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[Mothman]

"Strawberry." A loud sip filled the room as the young girl was already almost done with the beverage. "It's simply but yummy." As she spoke, her eyes didn't once leave her screen.

"I appreciate it, Kitagawa-kun." Giving a gentle bow to the boy and headed towards the stairs, turning around quickly before heading down. "Thank you again, everyone. I look forward to working with everyone." A smile was practically plastered across her face as her and Yusuke left, leaving the rest of the Thieves to wrap up the nights festivities.

"Mmm, I should probably be going, too." Haru let out a gentle yawn, tapping the side of her cup as she glanced to the window. After silently contemplating it for a moment, she stood up, said her goodbyes, and headed out for the day.

"Any of you guys wanna get blasted in Star Fighter?" Futaba posed the question halfway as a joke, assuming most of the remaining thieves would be headed out shortly, as well.

---

"Goodness, I can't believe you convinced me to come." Perhaps it was a bit of an embarrassing thing to do, humor his younger side by attending a live Featherman shooting with Ren, but it was really all starting to set in. He was dressed in his regular casual attire, his blue vest sticking out as it normally did.

"Imagine if my fans realized I was here. I should have worn a hood, or at least some sunglasses..." Walking alongside his 'date' for the afternoon, he couldn't help but pray that he wasn't approached by fans today. "I must admit, though, I didn't think I'd be this excited when we got here."​

 

[satanael]

Ren did what all good bros must do when their friends are overthinking things: He punched Akechi in the arm - playfully - and told him, "Lighten up." And before Akechi could argue that he was, in fact, as perfectly relaxed as could be, Ren jabbed a finger towards the direction of the studio, and-- out walked one of the Featherman team members.

Other fans who'd been milling about the entrance all cheered and rushed into line beside a table for autographs. Ren grabbed Akechi by the wrist and hauled him off to get in the queue before it wrapped around the block. "So. Who's your favorite character?"

 

[Mothman]

"Ow! Hey!" Akechi was unfamiliar with the gesture, admittedly spending most of his time either alone or with Sae-san, who refrained from punching him. "I'm trying my best. Remind me next time to wear a hoodie-" He paused. "To buy a hoodie for an occasion like this."

"It's been forever since I've watched. I remember being quite fond of both Featherman Blue and Featherman Black when I was younger, though. Blue was always the tactical one, if I remember right, and I found myself projecting onto that personality as I grew up." The line had already at least tripled in size as they had gotten into it, thankfully with a fairly good spot. They'd only be waiting five or ten minutes, at most.

"Now that I say that, it sounds so silly." A chuckle at his own expense escaped him. "So, I've got to ask. You mentioned you had connections to get you here, VIP and all. Can I ask how on Earth you know anyone related to Featherman's production?"​

 

[satanael]

Akechi, in casual clothes? Ren grinned at the thought, taking on an impish quality you'd usually find coming from Ryuji. Clearly, the two had started to rub off on one another. "Right, let me just casually note that down in the notebook I most definitely keep on me at all times."

Somehow, despite all the grief Ren was keen on giving him, Akechi humored his question. Ren thought back to all the impromptu synopses Futaba had rambled off on him, reminiscing about the character arcs both Blue and Black had grown through. Based on what little he remembered, it made sense that Akechi gravitated towards the two.

The line shuffled forward and Ren shuffled with it. He and Akechi were sandwiched between a little boy on his dad's shoulders as well as a fan who'd shown up in cosplay, sans helmet.

"Dad, look! Dad!"

"I know, Ryouta, I see her, I see her!"

Ren couldn't help but smile at the kid's enthusiasm.

"Oh, that?" He grabbed Akechi by the elbow, tugged him closer, then whispered in his ear, "Amada-kun is personal friends with Yukari Takeba." Ren pulled back and released him, his voice reverting to its normal contemplative timbre, "He met her long before she became an actor."

 

[Mothman]

"Oh, come now. You know you have a good memory." Akechi returned Ren's earlier gesture and gently smacked him on the arm as they stood in line.

The detective found less joy from the father-son bonding they witnessed. While he obviously found the scene good-hearted and wholesome, he couldn't help but wish he had that good of a relationship with his own father. He tried not to let it show on his face.

"Wait, but Amada-kun..." Akechi put a hand to his chin after Ren explained his connections. "He was-" While he was more than curious to prod at how deep the other Persona users rabbit hole went, now was hardly the place to do so.

"Hmm. Yukari Takeba is Featherman Pink, at least in the modern works, yes?" He was vaguely familiar with the name, but not much more than that.​

 

[satanael]

"The most recent season, yeah. That's what we'll be seeing today." A pause. "Were you hoping to meet the actors from the classic series?"

