entranceway | first infiltration ♥ text;

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first infiltration ♥ text;

[ Roughly the first hour of Akira’s Wonderland existence is spent holed up in a tea room, his dead cell phone abandoned for the new communicator and his expression a mask of mild but definite fascination. Some horror too - the UI on this thing could really use a rework - but Futaba, really? Ann? Morgana, you weren’t supposed to mow down the greenery. God knows what Yusuke got up to besides searching for new and magical pigments in highly dangerous places, Akira imagines.

Not that it seems that the Phantom Thieves are known here let alone feared or pursued by what approximates a police force. But his wincing is reflexive; everything in him wants to avoid attention after, well. What ended up happening. Limited browsing on the network indicates that people may not know and that advertising a trauma that might have been their fault wouldn’t be the wisest action ever.

So, introductions. Akira needs to get his hands on these reins again ASAP. ]

Sorry for the upset my friends might have caused last week. No invasions from outer space or otherwise will be happening. We come in peace.

I hope the hedge maze is okay, also. Those take a lot of time to grow. Related, I worry a bit that the belief that plants have feelings may take on a somewhat literal capacity in a place of magic like Wonderland is.

But for now you can call me Joker. Not the first and not the last new resident but one nonetheless. I’d like some recommendations on Wonderland-musts if it’s possible.

Please don’t say “dying.” I’m waiting on that one with any luck.

[ Is that enough for a gentleman thief to say? As for the rest of them… How does one convene a secret group of supernatural thieves while being both cryptic enough for protection and friendly enough to ward off the kind of unease that being cryptic evokes? ]

And finally, Phantom Thieves assemble?

[ Nailed it. ]

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I'd recommend the blue velvet pancakes, but that's a personal preference. Hello, Joker.

[ so there's two evils staring him down here, so what's the lesser? option one: ignore the gang of delinquents and go about information-gathering on his own since clearly their memories are hampered and they're fairly useless. and a headache. that option comes with the danger of losing the trust of the group and risking some necessary steps in a larger plan. option two: go along with it and grit teeth and keep the plan in motion. the downside of that? far too much. there's a clearly superior option here, but just as he finds himself saying thinly-veiled secrets in leblanc, he's sending the text before cold rationale can plant itself and take hold. ]

That was fast. These pancakes must have made a big impression. There aren't enough exclamation points in this message to tell me this is Panther or Skull.

[ Enlighten him? The internal battle his correspondent is having has seemingly no bearing on the content of its message. It's entirely possible that it's Yusuke but even he isn't so distant in his cuckoolander reveries as to escape palpable shock. ]

Edited 2017-05-08 07:23 (UTC)

Two more guesses. Though, I don't believe my code name would be of much help, if you're suffering from the same inconvenient amnesia that Panther, Fox and Oracle are.

[ since saying crow had really only netted him one favorable response. and while akechi enjoyed some air of mystery and talking in circles, that had been a tad excessive. so he'll hedge, and while the words are probably sincere, they aren't intended to be as jovially polite as they may come off as. ]

Regardless, it's nice to see you alive, Kurusu.

[ ..?

That's an odd thing to say. Akira skimmed some information about time being crooked in some respects so the amnesia comment hits its mark dead center. Ann, Yusuke, and Futaba are out by their own admission, this definitely isn't Morgana or Ryuji, Makoto is far more emotional that she likes to let on and he's already talking with Haru on another message thread.

And only one person talks in circles like this. Huh. So he joined in the end..? ]

You too, Akechi-kun. Much easier to check in actual person.

You interested in coming by?

[ He can think of at least seven reasons why he might not feel welcome, but that never swayed Akira to much effect. ]

[ a montage of the last week briefly plays in his head: the less than receptive reactions from the group ranging from full on denial and prickliness to individual teammates running into him and acting as if it were the most awkward thing in the world. still, he saw their point: having someone committed to exposing your gang of thieves to the media nearby and in the loop probably wasn't a good idea. and it didn't really bother him save for the minor setback, and since this whole place was a massive setback... well... ]

My apologies, but I don't believe that would be a wise decision. I wouldn't want to make anyone more uncomfortable than they already are.

