[open] someone once said burn my dread, babe

[simulatio]

Who: Goro Akechi + y'all 👀
What: early December prompts + future catch-all
Where: Throughout the Void
When: "December"ish
Content Warnings: N/A (yet)



A. Wall Market Bathhouse

[Whilst in the Mementos-that-wasn't-Mementos, Goro Akechi died.

He's no stranger to death; people die all the time. In his experience, rarely do they come back. He'd spent the time after his death with the other Phantom Thieves, doing his best to pretend that everything was normal. If he'd been more withdrawn, less prone to smile his princely smile and converse pleasantly, perhaps he could be excused. The deepest, darkest parts of his soul had been wandering around without him for a time, after all.

But he certainly can't hide forever, and the lack of showers in the apartment he shares with Ren drives him to the bathhouse. It's one of the most comfortable places for him, especially now that there aren't fish swimming in the bath. He sinks up to his chin in the warm water and closes his eyes, as relaxed as he can be in a public space.]

B. Mortis Lake

Stop following me!

[Akechi is trying his very best to sound as pleasant as possible, even as he waves his arms in an attempt to frighten off the winged giraffe-like creature that's taken to following him through the forest of trees. It's almost comical how annoyed he's getting as the animal continues to follow him, large doe-like eyes wide with interest as it pads along behind him. Every now and then, it flaps its wings to glide awkwardly over the ground to make sure it keeps up, plaintively letting out a mournful cry whenever Akechi gets too far away from it.]

Would you go find the rest of your herd already? [he snaps as it catches up and tries for a friendly nibble at the back of his hair.] What the fu-

[He freezes upon realizing that he has an audience nearby and clears his throat with a cough, correcting his tone to a more pleasant,] Pardon me. Could you give me a hand?

C. Heavenly Blanc

[Some time ago, Ren had sat outside the bar/café working on a shogi board. Now it's Akechi's turn with the same piece of wood, though he's taken over one of the tables inside. He's working on the other side of the shogi board to create a grid with fewer squares, tracing thin lines with one of the large knives from Heavenly Blanc's kitchen while using his cell phone as a guide.

Once he's done outlining the board with the knife, he goes back over the 8x8 grid with a marker, the cap held between his teeth as he concentrates. Beside him are gemstones from the Academy's store, separated into two sets of what look like clear diamonds and deep red rubies, marked with English letters: several marked with the letter "P," two each labeled "R, B, Kn," and one each "Ki" and "Q."]

A chessboard, [he'll explain to anyone who happens to glance over curiously, though he doesn't stop working.]

D. Gymnasium

[Akechi's never really been one for team sports, but the cycling machines attract special attention. Dressed in a spare gym uniform from the Academy (washed beforehand, of course), he's currently working through a rather challenging-looking course on one of the bikes. Loose strands of his hair, the parts that escaped being drawn back into the small ponytail at the base of his neck, stick to his cheeks as he huffs for air, pursuing an invisible finish line that only he can see.

It's only once he's finished that course and is taking a drink of water from a water bottle that he notices he has company, and offers an easy smile.]

Care for a race? They may be stationary machines, but we could always compare times.

E. Wildcard!

[I'll be adding additional prompts in comments as needed throughout the month, but feel free to use this post for just about anything involving Akechi! Feel free to chat with me @jaderhade if you want to do anything with this nasty man. As always, I have a screened spoiler opt-out page for anyone looking to avoid Persona 5 or Persona 5 Royal spoilers!]

Comments

[simulatio]

[Akechi snarls something that sounds suspiciously like shut up at Blue's laughter. What the fuck. How dare he laugh at him! It's not like he asked to be followed around by this stupid giraffe!!

He takes the opportunity to smooth his hair, checking only a little anxiously to make sure it's not been chewed irreparably.]

I don't doubt my potential skill, but I'm not interested in taking care of a pet. [Perhaps he can be forgiven for sounding annoyed at just how easily Blue seems to tame the giraffe, the animal nosing at his fingers and nibbling affectionately at them.] You're more than welcome to take it yourself.

[halloflamer]

[Testy, testy... Blue shakes his head at Akechi's irritation, letting it roll off his back as he strokes the friendly creature.]

