Gene goes through a whole slew of emotions in under a few seconds. But Akechi's scowl doesn't change in the slightest. He just glares, piercing eyes pinning the other teen in place in front of him.]
No. It's nothing like that.
[But really, yes, or he wouldn't be here threatening the man, now would he?]
Don't bother with fake pleasantries. I have no interest in befriending you. I'm simply stating the facts.
I'm back! Sorry for the delay! (small ghost hunt Spoilers)
[Gene hummed in acknowledgement, not believing his lie for a bit. This guy obviously cared for Mai, why else was he threatening Gene? Still, despite understanding where this guy was coming from, he felt a pulse of irritation and amusement at the threat.]
I'm curious. What do you know about me?
[He wondered if Akechi knew about his past. Death threats didn't exactly have the same effect after being murdered once. Even with his fear of returning to that darkness.]
I know you're dead back home, a spirit who Mai communicated with. And I know you have a twin brother who still lives, who Mai originally mistook you for.
[Gene lifted his eyebrows in faint surprise at the knowledge Akechi had. Did Mai tell him all that? Being such a subject of Mai's conversations was making him feel warm inside.]
She told you all that? Damn, you must be close then!
[A feeling he refused to acknowledge started to lap at his mind. He had no reason to be jealous. Mai cared for him too. Still, the unease and irritation was there, haunting him.]
If you know all that, then you must also know that threats don't work the same after dying once. I have plenty of experience with pain and discomfort, mine and others. Unless you think you can make me die again?
[For someone who was so fearful of returning to the void, he was very cavalier with his new life.]
But Akechi hardly bothers defending his relationship with Mai, because Gene shifts the tone of the conversation to something far more interesting. Especially since he has yet to defend himself regarding Mai, which to Akechi, means that is exactly what he's planning.]
Speaking as someone who has died twice, I can make certain the experience is a dozen times more unpleasant than your first death. Hurt her and you'll find out how.
[Gene eyes widened at the threat and the words spoken. This guy had died too? His amused smile fell as he stared at Akechi thoughtfully. After a moment of silence, he asked in a small voice.]
When you died, were you stuck in limbo? I think I could handle anything but returning back to that darkness.
[After a moment of solemn sadness, he let out a sigh and raised his hands again.]
As much as this has been fun, I don't plan on hurting Mai, at least purposely. I'm just a friend of hers that's helping her here. There's no need for these threats. But for integrity sake...
[Gene tilted his head and stared directly in Akechi's eyes and with a cheerful tone said.]
[Somehow, even with all of the odds pitted against them along the way, Ren and Akechi manage to find an apartment willing to rent to them even with both of their unique histories. And it's a place that allows pets without the extra monthly fee. And isn't too far off from campus.
The rare win in their lives, but after all of the struggling they've both endured over the last few years, pretty much everyone in their circle would agree they'd earned this.
And moving in? With all of Ren's friends? That part had been the simplest part by far, just a parade of Phantom Thieves hauling box after box up the stairs to their cramped, little third floor apartment, no doubt annoying the couple's brand new neighbors with their too-loud laughter and constant ribbing of each other. But once all of the boxes had been stacked into the living room to be sorted through, then the real work had to begin.
And it's been hell ever since.
For the moment, Akechi is kneeling down besides one of Ren's open boxes, hair pulled back out of his face and sans gloves to combat the summertime heat, scowling down at the contents inside.]
Come here, Amamiya, and explain to me why you felt the need to bring this into our home.
[Naturally, the box is full of all of Ren's dumb fucking mementos from Leblanc, complete with chocolate fountain.]
[Considering a year (or more) of their lives thus far was directly under the influence of weird gods trying to make their lives more difficult, Ren is almost happy that something worked out by random chance. Or really, as much random chance as the average person gets. It helps that Akechi knows how to be personable when necessary, and Ren... well, he's been told he's charming. Or rather, he knows how to put on the face. Something about old masks, after all.
Regardless, despite the chaos in moving into a new spot and actually having things to move this time, he's been enjoying himself. Sure, it's hot and a little more cramped than either of them would like, but that... isn't really important. Not when they're here and the quiet moments get to be so paramount, so loud. It's always been about the little things. About making a person feel like home.
Ren is across the room at the moment, dusting off corners of a shelf so they can prepare to put things on it, when he turns and cranes his neck to see exactly what Akechi is looking at.]
Hm? That's my stuff.
[He cocks his head just slightly to the side, making sure his expression is entirely neutral, as if to suggest there is absolutely nothing abnormal with any of the contents of that box.]