[ that's not exactly the reason but at least it's believable. amassing in a group really isn't his style, especially when there's no clear plan in play. ]

[ Not that any of that would be wildly out of line with what Akira's timeline presents, but he has the inkling that either something drastic had happened (Okumura) or Akechi has a reason for being with them in convenience (most likely). He'd like to ask him about it, but... ]

That's fine. We can always talk some time after. Over coffee?

[ Give him something to work with, damnit. ]

Edited 2017-05-08 08:03 (UTC)

Coffee, then. I know a place that'll work. Although it's not as good a brew as Boss's I must admit....

[ it isn't that he's out to avoid akira. true, he did tend to leave leblanc fairly quickly most nights, but given the tension in the air and his own loose tongue, it just seemed better that way. it's hard to figure out what akira could be gaining from this, but perhaps he's just information gathering, too. what's the worst that happen over a cup of coffee? ]

Let me know when you're settled in.

Sure. Text me the details and I'll head over there.

[ It's several hours and a changed soaking wet tee shirt later that Akechi does receive any sign that Akira is serious about following this conversational thread up. Because last interaction he had with Akechi, unlike the others, was far more human, stripped of the other teen's ego even if it was a bit maudlin. Akira has deeply mixed feelings about him but it isn't as though talking to him has no worth.

He follows Akechi's directions, stepping into the door with a casual air and peering around for his familiar clean lines. ]

[ oh akira, you have no idea.

either way, akechi is holed up at the diner, already sipping a water. he's politely waited for akira to get here before ordering any coffee. he's wearing something similar to his school uniform, minus the logo. the look of perfect composure. as usual, black gloves cradle the cup he's drinking from, long fingers holding the glass a bit tighter than necessary. a crack in the perfection.

he hears the door and he glances over his shoulder, eyes landing carefully on "his leader." ]

Hello, Kurusu.

[ Akira briefly considers and dismisses a universe where he doesn't call him “Goro” just to put a mental pebble in his shoe. ]

Goro-kun.

[ Easy as that Akira takes up a seat across from Akechi in the booth, an odd wave of deja vu in being in a place that smells thickly of coffee with the detective and it not be Leblanc. He's unruffled as ever, having long grown used to meeting his pursuer head to head. This just happens to be the first time it's been an outed secret, playing on even ground at last. ]

The coffee any good?

[ if he's displeased by the change in name, he doesn't show it. instead, he brings the water to his lips again to take a sip before setting it down further away from him. out of sight and out of mind. who needs water when you're going to be having coffee? ]

I can't complain. It's missing something, but perhaps that's the nostalgia speaking.

[ there's the real possibility that he could be stuck here for years, just as that other persona-user had been. further, when he did (if he did) return back home, he wouldn't have any recollection of his time here. which meant, well ... a lot of things. what good was a pawn like kurusu to him here if he had no ascertainable value. ]

How are the others?

Didn't think you got nostalgic.

[ It would be a line that Akechi wouldn't have to consider if he just decided not to use Akira as a pawn. ]

I don't know that the hedges will ever recover. The others are fine now, at the very least.

[ Akira waves down a passing server and asks for the coffees and some coffee cake to go along with them, already somewhat knowing Akechi's preferences even if it is way too late to be seriously considering either. Funny, that they could only carry information from one world to another in one direction. Kinda liable to piss someone off too if they were inclined, which Akira isn't but frustration niggles at the edge of his consciousness. ]

I just want to learn more about this place, personally. Why I can feel my Personas but only a few of them, for one thing. Is this place a kind of Palace we haven't seen before?

What say you, detective-san.

