ɪɴʙᴏx [ᴇxᴘɪᴀᴛɪᴏɴ]

[chemex]

inbox

voice ✦ video ✦ text ✦ action

CODE

Comments

[chemex]

Pretty sure I've worn a long wig in a dream at least once. [Thanks, Dancing in Starlight.]

[He nods, and drops into a sit on the edge of his mattress, offering her the space beside him because there aren't really other comfortable options. The chairs are serviceable enough, but they're certainly not comfortable.] I've met Kotone, and her friend Aragaki-san. And... Dazai. [A slight pinch to his features.] Jury's still out on what I think of him.

[And then he gets a sort of distant look to him.] ...and, yeah. Akechi.

[foundheart]

[She frets for a moment on where to sit, but he's clearly leaving space for her to sit next to him. On the bed. Alone.

Her face burns red as she tentatively sits down, clasping her hands tightly over her knees. She focuses on what he's saying instead, perking up a bit at the familiar names] Oh! I'm glad you met her too, she's really nice! And...I think I met Dazai-san too, he'd been drinking a lot... [SIGHS...

The distant look doesn't go unnoticed. Sumire is quiet as she looks at him, hesitating. If what they've said is true, then Akira must be from after Akechi... Well. She doesn't know what to say. Her heart aches.]

...It's nice to see him again. Are you two, um... Doing okay?

[chemex]

[He smiles, faintly, nodding.] Kotone's very nice, yeah. [He doesn't immediately bring up that she has Persona-- he'd told her he wouldn't, but Akechi and Sumire were his teammates, they deserve to know. But he waits. Then he laughs, a little.] Dazai seems a little obsessed with drinking, yeah.

[He clasps his hands together, twists his fingers around.] "Okay" is a... bit of a temporary state for us, I think.

[foundheart]

[The tension between Akechi and Akira had always been a bit... well. Tense. And odd. But they worked so well together and their power was unmatched, Sumi hadn't really delved too deep into their rivalry. Did that fall apart now without an overhanging threat like Maruki?

She hesitates before reaching out, just pressing her fingers to Akira's wrist, an offering to take more if he wished.] Do you want to talk about it?

[chemex]

[His fingers curl instinctively when her fingers touch his wrist, and he smiles. He can't, because he's the Leader, and he can't be seen as anything but infallible.]

...I don't really know what to say. But thanks.

[foundheart]

[She nods and then leans her shoulder against his, smiling a little.] That's okay. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to, just... Know that I'm here for you, okay?

[chemex]

[He does know, or at least he thinks he knows. He's aware, but that doesn't have any bearing on whether or not he can actually be vulnerable with his team. He nods, leaning his weight back against her.]

And what about you, hm? Making friends?

[foundheart]

[She moves her hair behind her ear, sheepish again] Well, something like that, maybe... I met some nice people. Kate-san seems...nice. A little rebellious. And Kotone-san's been so nice and helpful! We danced at the party and she was great fun. She's pretty graceful! I think she said she played volleyball, but I wonder if I can get her interested in gymnastics too...

[chemex]

Ah, rebellion, the allure of a free spirit. [He's definitely Grinning about that one-- sir you stop being a shitpost this instant. He bumps his weight back into her shoulder again.] I didn't remember Kotone mentioning volleyball... She has a naginata? Big... stabby stick.

[foundheart]

Senpai. [She rolls her eyes, exasperated, and bumps Akira right back with a giggle.]

I think I told her I could use a rapier too! I guess I'll have to get a lot more practice in, if I can get one here... [Sumi trails off before adding:] It's so weird, it feels kind of like I've always known her. She's just really easy to get along with. She just... sucks you in.

[chemex]

[He blinks, looking her over carefully, his eyes searching behind his lenses.] Yeah? What makes you say that? [He's fishing for a hook that lets him Explain without getting in trouble.]

[foundheart]

[She thinks about it for a long moment, trying to put the feeling into words] I don't know... I guess she kind of feels like you? Um-- N-not that I really think of her like I think about you, or anything. And not that it's anything--Weird. Uhm.

[She shakes her head quickly, face red]

A-anyway! What I mean is, she's just... comfortable. Like I want to talk to her and be.. teammates. I think we'd get along well. She would probably fit in with the other Phantom Thieves too. I think they'd all like her.

[chemex]

[He laughs, but the sound is far from mean-spirited.]

Well, she is like me. [He leaves it at that, rocking from side to side just slightly.] And you don't have to justify who you think about and how to me, you know. [Is "she is like me" enough for Sumire to connect the dots? He's not sure, actually. It's pretty fuckin' vague.]

[foundheart]

Well, I just... [She trails off, mumbling and embarrassed, twisting the hem of her shirt around her fingers. It takes her a minute to really connect the dots there.

She looks at Akira with a slightly furrowed brow. 'she is like me'...??] ...Is she a phantom thief too in her world?

[chemex]

[He grins, proud of her in some strange way.]

Sort of? Their version. She said she has a bunch of them, like I do. [It's kind of exhilarating to say, actually.]

1/2

[foundheart]

[foundheart]

She has a persona too?! Or-- More than one?! How? I haven't seen her in the Metaverse or anything! Is she from the time after I know of, or--?

[chemex]

[He scrunches his nose up, chuckling and shaking his head.]

I kinda forgot to ask for many specifics, but she doesn't use the Metaverse. She called it... shoot, something. I'll ask her again.

[foundheart]

[Sumi sits there for a few moments, stunned, before she turns to him again] That's so cool though! How exciting! We have more people that would understand this, right? That's great!

It feels a little less lonely now.

[chemex]

[He shrugs his shoulders up by his ears, smiling, and nods.]

Yeah, a little.

[foundheart]

[Sumi chuckles and leans back a little, looking up at him. He really is something to look at when he's smiling and happy like that; it makes her heart feel lighter just to see it.]

Senpai, I... [She trails off, blushes brightly, then turns away with a wave of her hand] I-I'm really glad we have all this time to spend! It's almost like a vacation, right? Haha...ha...

[chemex]

[He would be so bashful about her thinking that of him. He thinks he's very plain to look at. Sumire, however, is a precious little princess, honestly.]

[He looks sidelong at her, and it strikes him how different her stance on Aldrip is from Akechi's. Like a vacation, versus..., Whatever sort of prison Akechi views it as. His expression falls neutral a moment, and when he smiles again the expression doesn't quite reach his eyes.] Yeah. It's-- it's nice to not have to worry about stuff. [But oh, is he ever worried about things.]

[foundheart]

[The stutter makes her turned her head quickly, brow furrowed.] Senpai--

[She reaches out, touching his cheek and her eyes searching his face. Sumi sighs a little.]

...It doesn't really stop though, does it. [It's not a question. She's good at compartmentalizing and just. Pushing all of that away and deep deep down, but it doesn't truly leave.]

[chemex]

[He startles-- he forgot how quick she could be with stuff, how sincere she is when she calls him the fuck out. He watches her a minute, and then tips his head to lean into her hand.]

...no, but. It's nice to not have anything extra.

[foundheart]

[She moves, shifting to sit up on her knees and give her some height on him. She wraps her arms around his shoulders and pulls him into a hug]

I know.

[She doesn't know the full extent of it, obviously. She's not Akira, she's not the leader, but she gets it. That pressure. The pressure to perform and be perfect and people counting on you. She doesn't know all the other worries he might have here, she doesn't know what happened with Akechi or Dazai or anything, but. She's here for him anyhow]