[Ren is probably well prepared for the incredibly flat, impassive stare Akechi aims at his boyfriend.]
I will smother you in your sleep.
[But then he's reaching into the box and pulling out a replica of the swan boats from Inokashira Park, pinching it between two fingers like it's garbage that needs to be disposed of.]
[He smothers the temptation to laugh, but the corner of his mouth does tick upwards into the shared knowledge that he's doing this entirely on purpose.]
That's a little impersonal for you to kill me when I'm sleeping.
[You won't make the time to shoot him in the face while he's watching, even? Wow. Where has their romance gone. But he'll put down the duster and move closer, make at least a moment of like he's examining the piece in Akechi's hand.]
It's cute. And it reminds me of the park. Like when Yusuke almost got us arrested for trying to draw strangers.
[Try as Akechi might to keep that his deadpan expression set into place, there's just no hiding the way the corner of his mouth quirks upward briefly, the ghost of amusement shining in his eyes, before he's rolling them up and scoffing in Ren's direction.
His stupid, idiot, beautiful man.]
You would complain about how I planned out your murder. [Akechi drops the swan back into the box, rising up to meet Ren at his level.] You know, that's quite rude of you, after all of the work I've put into this plan - pretending to be tricked so you could get out of that staged assassination attempt, my untimely demise and subsequent return. [The older boy steps around the box to close some of the distance between him and his boyfriend.] How I let you woo me and lure me into this relationship, all of the way up until we signed for this very apartment... Clearly, I played you for a fool, Joker.
[Without warning, Akechi is pressing a quick kiss to Ren's mouth, letting it linger for only half of a moment, before he's flicking the dark, unruly curls up out of his eyes.]
[It's always fun to see the facade crack, even after all this time. There's no point to Akechi keeping his appearances up, but every time he does, Ren will find some joy in cracking them. Besides, he gets things when he does, like Akechi getting up and coming in close, so he can take his hands from his pockets and slide them over the other man's hips. It's a catch. A trap. A particularly nefarious one where he gets to touch Akechi, and therefore it's a winner.]
Mmm, all that work for you not to get to gloat about it before I die? Doesn't sound like you.
[He lets the kiss take him by surprise, not expecting but enjoying, a little smile curling at his lips as he enjoys the moment.
And then, of course, Akechi Must Ruin It. Ren counters by holding on to his hips so he can't do something so simple as get out of his face until he gets in a rebuttal.]
[The first important thing, to note, is that Ren Amamiya is absolutely not a Phantom Thief.
This is something that he really, really needs to make sure isn't known- not true, because it is- but not known, not in the position he's in. When you're framed by the king and effectively conscripted into knighthood, your job is to keep your head down and not cause problems. Double so when you end up the head guard for the crown prince on his personal selection. Ren still isn't perfectly sure what he did to get that sort of attention, but he's gotten the impression since his arrangement started that Akechi was mostly looking for someone who wouldn't ask questions and who might actually respond to his rambling once in a while. He tries to keep it low key.
(It's not. He's not. That's a different problem.)
All he knows is now he's stumbled across a magic cat, a massive conspiracy, and he's living the biggest double life directly under the nose of the people supposed to be looking for him. The Prince has already made it his personal mission to track down these Thieves as they 'undermine the crown', too, like it's some kind of personal attack. So by day, Ren follows him around and gets ideas bounced off him (which he likes), and by night he's out with new friends figuring out why the kingdom is falling apart (which is exciting). He really isn't sure what the end game for this is, but every time the never-a-hair-out-of-place prince seems a bit perturbed by his existence when he's the only one doing anything to change things... well, it'd be enough to keep him doing this forever just to keep him chasing Ren's trail.
So here they are again. Another day, another morning of making his rounds, which right now involves changing shift out from the night guard and making sure the Prince is awake. He's still bringing himself down from the thrill of last night, finally sending out a new calling card for their next target-- and he's sure the Prince will have something to say, once he hears the news.]
Prince? It's morning.
[It's not his job to wake him up and get him dressed, nor is it really his job to announce when he's on shift, but he likes to let Akechi know when he's around.]
[Tawna Tachibana wasn't exactly local to Tokyo, but knew her way around the city, around most of the prefectures. She had grown up in Australia, traveled the world and landed here. This little spot had just become hers after a few years. Even if a lot of locals balked at a six foot blonde woman, she didn't care too much.
She made herself a little home. A shop, a place to call her own. A routine. Not much particularly surprises her.
If there is one thing that most certainly doesn't surprise Tawna in the least, its Goro Akechi lingering in her shop far longer than necessary. Her normal clientele were Yakuza, police off the record, a few seedy people in need of a weapon or two.
