Minato Arisato | Akira Kurusu | 090

[messianic]

[He's exhausted.

It's been an intense couple of months, and it feels as though the situation will only get worse somehow--worse and worse, and Minato has no idea what to expect. Strega is still out there. The Dark Hour still exists. The Arcana Shadows are gone, but...at what cost?

What was Ikutsuki rambling about, before the end?

Junpei's exhausted and depressed, the entire dorm dark and quiet and respectful of his mourning, and Minato's still shaken too from how close it was--how close he came to losing yet another teammate, and friend.

So he hops on the train. Akira probably won't mind a visit, right...? They get along well enough, and he thinks Akira would probably understand if Minato just needs a day away from the oppressive atmosphere of how much everyone has lost over the past two months.

He pushes open the door to the cafe quietly, but... well, the silence is almost more stifling over here, and his brow furrows a bit, even as he glances at Sojiro behind the counter.

UM...]

Is Akira around...?

[Now would probably be a good time to get interrupted before Sojiro tells this punk he doesn't really know well that Akira's TOTALLY DEAD.

(Minato probably should've texted first.)]

Comments

[messianic]

[Yeah, he's going to just point that out:]

You're a big fan of deals, aren't you?

[A thoughtful pause, and then--]

It's a promise. How about that? I'll keep you in the loop. [And promises are far more serious to Minato than deals.]

[purrtagonist]

In this world, you give some to get some. Right?

[aka yes. there's also a flicker of surprise in his expression when Minato phrases it like a promise, not just a deal. because that definitely takes this into new friendship territory]

. . . all right.

I keep my promises as well as I keep my deals, too.

[messianic]

[In this world, Minato gives and doesn't expect anything in return, but he doesn't think that needs to be brought up. Akira lives his life in his own way, and he thinks that there's nothing wrong with that, either.

It certainly makes him a successful Phantom Thief if nothing else--but he just smiles, inclining his head a little in a nod.]

A promise, then. I promise that I'll keep you in the loop, and... because it's a promise and not a deal, I'll just hope you tell me when things happen to you, too.

[But there's absolutely no obligation, and Minato seems perfectly fine with that.]

... Not that I doubt your promises at all. You seem like you'd keep them, no matter what.

[purrtagonist]

[GOD]

[this friendship is going to be the death of him. there's something warm, something nice, something comforting about it being a promise and not an obligation born out of a deal. but, you know. . . it seems all of his Confidants go this way, right?]

[people are brought together by a mutual sense of aesthetics, and it's through those aesthetics that they forge blood vows that cannot be broken]

[he lifts a hand. drops it on Minato's head. and ruffles his hair]

I wouldn't be able to call myself a man of my word if I didn't.

[messianic]

[... Really.

Minato blinks as Akira ruffles his hair (and messes it up from its style a fair bit, not all of them are rocking the "messy bedhead" look here), and then peers at him through strands of hair.

He just lifts a hand to tidy his hair back into its proper style, though, more amused than anything judging by the glance he gives Akira.]

You sound old when you say it like that.

[Thanks, Minato.]

...So. A full name, a location, and the type of distortion...? That sounds like a lot of work.

[purrtagonist]

[THANKS MINATO]

At least I won't have an old man mustache when I do grow old.

[he's never going to let that go]

And it is. But we've managed before, so we'll manage now.

[messianic]

[HEY]

I am not going to have an old man mustache.

[GOD!!!!

He can't nudge Akira with his injuries as they are, so he returns the favor with the hair ruffling, trying to muss up his hair gently.

There!!

(They can get back to talking about serious things in a minute, apparently.)]

[purrtagonist]

[oh my god]

[. . .]

[you know he isn't even going to bother to fix it. he's tired?? he's tired]

I suppose this hairstyle goes along with my aesthetic.

[it doesn't exactly, he's usually so neat and stylish and put together, but whatever!! his hair is a curly mess most of the time anyway]

[messianic]

[Minato just snorts softly in return, nodding easily in response.]

Definitely. It's the Akira Aesthetic.

[Why are they like this.]

I was helping.

[purrtagonist]

Oooh, I like the sound of having an entire aesthetic named after me. It makes me feel important.

[what happened to their important serious conversations???]

[messianic]

[It's a mystery... protags are just being protags.

But Akira seems relatively relaxed like this, so Minato can't really mind.]

There, there, Akira. You're important.

[It's said so dryly though, it's not that sincere.]

