(no subject)

[arraignments]

♥ Who: Goro Akechi + Willpower Estate (AKA housemates) + YOU!!!
♥ Where: Various!
♥ When: All throughout the month (for housemates) and then post-party
♥ What: Stupidity
♥ Rating: PG-13+

♥ Note: While I'm typing the post in prose form, I welcome both styles!

Willpower Estate
(CLOSED to housemates - Akira, Will, Kei... though, LBR, Ib is welcome, too)

For the most part, Goro Akechi is an easy enough person to get along with, when it comes to him as a housemate. He keeps to himself, cleans up his own messes (and, where applicable, the messes of others), and he's quiet. Sometimes, it might even be possible to forget he's even here; living in a microapartment within a big city has taught him how to seem invisible to his neighbors. Japan is all about keeping to oneself.

Usually.

It's been a very long time since he's woken up with a shout, but... that's what's happening early in the month. Maybe the stress of a new world is to blame. Maybe it's just that he's going to bed with too much on his mind. Or, as Akechi would say, maybe he should just stop being so weak. Either way... after waking up in that way, he's going to be spending some time in the living room.

Feel free to find him just sitting on the couch, a cup of hot soda in his hand. Gross.

~*~

Throughout the month, Akechi will be doing small things, here and there, to liven the place up. He will do his part in taking care of the Pokémon, the best he knows how (which isn't... saying much, sadly). Housemates will be finding various decorative items (it's mostly junk he's turning into decorations, probably) appearing, at random. Akechi is always discreet in adding them, but people are free to catch him adding stuff to their household.

Or, if they don't like red and/or sparkly, they're free to remove things! It's not like it's anything more than random stuff he's collecting while helping clean up around this place.

Additionally, there's going to be an attempt, by him, at setting up a day and time for house meetings? How's everyone feel about that...

---

Stupidity

It is time! Time for them to go against everything they've been told, and try to see just what's outside these fucking walls. Because fuck the police rules? Fuck the police rules. And, once they're at the wall, Akechi is releasing a long sigh, looking over to his housemate. He doesn't want to make the younger teen uncomfortable, but he doesn't want to risk him getting hurt over something so stupid as this. So, he's hesitating, his voice coming out quiet once he does speak.

"... Are you... comfortable with me casting a protective spell over you, just in case?"

Comments

[twistedempathy]

Hehehe! Got too used to a sleeping bag, did you? I did the same thing after I was done traveling. You start to forget how luxurious it feels to live in a real house.

[Just gonna pour himself a cup; unlike his Chansey, he happens to like his drinks froofy, thank you very much.]

[velvetinmate]

Close enough, at least. After living in a cafe's attic for a few months, I'm still marveling at having a door, too...

[He had no idea how much he missed privacy, frankly.]

[twistedempathy]

Ooh, fancy!

[Will raises his mug as though to toast the thought of having a door. Privacy is a bit of a wobbly concept for him; he may wear a mask and prefer hearing about others over talking about himself..... but he still does own Pokémon, and doesn't really seem bothered by having them in his space 24/7.]

So what brought you to live in a cafe's attic?

[twistedempathy]

Don't give him too much trouble, Arche.....

[The Flareon makes The Most Affronted Whine at that, before nuzzling up under Kei's chin. She's being a good girl, see? How dare you accuse her of being anything but an angel?]

You've never had pets before, have you?

[Anyone who had surely would have escaped from under her by now, right?]

[velvetinmate]

Ah...

[He probably should've figured he couldn't just say that without having to explain...]

Some stuff that was out of my hands forced me to transfer to a school in a different city. Some family friends knew a guy who at least would vaguely tolerate me living above his cafe for a few months.

[Sometime Later]

[original_is_best]

Verstael wondered about any place that was 'forbidden' to them. Undoubtedly he too was intent on taking a peek past that wall.

He was just more patient about it.

Far be it from him to overlook opportunity, though. When he'd spotted some commotion and realized what happened, he was quick to find out what details he could and talked his way into visitation. No doubt the visit would be a surprise considering they hardly knew each other. Regardless, he approached the cell and waited for some perceived privacy - though he wasn't foolish enough to not take into account the possibility of spying.

His first words were simple.

"You attempted to scale the wall."

Care to elaborate on what came after that?

[twistedempathy]

My, my..... Such a chilly reception! Who would only "vaguely tolerate" a guy like you?

[You seem like a sweet, unassuming, helpful person, Akira! Who wouldn't enjoy living with you?]

[velvetinmate]

The guy's just slow to warm up to people, that's all.

[It's not the entire truth, no, but he's not about to go blabbing about his circumstances back home. Nobody needs to know about his probation, thanks.]

[stingyshima]

[An awkward snort comes out of Kei at that— th-that tickles??]

Alright, alright.