[ he really isn't sure what the deal is with the hedges.

he doesn't protest neither the drinks nor the coffeecake, instead lost in thought over akira's observations. it was true, he had been wondering something very similar. he could still feel both robin hood and loki - hell, he had summoned and used robin hood less than a week ago when he first met souji, which led him to believe this had to be some version of the metaverse. even if 'residents' claimed that it was wonderland, a sort of sentient being, he still couldn't help but be suspicious. didn't ever palace assume its own identity, its own name, its own existence? ]

I'm not nearly as versed as you are about this. [ it's said with an airy smile, his fingers brushing along the rim of the mug of coffee when it arrives. ] But if I could hazard a guess from what I've seen, I wouldn't rule out the possibility that this is a Palace of some sorts.

[ which leads him to his own question -- ] What's the last thing you happen to remember?

[ Yeah, bullshit.

It's annoying but not unexpected that Akechi insists on the pretty fool routine even here, when it's not going to count for anything but pride. Akira peels off bits of coffee cake and eats them in fluffy little pellets as he thinks on just what the hell Akechi has to do with them if he's this allergic to being straightforward. He just. He doesn't know what is up, he just knows that something's up.

Akira shakes his head shortly, tapping on the heated mug handle. ]

Someone doesn't think so. He said Wonderland is a universe unto itself, so I think that means the rules are different. We aren't in the Metaverse, but we can use our Personas. Isn't that enough to disprove the Palace theory?

[ The temptation to mess with Akechi is strong. If the detective is going to misdirect and hold cards close to the chest Akira sees no problem in doing some of the same, gray eyes taking measure of him. ]

Coffee is the one thing I know you genuinely take pleasure in.

[ Not the last thing he remembers, but a thing. ]

[ It doesn't entirely disprove the theory, no. There were plenty of reasons that this could be an extension of the Metaverse, but Akechi doesn't bother to go into particulars. After all, he's the pretty fool, isn't he? Divulging that type of information - those dark nitty gritty details - probably wouldn't do much for his overall credibility.

Still, Akira's statement does manage to catch him off-guard, if only the slightest. It's the same spark of surprise that usually coincides with interacting with him. If there's one thing Akechi knows about Kurusu - and it's a very small list - is that he's full of shock-value.

What's strange is that instead of commenting on that, or initiating another circle of conversation that has no clear end or beginning, he deviates back to facts. Facts are safer than himself. ]

It's a shame that you and most of the others don't remember our adventures. I was starting to have quite a bit of fun masquerading around with the infamous Phantom Thieves, even if it had an end-date.

[ There was no lie embedded in any layer of that, and he takes pause with that himself, leaning back a bit in order to fix a piece of his hair that had fallen out of place. ]

[ For someone with clearly a lot of pride Akechi is strangely reluctant to have the spotlight on himself on anything but a stage. Akira stirs a packet of half and half into his coffee. Personal interaction scares him. Anyone who chooses obfuscation as much as Akechi has to be afraid.

Akira drops his gaze to his drink, spoon serving as a pen replacement, twirling between his spindly fingers. ]

I wish I did. Talking to you while you have close to a full deck has me at a disadvantage. Unless you like having some power over me~?

[ The lilt is ostensibly prodding him: joke, laugh. But Akira does wonder if this is fun or sad for him. ]

[ most of the short time they spent together had been fun. it took surprisingly little effort to fall into pace with the group. he wasn't on camera and didn't have to pretend. maybe he had been a bit over-the-top with some of his antics, but it all had felt natural. which had been dangerous. ]

I wouldn't consider it power, Kurusu. Simply that time has afforded me memories you don't have yet. [ a beat and he traces his index finger along the handle of the mug again and then down on the tabletop. ] Feel free to ask whatever you'd like. I'm sure you're interested in what we had to find in Nijima's Palace.

Not particularly.

