perfect example, after all.

[maskreant]

[ And Goro acts the way Akira always imagined he would around Sena... Just the way Sena talks about Goro, though brief in their conversations, made them seem close. He can only imagine they’ve become closer over time and he’s grateful. Here comes Sena’s mandatory tirade over aesthetic and fashion. Akira only raises his eyebrows before placing the hat right onto their upperclassmen fluffy silver head. ]

Some Phantom Thieves are showboats. You’re probably one of them.

[ Wow? Why is he volunteered first???? He slides a hand into a pocket as he shifts his weight onto one side. In a flash, his Phantom Thief outfit appears. Mask, boots, coat—the whole package. Akira is looking pretty comfortable in it, even confident. ]

[twostringsonebow]

He has the looks for it, costume aside. It's a good thing.

[Speaking of showboats though, Goro takes only a moment to give an appreciative glance over Akira's new attire before straightening a little more, his own taking form in an instant. Even the ridiculous mask! Though he'll lift it to rest on his forehead since it's a little distracting otherwise.

Look, Sena can be amazed by their lack of a magical girl transformation sequence, he's just gonna talk as he always do.]

I think I've told you that mine was rather prince-like, yes? It's certainly no thief's wear, but it wasn't... ah, designed with that in mind, you could say.

[adoringpast]

[ and from their banter alone, sena can see why they're practically made for each other. both of them are quiet and pleasant enough, but goro's charismatic air complements well with akira's

why are they calling him a showboat when they're right here casually transforming in front of sena's eyes as if this is an everyday thing? he's still initially shocked at how they can switch outfits in only a blink of an eye, though. pursing his lips, he starts mentally critiquing their get-ups.

akira's outfit looks more appropriate for a modern phantom thief who operates in the shadows, and the trenchcoat with those pants is a very nice touch tbh. now he knows why he was being so defensive about coattails in that one retrospec thread... it's adorable in hindsight, really. but with those red gloves and - are those heels? holy shit, he actually sneaks around in those all the damn time? that's impressive, actually. he finally understand why he's chosen as the Leader of their ragtag team of rebellious teenagers.

overall, an 8.5 out of 10.

goro's though... okay, not to be too biased as hell, but he likes the princely take on the traditional phantom thief attire he has going on. it's all white though so that completely gets rid of the stealth factor, but as akechi said, it wasn't really designed with that in mind, so sena should give that a pass for now. though in all honesty, those fancy epaulets on his shoulders and the red triangular capes at the back makes him look less than a phantom thief and more of a knight as sena had initially thought when they were talking about attires a couple months ago as well.

it's also an 8.5. it would've been higher, but the mask is just too stupid to ignore. akechi, why.

but overall, they both look great. they also complement each other in terms of outfits as well, with akechi looking more like a showstopper on stage while akira invokes the image of a cool and aloof backstage actor. it's all very intriguing to him.

but yeah, all that mulling took sena a few minutes before he nods, stands up, gathers all the articles of his own phantom thief outfit, and wordlessly marches off towards the bathroom to change into them. it's gonna take a little while though because he doesn't have a fancy-schmancy transformation sequence like YOU GUYS, harrumph ]

[maskreant]

[ While Sena gives them his silent approval and just dart off to change into his own outfit, Akira is also looking Goro up and down... He hasn't seen it in person yet, only in his memories. It looks nice, so he's still smiling, but he circles behind him to play with the little cape tails. Gently shaking them up and down like there's wind flowing through the room. ]

Don't you worry that this will get dirty?

[ It's white. ]

[twostringsonebow]

[Poor Sena... he can't magically gain his outfit, what a damn shame. He has to put it on one leg at a time like a plebeian. Goro's head follows Akira's movement and he chuckles a little, rubbing the upper part of his left arm idly.]

Well... no, not really. It's not like I traipse around in it, Akira, and I know how to take care of a variety of stains anyway. You don't have to worry about anything at all, do you?

[It's so dark. It's roguish and handsome, and he turns around fully to appreciate it better now that they're alone. The total opposite of his... ah, but that other one is more thief like, isn't it? He reaches for Akira's coat to tug him closer, grinning slightly.]

You really do look like a true thief, though. I can imagine you escaping into someone's house in the dead of night and liberating them of their ill-gotten belongings. It's an exciting thought.

[adoringpast]

[ it's taking him longer that he'd expected, but can you really blame him? he has to put on the pants first, then the blouse, then do the tie, then the vest, the coat, and FINALLY the cape. and then the gloves. this is even more elaborate the the ones designers usually make him wear for fashion shows that it's a miracle that he's managed to put it all on by himself.

the hat, of course, is the cherry on top of this mess, and he comes out of the bathroom to see them... flirting with each other. what the hell, you guys. he recently broke up with his boyfriend and he's here to take his mind off things and celebrate his birthday with some peers and this is what he gets?

ugh, whatever, he's clearing his throat and tipping the rim of his hat down to conceal his red face with nary a snarky comment. it's that awkward. ]

[maskreant]

[ Is this really flirting? Akira is still just holding onto Goro's caplet, flapping it up and down as he listens to his boyfriend's musings about their outfits. He does prefer his overall, but there's something nice about Goro's... Maybe because it's pristine which comes with the color white. Before he can comment that:

1. He would not legitimately break into someone's house.
2. Goro is maybe way too attracted by the thought of him doing dirty work.
3. Sena will be back before they knows it.