A bunch of kids bumbling around buying weaponry was interesting. One boy in particular came on his own more often than naught muttering about his friends. She housed a few teenagers on occasion, but most didn't come in for weapons.
The blonde woman had her elbow balanced against her countertop, half watching the teenage boy debate over his options. This was one of the few time she wasn't talking her ear off.]
Oy, c'mere, would ya? Bout to close up.
[She could probably talk the kid into staying to eat something at least. He was scrawny.]
[There's no denying it, the third year in his fancy private school uniform looks completely out of place in Tawna's shop even if he ends up in there every few days or so, casually browsing over the guns like it's at all normal for him to be there, asking a few oddly specific questions about this or that. Akechi never makes small talk with the adult customers he runs into, the boy carefully staying out of their way, but when it's only him and Tawna on the show floor, he often to be completely insatiable when it comes to conversation.
It's on one of those after school afternoons when the boy's on the other side of the shop from the owner, head bowed down quietly when he's called over. For a moment, even in the empty shop, Akechi looks around to be certain he was the one being summoned over. And when he sees that she's looking right at him, he approaches, albeit cautiously.]
You look like a twig kid, I'm closing and I'm making dinner. C'mon in. [Tawna if anything is casual. Casual enough she usually makes the very formal people around her squirm a little.
She closes out her register easily enough, locking up the display case of hers and moving to pop open the door behind her. Akechi gets a look into her apartment behind her store. A place that looks homey, well worn in and extremely colorful.]
It doesn't take the most observant person to see this boy is immediately suspicious, red eyes narrowed in her direction, even as she shows off the inside of her colorful home. But at the very same time, she says shrimp and Akechi's will to say no dies by the second.
He did forget to take a lunch today...]
Fine. [Reluctantly, but he'll follow after her.] If it means so much to you.
It does. [She says easily, not letting the boy off the hook. Tawna moves to flip open the little divider door blocking anyone from walking behind the register.
She motions for Akechi to go sit down in her home.] I'll lock up the front, you, get comfortable.
[Probably a bit trusting on her part, but, she figures Akechi won't start trouble if he wants shrimp. She trusts the boy will settle down in the kitchen area just behind her store area.
Tawna's own kitchen is a smidgen bigger than the average kitchen apartment size for Tokyo. Netted garlands hang overhead, some decorative, some holding smaller tools she can cook with. Two chairs are tucked at the table therein. Her stove pressed back against a wall, the fridge looming large next to it.
She goes through the motion of locking up the front door, flipping the sign before she walks back over to duck into her apartment behind the store front. She closes the door behind her casually, moving to shuffle through her fridge for the shrimp.]
Not sure if you wanna pick up from where we left off or start earlier, like when akechi re-establishes contact after reading the kamoshida confession or what but HELLO. I am here . I have arrived
ok cool! Kamoshida confessed in full of extreme physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of mishima, and i think in the unredacted confession it's clear that he was blackmailing mishima with the knowledge that he's trans. in the redacted version that everyone in shujin is going to read, this is unclear enough that it'll be a whole rumor topic for like two months.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
for gene!
Gene goes through a whole slew of emotions in under a few seconds. But Akechi's scowl doesn't change in the slightest. He just glares, piercing eyes pinning the other teen in place in front of him.]
No. It's nothing like that.
[But really, yes, or he wouldn't be here threatening the man, now would he?]
Don't bother with fake pleasantries. I have no interest in befriending you. I'm simply stating the facts.
I'm back! Sorry for the delay! (small ghost hunt Spoilers)
[Gene hummed in acknowledgement, not believing his lie for a bit. This guy obviously cared for Mai, why else was he threatening Gene? Still, despite understanding where this guy was coming from, he felt a pulse of irritation and amusement at the threat.]
I'm curious. What do you know about me?
[He wondered if Akechi knew about his past. Death threats didn't exactly have the same effect after being murdered once. Even with his fear of returning to that darkness.]
no problem!! : >
I know you're dead back home, a spirit who Mai communicated with. And I know you have a twin brother who still lives, who Mai originally mistook you for.
You. Are. Awesome!
She told you all that? Damn, you must be close then!
[A feeling he refused to acknowledge started to lap at his mind. He had no reason to be jealous. Mai cared for him too. Still, the unease and irritation was there, haunting him.]
If you know all that, then you must also know that threats don't work the same after dying once. I have plenty of experience with pain and discomfort, mine and others. Unless you think you can make me die again?