[Just kind of!! Gently and awkwardly trying to encourage her head away from his...]

No, I haven't.

[twistedempathy]

[Oh look, Kei seems to be feeling a little better~ That means less being a cuddly lapwarmer and more playtime, right?

On the plus side, she is scooting out from under his chin--on the minus side, she's doing that to attempt to capture and wrestle with the hand he's nudging her with. Rrrrrr~!]

Hehe..... I thought not. She's clearly still figuring out what she can get away with.

[twistedempathy]

I guess even Shellders make pearls..... Hopefully you two learned to get along eventually!

[arraignments]

Not only does the door close behind them, there's a distinct... heaviness. A silence that Akechi's never felt before, even back on Earth, outside of the Metaverse. It's the same kind of silence that he's been getting from Robin Hood (he tries not to think about that).

"... All this just for wanting to see what's on the other side."

He releases a tense breath and glares at the floor. He very slowly moves to sit on the bed, both hands curled into tight fists.

[arraignments]

"... I did."

He still refused to out anything about Kei's part, even to a non-native. He released a soft sigh and folded both arms over his chest as he studied the older man for a moment. There was a very clear moment of consideration before he finally spoke again.

"I wasn't able to seem much of the other side, but it's clear just how much they don't want us to see what's on the other side."

All the more reason to try seeing it, if you ask Akechi.

you shoved too hard, clearly

[arraignments]

[ He is quiet for a long while. He tries another sip of the drink, frowning before he just sets it down on the table. ]

We should... probably look into fixing that thing.

[ It's clear he isn't exactly jumping to talk about why he's up... ]

To... tell you the truth, I don't remember what it's like to sleep soundly through the night.

[arraignments]

He... ran away?

[ He looks a little surprised. ]

[stingyshima]

"It could have been worse."

Heh, unless this is just a preamble to something worse— but then, that doesn't quite line up with everything that's happened, does it...?

He glances over at the brunette, then slips his hands into his pockets and walks over and kind of just... takes a seat next to him?

He's not close enough that he's touching. But close enough that it's obvious he's trying to do— ... something. At the least, remind him he's not going through this alone, or something to that effect.

[arraignments]

[ That's fair... ]

... We can't avoid thinking about it forever, obviously.

[ He swallows thickly. ]

But... I'm okay putting it off for now, if you are.

[velvetinmate]

I know.

[He looks away, something akin to shame creeping into his expression. But he nods at the second part.]

I'd... prefer that for now, I think.

[... He's so damn selfish.]

[arraignments]

Well, sitting closer...? Will make it easy to tell that Akechi's hands aren't just curled into tight fists - they're actively trembling a tiny bit.

And, more than that, he's not quite breathing right. Much like his hands, his back and shoulders are rigid. It's after about five seconds, he lets out a tense chuckle; it's barely audible. He shakes his head, voice quiet.

"You're right. And it isn't as though I... don't belong here, anyway."

[velvetinmate]

Yeah. It was when we were set up to go after Okumura.

He'd been having confidence issues he'd refused to talk about, and things... boiled over, when we didn't want to go after the man right away. He and Ryuji got into a huge argument and he took off on his own after.

[There's part of him that's still angry about the whole thing--angry at himself, mostly, for not pressing harder when he realized there was a problem.]

[stingyshima]

...ah.

Kei just watches him quietly for a moment. After a moment, he tilts his head up towards the ceiling, eyes searching it.

"... I do, too."

And yet, he doesn't sound awfully twisted up about it. He doesn't sound shamed or upset or frustrated. It's said plainly... Something he's simply accepted and can't do anything about. But it doesn't seem quite nonchalant, either.

[velvetinmate]

Yeah, we did.

[Akira's expression actually turns into a bit of a fond smile.]

Better than my folks were probably hoping, I'd bet. [He snorts.] To tell you the truth, I'd actually rather stay there than go back to my parents' place. Whenever that happens.

[arraignments]

[ There's a wry smile on his lips for a moment. He watches how Akira can't even look at him when he answers, and he can tell there's... a lot there.

So many things are left waiting under the rug. So many things left for them to sort out, and yet...

... Well, he's just going quiet for now, a faintly lost look in his eyes. ]

[arraignments]

[ ... Strange. Morgana never seemed to be especially lacking in confidence, but maybe that shows how well he knew the cat... thing. Akechi gives a dim, wry smile and shakes his head. ]

Those two seemed similar enough, I can't say I'm surprised they got into an argument. I assume things got resolved between them?

[velvetinmate]

[The quiet... doesn't sit well with Akira right now, unfortunately, so he's going to speak up again pretty quickly.]

... So, uh, I've noticed you're only ever pulling out the Black Mask outfit when you have to do laundry...

[There's an unspoken question there--he's wondering if Robin Hood went the way of Akira's Personas that weren't Metatron.]