Though it wouldn't show on his face, anxious nerves began firing off and Ren noticed that it was getting harder to swallow. He lifted a hand and raked his fingers through his hair, dropping his gaze to the ground.

"Of course you would. That's what you probably grew up with." Ren let out a sigh and shook his head. "Next time, I'll make it up to you--"

 

[Mothman]

"Oh, no, it's nothing like that." Akechi didn't entirely catch Ren's nerves start to get the better of it, though stopped him from worrying about the misconception all the same. "In truth, I asked Futaba to send me a few episodes. I've been watching on my commutes to and from home. I don't believe I've gotten to Pink's introduction, yet. I'm only on episode three."

They were near the front of the line, but it hit him that this was just for autographs. "What about you? Is Pink your favorite? You seemed eager to get in line for an autograph. Or is it just you want to catch up with Takeba-san?" He wasn't aware if the two had even met in the past, but it seemed Ren was familiar at least with a handful of people through Amada-kun.​

 

[satanael]

Though the intent of this trip had been to draw Akechi out of his ivory tower shell, it wasn't like Ren didn't have a stake in it either. At the very least, he'd get a nice souvenir or two for Futaba, maybe an artbook for Yusuke-- no, he was here for his friends, dammit.

"Heh, what can I say? I like a strong woman who can take care of herself and kick my ass." Yet when it came to their turn, Ren was taken back by the glossy poster given to every guest. He stammered out his name and sheepishly bowed upon coming face-to-face with the individual who made all the magic happen. "I-it's an honor to meet you!"

Ren scampered away as quickly as he could with the new poster for his room. As soon as Akechi caught up with him, he murmured, "I'd die for Pink."

 

[Mothman]

It wasn't like him to crack jokes involving others, but in this particular instance, he simply couldn't resist. "Mmm, is that why you asked me for Sae-san's phone number a while back?" Akechi raised a jokingly skeptical eyebrow at him as they finally got to the front of the line. He gave a polite hello to Yukari, who seemed to recognize him, though didn't make a big thing about it. It was a sort of unwritten celebrity rule.

"So I take it you hadn't met her before? Is it just Amada-kun from that big group you spoke of that you've met? She seems far older than Amada-kun." The two had started to get into the studio, hoping to get good seats before more and more people started to funnel in. Thankfully, they got a second row seat, a bit off to the right.

"I forget how far technology's come. They use a green screen for most everything nowadays." Akechi's eyes moved across the stage, which for shooting, was surprisingly empty compared to what the eventual result would look like. "I've always wanted to watch them act out fight scenes. I wonder how many takes that kind of thing takes."​

 

[satanael]

Truth be told, he'd completely forgotten about that. One false move and Akechi would be sending screenshots to Makoto, forever destroying his friendship with the student council president. Him and his big mouth (or big thumbs, if you would).

Oh well. Ren did like to live dangerously.

"Just Amada-kun so far. I'm still trying to remember names from Narukami-kun's friend group. So far I can recall... Teddie and Tatsumi. One because it's an animal, the other because of Tatsumi Port Island," Ren listed off on his fingers, sounding far too proud of himself for the meager task accomplished. Mnemonics weren't something he bothered to use outside of academics.

Ren watched as crew members milled about in front of the stage, chattering amongst themselves while the actors were undoubtedly getting ready for the take. "Probably more than either of us realize. You're surprisingly into this kind of thing, huh?"

 

[Mothman]

"Teddie... An odd name. That belongs to a person, not some sort of dog or other sort of pet?" Akechi raised an eyebrow at the odd name. Ren did know how to pick odd ones, perhaps this Narukami had just as strange of a group as they did. "I really must meet with them sometime. I have so many questions." The boy was practically letting his excitement flow out of his smirk, the idea of speaking not only with other Persona-users, but the people who solved the Inaba Murders, as they came to be called... It was intriguing.

"Much more than I assumed I'd be. I've always been the one on screen, and for things far more boring than this. I suppose it's nice to take a step back and see it as an outsider; a fan's point of view, I suppose." Akechi tapped a finger on his leg, before sliding his phone out of his pocket to check if anything had come up. Thankfully, he was in the clear.

"Do you think Futaba and Haru would grow to like me a bit more if I..." He couldn't help but feel guilty trying to get closer to them. Those two girls in particular, it tugged at his heart knowing the facade he put on in front of them. "...Nevermind." A hand drifted up to his hair, brushing his bangs a bit to the side as he let out a soft exhale.​

 

[satanael]

"If you watched Featherman with them?" Ren asked, just as the lights dimmed and floated towards the host of the program. An excitable gentleman decked out in an elaborate costume greeted the audience, then rattled off a brief premise, cracking a few jokes here and there, before signalling the start of the show.