Hmmmm. Not with that attitude. [Okay, he's just teasing, but.... Really now, with a lot of what he does know about Akechi, maybe the guy had a lot to learn before he could really consider being a trainer, huh. He purses his lips thoughtfully.]

Love and care for your Pokémon is more important than anything! ...Well, that's the most important lesson I learned from being a trainer, that's for sure.

...Anyway, I mean, I could, but. This little one's more interested in you, I think. [He slides a glance over to him, a little knowing. Blue thinks the guy could stand to have a bit of... a companion, maybe, to help him chill out...]

[simulatio]

No.

[He refutes that knowing look immediately, resting a hand on his hip and flicking the other into the air as if disposing of something distasteful.]

To begin with, even if I wanted a pet, I've nowhere to keep it. "Love and care," not to mention good intentions, mean nothing when you don't have the resources to provide for something wholly dependent on you.

[He doesn't quite manage to keep the bitterness out of his voice, but, well. With Blue, it's fine to let the mask slip.]

[halloflamer]

Huh? Don't you know you can get Poké balls, now?

[Blue unclips one of the small capsules from his own belt, turning it in his hand.] Seen these before? This is how we trainers carry our Pokémon around when we're traveling. I sure as Shuppet couldn't just have Gyarados follow me around wherever, you know!

[Chuckling to himself, he clips the ball back to his belt, and then tugs his beltbag to the front of his chest. Rummaging inside, he digs out one of the red capsules, and holds it out to him.] Here, I'll give you a spare one, since I can get more, now.

...As for food, well. These guys seem pretty easy to please. Let 'em munch a tree or something, heh!

[simulatio]

[His brow furrows at the mention of Poké balls, and when Blue offers him one, he shakes his head to refuse it.]

I appreciate the offer, but I'd rather not trap a wild animal like that. This isn't one of the creatures from your world. I would no sooner use it on this giraffe than I would a tiger.

[It might be more efficient, but there's something distasteful to him about capturing a wild animal for his own purposes. He'd already made the decision not to be used by anyone ever again; it doesn't feel right to then use something even as mindless as this giraffe for his own purposes.]

[halloflamer]

[The way Blue's brow crinkles says it all. Trap?]

[...He's starting to get tired of trying to explain these things to people around here, but maybe there's just no use to it. It's just like he's talked about with the others; you couldn't understand it unless you grew up in a world alongside Pokémon.]

It's not like that, [He says, a little clipped with insult, but tucks the ball away again. Back to fake-chipper it is, then! This time, a little laced with spite:] Suit yourself! But, you know, making excuses and avoiding people won't get you away from me.

[Tsk-tsk, kouhai. Blue won't let you get away from the self-care that easily. He's glad he ran into the other boy; there's a lot of things he hasn't managed to ask him about since... the last time they met.]

Whatcha doing wandering around out here, anyway?

[simulatio]

[His eyebrow quirks, as if to ask how, exactly, it isn't like that. But he lets the moment pass rather than try alienating one of the few people who seems to like him in spite of, well, everything. Perhaps another time he can delve deeper into the ethics behind something like a Poké ball and the ideas as to whether or not a prison is still a prison if it's comfortable nicely decorated.

No, what he was doing out here was picking flowers, of all things, though he certainly isn't about to admit to it. The few he'd jammed in his jacket pocket in an attempt to get them away from the giraffe certainly aren't any kind of incriminating evidence.]

I was hoping to get a breath of fresh air and experience some peace and quiet.

[Without looking, he grabs the giraffe's nose in one gloved hand before it can bite at his hair again, pushing it back as firmly as one can a large (hopefully) herbivore several times one's own mass.]

As you can see, I wouldn't call it a success.

[halloflamer]

[The giraffe, which clearly seems to think this is some kind of game, immediately goes for Akechi's hair again, and Blue stands there and lets it happen- since now he doesn't think Akechi would actually hurt it, if he was gonna make a big stink about not capturing it in a Pokéball. If he was gonna bring ethics into this.]

[...Not in front of Blue, anyway.]

Oh, my bad, [He quips, self-aware, and makes absolutely no move to give Akechi that peace or quiet. Instead, his eyes fall to the greenery haphazardly stuffed into his pockets, the petals now a little crushed.] I thought Ren was the florist.

[The barely tethered amusement on his face says it all: you can volunteer information, or Blue can annoy it out of you- it's your choice, Akechi-kun~]