Sena is already back. Akira perks up and turns over to see the birthday boy, flashing a soft smile as he sees that over the top costume. It does suit him. Raising his eyebrows while still holding onto red swallow tails, he practically drags Goro along as he takes a closer look at Sena. ]

It looks good. [ Thoughtfully humming. ] That color is very becoming on you, too.

[ NICE BLUSH. Sorry, senpai. It was a matter of time before he starts teasing him, too. ]

[twostringsonebow]

[Goro perks up too, beaming as it all comes together and he's dragged along to see Sena's outfit up close, even leaving Akira himself to flap Sena's cape. How cool..!]

You do look very cool, Sena. You remind me a little of the phantom thief in one of the mangas I've read, actually, he's quite the charmer too. Though you do pull off the blush better than him.

[Sorry, Sena...]

[adoringpast]

I'm going to kill both of you. Magical powers or no.

[ he's pouting, and it does look cute on him when it's on the behest of his peers instead of the usual annoyances. ]

Speaking of magical powers, what's next, shooting lasers out of your eyes or something? And what's with the masks? Is it really a requirement for being a Thief?

[ his costume didn't come with one, but. you know. he's more of a performer than an actual criminal. ]

midnight; closed to goro

[adoringpast]

[ that was a lot to take in, the entire phantom thief schtick akira and goro had in their memories. sena had already told himself time and time again that he'd rather not get involved in their business since it all seems too complicated even for someone like him, and yet he gets pulled in anyway. the woes of being a secret keeper, he guesses.

sena suddenly wakes up at the middle of the night presumably because of his parched throat, and he rubs his eyes and looks back at the sleeping lovebirds that should be lying right next to him in their shared futon to find that one of them is gone. where did akechi go? slowly getting up from the futon so as not to disturb akira's slumber, he pads to the little bathroom for that glass of water and walks back out to check if there are any shadows from that little balcony of the room they're occupying.

there he is. he quietly slides the door open and shows himself outside. ]

Can't sleep?

[twostringsonebow]

[Goro jumps lightly, surprise all too evident on his face before he relaxes his grip against the railing and he gives a sheepish smile instead, turning forward again. No, he... hadn't really, hasn't been able to get a truly satisfying one for over a month now, and while sleeping with Akira generally fixes that...]

I've always liked nighttime. And with fall upon us, everything feels crisper and fresh. [...] I didn't wake you, did I?

[adoringpast]

No, you didn't.

[ he joins him at the railing that's overlooking the hotel's beautiful garden, breathing in the nice November air. he doesn't want to pry though, but something must be up if akechi's still awake. ]

What's on your mind, though? Is the futon too tough to sleep or something?

[ still cannot believe they had to share one though, wtf ]

[twostringsonebow]

[sena please,]

No, no, it's fine. It's actually quite nice! I... was simply thinking about what happened last month. With the other me.

[And the nightmares, but that's just obvious. He's going to refuse the group therapy they're offering at the Persona meeting later this month too. Perfectly Fine.

... Perfectly fine, which is why he's lowering his voice despite the fact his boyfriend is Absolutely still sleeping:]

I remembered something upsetting, if oddly liberating in an optimistic light.

[adoringpast]

[ just guys being dudes, goro

but he leans in closer to akechi, keeping a close eye on the door in case akira overhears. not that he doesn't trust akira, but who knows what kind of talents the leader of the phantom thieves have on his sleeve.

so he whispers, ] Upsetting in an optimistic light? That's kind of contradictory if you ask me... What is it?

heres them p5 spoilers

[twostringsonebow]

[... Give him a moment, he's trying to do this in the least upsetting way and figuring out that softening the reality he's deduced is not something he can do as a person, so he would make a terrible doctor.]

Having reviewed the memory time and time again, I have come to a conclusion that I think is a natural and true assumption, and one that I would like kept from Akira... forever, if I can manage it. I'm only telling you as well.

[Silver and Elizabeth didn't need to know. It doesn't matter whatsoever to Liz, who firmly believes that their past selves are nothing that affects their current, and Silver... would probably tell him to be honest to Akira, even if it didn't matter. Holding it in hadn't helped anything before.

But this is something that might be better left unspoken. He's caused Akira such pain over the past month, he just wants to be happy.]

I think, [and his grip tightens on the railing again, painfully so,] that I may be dead, in that other life. I was worn down from a previous fight, wounded, and... that other me, the one that tried to kill us both, had appeared. He wanted me to kill Akira and the others in order to get back on track.

[To be his other secret, the murderer bit. He exhales evenly, very clearly forcing himself to be clinical about it.]

But I refused and shot a button that put a wall between us and the group to save them. He had company too, though I admit they didn't feel strong. I was surrounded.