[For someone who was so fearful of returning to the void, he was very cavalier with his new life.]
no subject
[Definitely not besties or anything.
But Akechi hardly bothers defending his relationship with Mai, because Gene shifts the tone of the conversation to something far more interesting. Especially since he has yet to defend himself regarding Mai, which to Akechi, means that is exactly what he's planning.]
Speaking as someone who has died twice, I can make certain the experience is a dozen times more unpleasant than your first death. Hurt her and you'll find out how.
no subject
When you died, were you stuck in limbo? I think I could handle anything but returning back to that darkness.
[After a moment of solemn sadness, he let out a sigh and raised his hands again.]
As much as this has been fun, I don't plan on hurting Mai, at least purposely. I'm just a friend of hers that's helping her here. There's no need for these threats. But for integrity sake...
[Gene tilted his head and stared directly in Akechi's eyes and with a cheerful tone said.]
Same to you. If you hurt her, I'll destroy you.
(no subject)
(no subject)
sorry abt akechi
LOL I'm loving it! (do we stop here?)
PROBABLY LMAO until ur back in game :>
babies first apartment @renhanded
The rare win in their lives, but after all of the struggling they've both endured over the last few years, pretty much everyone in their circle would agree they'd earned this.
And moving in? With all of Ren's friends? That part had been the simplest part by far, just a parade of Phantom Thieves hauling box after box up the stairs to their cramped, little third floor apartment, no doubt annoying the couple's brand new neighbors with their too-loud laughter and constant ribbing of each other. But once all of the boxes had been stacked into the living room to be sorted through, then the real work had to begin.
And it's been hell ever since.
For the moment, Akechi is kneeling down besides one of Ren's open boxes, hair pulled back out of his face and sans gloves to combat the summertime heat, scowling down at the contents inside.]
Come here, Amamiya, and explain to me why you felt the need to bring this into our home.
[Naturally, the box is full of all of Ren's dumb fucking mementos from Leblanc, complete with chocolate fountain.]
gay gay homosexual gay
Regardless, despite the chaos in moving into a new spot and actually having things to move this time, he's been enjoying himself. Sure, it's hot and a little more cramped than either of them would like, but that... isn't really important. Not when they're here and the quiet moments get to be so paramount, so loud. It's always been about the little things. About making a person feel like home.
Ren is across the room at the moment, dusting off corners of a shelf so they can prepare to put things on it, when he turns and cranes his neck to see exactly what Akechi is looking at.]
Hm? That's my stuff.
[He cocks his head just slightly to the side, making sure his expression is entirely neutral, as if to suggest there is absolutely nothing abnormal with any of the contents of that box.]
no subject
I will smother you in your sleep.
[But then he's reaching into the box and pulling out a replica of the swan boats from Inokashira Park, pinching it between two fingers like it's garbage that needs to be disposed of.]
And why do we need to display this exactly?
no subject
That's a little impersonal for you to kill me when I'm sleeping.
[You won't make the time to shoot him in the face while he's watching, even? Wow. Where has their romance gone. But he'll put down the duster and move closer, make at least a moment of like he's examining the piece in Akechi's hand.]
It's cute. And it reminds me of the park. Like when Yusuke almost got us arrested for trying to draw strangers.
no subject
His stupid, idiot, beautiful man.]
You would complain about how I planned out your murder. [Akechi drops the swan back into the box, rising up to meet Ren at his level.] You know, that's quite rude of you, after all of the work I've put into this plan - pretending to be tricked so you could get out of that staged assassination attempt, my untimely demise and subsequent return. [The older boy steps around the box to close some of the distance between him and his boyfriend.] How I let you woo me and lure me into this relationship, all of the way up until we signed for this very apartment... Clearly, I played you for a fool, Joker.
[Without warning, Akechi is pressing a quick kiss to Ren's mouth, letting it linger for only half of a moment, before he's flicking the dark, unruly curls up out of his eyes.]
That hideous fountain is not staying.
no subject
Mmm, all that work for you not to get to gloat about it before I die? Doesn't sound like you.
[He lets the kiss take him by surprise, not expecting but enjoying, a little smile curling at his lips as he enjoys the moment.
And then, of course, Akechi Must Ruin It. Ren counters by holding on to his hips so he can't do something so simple as get out of his face until he gets in a rebuttal.]