[ Time, yeah. Akira's a little upset that Akechi gets a head start on all of them, sure, but he can't fix the differential with information considering the source. Until he knows Akechi's angle, he's safer avoiding information concerning Akira's own future. ]

I'll find out, right? It's not going to do me any good to have that on my mind here where I can't act on it.

You have a Persona?

Edited 2017-05-12 04:30 (UTC)

[ that's a fair point. and for those at home that believe in irreparable harm from messing with time by creating paradoxes, avoiding knowledge seems to be a favorable choice.

still, akira's question causes him to smile politely once more, looking off to the side as if ruefully shy. ]

Yes. He's been particularly useful against some of the Shadows we've encountered.

[ a beat. ] If it wouldn't cause so much noise or damage, I would show you.

You could show me in private at a later date.

[ Tonight might be a bit soon. Akira's still reeling from arrival and the weight of expectation thrust onto his shoulders. "Akira is here so everything will be okay."

He invited it but it doesn't mean Akira doesn't get tired and need rest. Akechi is just enough outside of their circle that little chats like these, while potentially fraught, could be rejuvenating too. ]

Do you know what Morgana says a Persona is? It's the spirit of rebellion that resides in one's heart. When I awoke to it, Arsene told me that it's rage unleashed.

What do you rebel against, I wonder. What enrages you to the point of rebellion.

[ a spirit of rebellion. that's laughable. rage, on the other hand? that he could understand entirely. ]

Injustice. [ it's a simple answer and one that isn't completely a lie, either. it's just that he cares more, cares entirely about his own injustice. it's easy to flip a switch between his tv personality that cares about justice for all, and then his inner demons that crawl around and demand his own justice be served on a silver platter. ]

I can't imagine someone like you having that much pent up rage, however. [ he says it calmly, lifting a napkin up to dab at the tiny specks of coffee on the tabletop that had managed to escape the mug earlier. ]

[ True enough. But Akechi is the kind of guy that you have to make some moderately educated stabs in the dark for to get anything past polite observations for him. Akira notices he doesn't seem as engaged when he's the one under the spotlight for once, so Akira takes the step back and gathers his drink, bangs covering the top of his glasses.

Injustice, huh? Somehow he doesn't think that the Phantom Thieves are what he's referring to. He guessed it could be the mental shutdowns, but Akira doesn't know where injustice enter into it. ]

You'd be surprised. Or I don't know, maybe you wouldn't. [ A beat. ] How much research have you done on me?

[ How forward of you, Kurusu-kun.

He makes a noncommittal noise, as if weighing his answer very carefully. Really, though, it's quite simple: working at a police station gives you access to a number of files. It's so easy to pluck a file when no one is looking. No one cares. It's gross and humiliating that justice has fallen into such shambles - ]

I've heard the rumors. [ He says it with a pleasant smile still affixed. ] Of course, I'm of the opinion that they're just that: rumors.

[ From what he's seen, it would take quite a bit to set Akira off center enough to lash out at someone. And from what he's gleaned from the report, well, it's not hard to make the mental leap and realize what kind of setup it was. The same, trashy human being that was responsible for so much darkness. ] Unless you'd care to enlighten me otherwise?

[ Not his fault you're allergic to straightforwardness, Akechin~. Akira just shrugs loosely again. ]

Someone was in trouble, I tried to help, ended up on probation. Not too much to tell there; it's in the past.

[ Which isn't to say that it hasn't impacted Akira going forward - on the contrary, seeing Ryuji pushed around and beaten by Kamoshida's goons pushed Akira the rest of the way off the edge.

It's close to his heart, despite how Akira is trying to play it off. He couldn't insinuate Akechi's rage and then not acknowledge his own. ]

[ he's allergic to perfect idiots. ]

That's very noble of you, if that's the case.

[ taking justice into his own hands, as always. this seems to be a deep-rooted issue with you, akira. he plucks another piece of cake off from the plate and contemplatively takes a bite.]

Have you considered a career in law enforcement? [ so patronizing.... ]

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