[There's so much else to that memory -- how he was "put up" to be a murderer by the man who was apparently his father, how he was going to die anyway after whatever election, the cognitive him's words about being relied on and loved and acknowledged-- but he's sticking to facts and their most logical possibilities. The rest can stay tucked inside with the rest of his issues, alike but never as extreme as his other self's.]

[adoringpast]

[ "I think i may be dead in that other life."

that's all sena can register in his mind, and he can feel the blood in his own veins grow cold. his ears can still hear the other words he's saying after that - encountering that other self of his, saving the other phantom thieves - but his brain just hyperfocuses on one thing.

goro akechi was dead.

it's a good thing sena wasn't holding a glass of water right now, because he would've dropped it and let it shatter on the floor beneath them. ]

So you died...

[ he can't help but repeat that, but he has to. to confirm it. he's not actually sure why he's being so affected with this - probably because he's never heard of something like this before. near death experiences like in professor lutece's situation last month, sure, but -

he exhales a puff of air that he didn't know he's been holding in the entire time, and turns to lean at the balcony instead. it'd be embarrassing for akechi to see him like this, so like him, he'd rather look at the more logical side of things. ]

So you mean to say that you were reincarnated into this world, huh...

[twostringsonebow]

Probably. To be given a second chance, to be reminded of the failures in my past life, but... to have so much similarity to that person, to meet the same people he had...

[It's a little painful, honestly. The other him would feel such an ocean of jealous and hatred. From his living mother to the friends that surround him... it was the same towards Akira, at that time, as complicated as those feelings ended up being.]

I think it's rather cruel. [Quiet, to keep the tremble from his voice.] That I have everything he didn't, that is. I have a family, I have friends I can rely on, I even have someone that loves me, I--

[Oh, god, that's a break in his voice, he's going to exhale before it gets bad and stay quiet as he looks out for a moment, air heavy.]

I wish he could have had this, too. Perhaps he wouldn't have turned out as badly, or ended the way he did.

[adoringpast]

[ silence falls over them like a veil once more, a windchime ringing alone in the distance. whether sena can hear the crack in akechi's voice, he doesn't say.

what he does say is that: ]

Maybe that's what he wanted in the end. He saved you guys from your other self, didn't he? Despite all that shit your clone had done to you and the others, you yourself... might not be all that bad. Maybe your self from the past had no other choice but to pull off those things, or maybe someone else manipulated you. Remember that you're viewing these memories out of context, so it really could be anything.

[ he places a tentative but supportive hand on akechi's shoulder. ]

But either way... this is it. You can make things right in this reality now. So don't waste the only life you have. All right? Don't be an total idiot this time.

[twostringsonebow]

[Even so, it was wrong... but Goro's always firmly believed that if someone was desperate enough to turn to something they shouldn't, then in the end the bigger fault lied with society itself. It's the sort of belief held so closely to his heart due to the adventures of his favorite literary heroes and entirely the reason he found himself supporting the thieves in the first place.

... They wanted him to join them too, as a real member that time. He thinks of how he needs to tell the ones here about it all and wonders if it'll be the same, or if such a different life will sully those chances.

With a hum, he slumps onto the railing. There's so much more to the memory, but Sena doesn't want to be involved more than he is and Goro can respect that.]

I won't. Whether the decisions of that life come back to haunt me or not, I won't squander my chances now. And... if the others, should they ever remember, decide that those circumstances matter just as much now and won't like to be friends, then that's their decision. [Even if he'd like to be friends with them all, whoever all of them are.] As long as it doesn't cause trouble for Akira, I'm fine with it.

[If it does... then he'll do something about it. Simple as that.]

I'm sorry for venting to you. I know this isn't the sort of thing you want to be involved with or hear about so late at night. But... thank you.

[adoringpast]

They're hypocrites if they still won't accept you in this reality, if you ask me. [ huffs ] They should know by now that we aren't the people from our pasts... And besides, I'm sure that Akira can get through them somehow.

[ sena's not sure if he already knows the other members of their ragtag team, but what he does know is that he'll kick all of their asses if they won't accept the poor guy into their hearts. how annoying. ]

No problem. You're right, I didn't want to get involved any more than that, but there is another reason why I can't really sleep tonight.

[ a deep sigh ]

I'm sure you've already heard from Akira that... My boyfriend and I are no longer seeing each other. I knew what was coming, but... [ grips his own arms as if it's freezing cold now ] It still kind of hurts, you know?

[twostringsonebow]

[... Sena is such a kind boy. He'll listen, moving closer to press their shoulders together at the not-so-new news. Part of him wants to do more, but this is fine for now. Putting a note down in his mind to not tell Sena anything else about his past life too, respect his wishes to remain outside that realm of involvement, maybe... keep a diary of it instead, put his thoughts somewhere and not tell anyone at all.]

I do. He's someone you've shared time and so much more with, of course a parting like that would hurt... especially if you were the one at fault. [...] Um, have you spoken to him since?

[Because he'd think Sena very strong if so, honestly.]