It's for chocolate, you know. It's fun.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
oops we were talking about knight/prince au and now i'm insane
This is something that he really, really needs to make sure isn't known- not true, because it is- but not known, not in the position he's in. When you're framed by the king and effectively conscripted into knighthood, your job is to keep your head down and not cause problems. Double so when you end up the head guard for the crown prince on his personal selection. Ren still isn't perfectly sure what he did to get that sort of attention, but he's gotten the impression since his arrangement started that Akechi was mostly looking for someone who wouldn't ask questions and who might actually respond to his rambling once in a while. He tries to keep it low key.
(It's not. He's not. That's a different problem.)
All he knows is now he's stumbled across a magic cat, a massive conspiracy, and he's living the biggest double life directly under the nose of the people supposed to be looking for him. The Prince has already made it his personal mission to track down these Thieves as they 'undermine the crown', too, like it's some kind of personal attack. So by day, Ren follows him around and gets ideas bounced off him (which he likes), and by night he's out with new friends figuring out why the kingdom is falling apart (which is exciting). He really isn't sure what the end game for this is, but every time the never-a-hair-out-of-place prince seems a bit perturbed by his existence when he's the only one doing anything to change things... well, it'd be enough to keep him doing this forever just to keep him chasing Ren's trail.
So here they are again. Another day, another morning of making his rounds, which right now involves changing shift out from the night guard and making sure the Prince is awake. He's still bringing himself down from the thrill of last night, finally sending out a new calling card for their next target-- and he's sure the Prince will have something to say, once he hears the news.]
Prince? It's morning.
[It's not his job to wake him up and get him dressed, nor is it really his job to announce when he's on shift, but he likes to let Akechi know when he's around.]
So u wanted a mom/weird wine aunt
She made herself a little home. A shop, a place to call her own. A routine. Not much particularly surprises her.
If there is one thing that most certainly doesn't surprise Tawna in the least, its Goro Akechi lingering in her shop far longer than necessary. Her normal clientele were Yakuza, police off the record, a few seedy people in need of a weapon or two.
A bunch of kids bumbling around buying weaponry was interesting. One boy in particular came on his own more often than naught muttering about his friends. She housed a few teenagers on occasion, but most didn't come in for weapons.
The blonde woman had her elbow balanced against her countertop, half watching the teenage boy debate over his options. This was one of the few time she wasn't talking her ear off.]
Oy, c'mere, would ya? Bout to close up.
[She could probably talk the kid into staying to eat something at least. He was scrawny.]
no subject
[There's no denying it, the third year in his fancy private school uniform looks completely out of place in Tawna's shop even if he ends up in there every few days or so, casually browsing over the guns like it's at all normal for him to be there, asking a few oddly specific questions about this or that. Akechi never makes small talk with the adult customers he runs into, the boy carefully staying out of their way, but when it's only him and Tawna on the show floor, he often to be completely insatiable when it comes to conversation.
It's on one of those after school afternoons when the boy's on the other side of the shop from the owner, head bowed down quietly when he's called over. For a moment, even in the empty shop, Akechi looks around to be certain he was the one being summoned over. And when he sees that she's looking right at him, he approaches, albeit cautiously.]
Tachibana-san?
no subject
She closes out her register easily enough, locking up the display case of hers and moving to pop open the door behind her. Akechi gets a look into her apartment behind her store. A place that looks homey, well worn in and extremely colorful.]
I'm thinking shrimp, if you're game for it.
no subject
It doesn't take the most observant person to see this boy is immediately suspicious, red eyes narrowed in her direction, even as she shows off the inside of her colorful home. But at the very same time, she says shrimp and Akechi's will to say no dies by the second.
He did forget to take a lunch today...]
Fine. [Reluctantly, but he'll follow after her.] If it means so much to you.
no subject
She motions for Akechi to go sit down in her home.] I'll lock up the front, you, get comfortable.
[Probably a bit trusting on her part, but, she figures Akechi won't start trouble if he wants shrimp. She trusts the boy will settle down in the kitchen area just behind her store area.
Tawna's own kitchen is a smidgen bigger than the average kitchen apartment size for Tokyo. Netted garlands hang overhead, some decorative, some holding smaller tools she can cook with. Two chairs are tucked at the table therein. Her stove pressed back against a wall, the fridge looming large next to it.
She goes through the motion of locking up the front door, flipping the sign before she walks back over to duck into her apartment behind the store front. She closes the door behind her casually, moving to shuffle through her fridge for the shrimp.]
Tell me about your day, huh?
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
they are texting au
no subject
Did you want to have akechi throwing out a wtf bro?????? text.
wtf that icon is so pretty
uwu
Re: uwu
Incoming Text - 2:07am
2:09am
sure, i'm up.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
cw injuries and incorrect binding - lmk if u'd like changes
CLAPS HANDS
(no subject)
(no subject)