[purrtagonist]

[he is relaxed!! and he's resting, so. thanks Minato, you got your way]

. . .

Why do I get the feeling I'm being patronized?

[messianic]

[And, perfectly straightfaced:]

It's a mystery to me.

[Why!! Would you ever!! Feel that way!!!]

[purrtagonist]

[presses the ice pack against his face]

[messianic]

[...............................

He doesn't actually flinch or react but.

Eventually:]

Oh no.

It's cold.

Spare me, Akira.

[Minato why are you like this]

[purrtagonist]

[that was incredibly unsatisfying!!!]

Has anyone ever told you that you have a really good poker face?

[messianic]

... Yeah, I've heard that before.

[Sorry, Akira, it's like his one skill.]

I guess if you think so, it really must be pretty good.

[purrtagonist]

[just. shakes his head, and returns the ice pack to his leg]

I feel like we got off track somewhere along the line.

[messianic]

We did. You were going to tell me more about your plan, and how getting arrested had anything to do with getting rid of a traitor.

[Chop chop give him the deets]

[purrtagonist]

[gives him the stink eye]

Is that really what we were going to talk about?

[BUT. ANYWAY]

. . . after one of our targets died and the public turned on us because they thought we were responsible, we started to question the sequence of events that led us to that point. The mission that boosted our popularity, the events that led us to target the man who was killed in the first place, our renown with the public in general. It all felt very. . . artificial.

There was one person who wasn't immediately calling for our heads on the news, too. A famous detective who consulted with the police and frequented talk shows-- Goro Akechi. He had spoken out against us on his talk shows before, so it was a bit odd for him to suddenly be on our side. Suspicious, we approached him.

And that's when we figured out he knew we were the Phantom Thieves. He. . . tried to tell us that he discovered it only one month prior on accident, but Morgana, Ryuji, Ann and I knew that was a lie.

[he stops there to catch his breath. it's a long story]

[messianic]

[IT REALLY IS, AKIRA. FOR SURE.

Minato just listens quietly, though. It makes sense when Akira lays it out so plainly, but... he wonders how difficult it must have been at the time. To have the public turn against them so intensely, to have their target die like that when he knows they're always so careful with them--

(He wishes he would've been aware, and would've been able to help Akira, but...

It's fine. They have their promises, now.)]

... Because he messed up before.

[Wow. This is...well, he'd never say as much out loud and trivialize what Akira went through (and is going through), but...Akira's life always feels like one of those dramatic old phantom thief novels. Trapping the crafty detective in a web of his own lies... it totally does.

(It's kind of cool.)]

[purrtagonist]

[don't worry Minato he would absolutely consider that a compliment]

Exactly.

[his leg is starting to feel a little better, but now some bruises on his abdomen are starting to hurt. he moves the ice pack under his shirt, resting it on top of his stomach underneath the article of clothing]

Morgana can talk, you know that much. But only those who have heard him talk in the Metaverse can hear him talk in the real world.

Back in June, Ryuji, Ann and I met Akechi at a television station during a class trip. Morgana was with us, and mentioned something about pancakes during one of our conversations.

Akechi overheard him, and commented on what he said to all of us. Which meant he was lying when he said he only discovered the Metaverse, our identities, and his own abilities as a Persona user only one month prior to when he first confronted us.

[messianic]

...Huh.

[Minato processes that idly, even as he watches Akira's movements critically too. Those injuries... if he thinks about them too hard, they still make him furious.

He has to focus here.

Focus.]

I can't believe he got himself caught over pancakes.

[What a loser.]

[purrtagonist]

That's right. He got himself caught over pancakes.

[you know, when Minato puts it that way, it's pretty hilarious. Akira can't help but smile]

Since we knew he was lying, we figured he had ulterior motives. So we had Futaba bug his phone, and that's when we overheard him talking about his plan.

[gives a small shrug]

He planned on accompanying us on a mission, betraying us to the police at the end of it, and then killing me in the interrogation room in a staged suicide.

Obviously, we couldn't let that happen. We had to outsmart him.

[messianic]

[... It's sobering to realize just how close it was. If...Akira hadn't realized that, if they hadn't put a plan into action before it had happened, Akira might not be standing here right now.

(And if Koromaru hadn't been left behind at the dorm, perhaps Minato wouldn't.

It feels like there have been far too many close calls lately.)

He takes a deep breath, and then calmly breathes it out. Akira isn't okay--but he will be. That's what really matters.]

I see. And that's where the plan came from. To trick him into thinking that he'd gotten you.