The moment the Featherman team emerged on the stage, everyone went wild and cheered, especially the kids up in the front who were trying to clamber over the railing. Ren just chuckled to himself as the episode's story unfolded. As predictable as it may have been - being a show geared towards the younger folks - Ren still felt it tug at his heartstrings when everyone extended their hands to Black and assured him that despite his actions, he was still one of them.

Someone in the audience had started tearing up and many a sniffle were heard.

 

[Mothman]

Akechi didn't find a moment to reply to Ren, though contemplated for a moment if he would have said anything at all. It wasn't like he could just tell Ren what was bugging him about his proposal.

He managed to find it in him to set it aside and pay good attention to the show, finding himself enjoying it more than he had expected. It wasn't as if he was cheering or shouting like the children near the front, though he certainly wore a smile as the shooting went on.

When the final scene of the recording came around, centered around Black being the literal black sheep of the Feathermen, Akechi couldn't help but let that smile fade away. His gaze went to Ren for a moment, before he looked down at his shoes, a forlorn look on his face. Why couldn't he have been cast into a better situation? His alliance with the Thieves, it was all a facade for his bastard of a father, but more than anything, Akechi wished it wasn't.

When the show concluded, Akechi shook his head and went back to his usual expression, not wanting to worry Ren. If he had been really concerned, perhaps he'd of faked some tears, but that wasn't exactly his talent. "Mmm. I must admit, this was much more enjoyable than I had expected it to be." A hand drifted to the collar of his shirt as he gently tugged it to the side, straightening it out.​

 

[satanael]

"Honestly, I'm a little disappointed I didn't see you leaping out of your seat." The jests came easy whenever he was around Akechi - likely because the detective gave as good as he got. A steady rapport flowed between them, punctuated by a challenging look here and there. Up to now, their rivalry was nothing more than a silent agreement, a dance of wits.

Ren knew he was nowhere near as smart as either Makoto or Akechi, but he was clever to a fault and somehow he'd managed to stand his ground. The idea that he could hold Akechi's attention was like a drug. Every hum of condescending delight, every prissy little quip-- Ren wanted to be acknowledged as Akechi's equal.

More than that, he wanted to be Akechi's friend - someone the boy could count on and reach out to. Because really, Ren needed an excuse to reach out to him, too.

"All that hard work on my part, wrangling up tickets, and it amounts to the equivalent of afternoon tea," he remarked, as melodramatic as could be. Ren placed his hand upon his chest and exaggerated, "You sure know how to break a guy's heart."

 

[Mothman]

"I would never draw attention to myself like that, you know that. Perhaps if I was still a young boy, I would have been a bit more audible, but when the media is nipping at your heels every second of every day, one needs to be selective on their mannerisms." Akechi shrugged off Ren's complaint, before lowering his voice a tad.

"I did have quite an enjoyable time. Perhaps in another life, I'd have been the audible maniac you wished to see." With a laugh, he kept walking, not exactly sure where the two were headed regardless.

"Mmm, you can't be too upset. You've been clutching that posted like it was your own child since you got it, Ren." A small gesture at the posted and a smug grin later, he tucked one hand in his pocket and pulled his phone out with his other one.

"Ignore what I said earlier. Futaba and Haru, they'd..." He paused as he tried to find a good way to word his thoughts. Though, in reality, there was no way to do so. No way he could convey how he felt about the matter to Ren. "They'd never let me hear the end of it if they knew I was into Featherman."​

 

[satanael]

Though he had developed quite the reputation for being softspoken and demure, Ren was always listening; his eyes shone with interest, even as Akechi's voice took on a sharpness to it that went beyond mere complaining. No matter how well the detective handled the media, Ren couldn't hold it against Akechi for hitting his limit. Who wouldn't get fed up with the nation prying into your personal life?

So while he didn't have any words of comfort, Ren did set a hand upon Akechi's arm as if to say 'I'm here for you, you know'.

His lips quirked into a smile. In another lifetime, he and Akechi might have met sooner and been the best of friends, joined at the hip.

Out in the lobby, fans were taking photos with the cast members and doing a Q&A session with the producers. Ren considered going with the flow and joining in, but something about Akechi seemed... off. So he stayed put and unfurled his beloved poster, gazing longingly at Featherman Pink striking a pose.

"The great Goro Akechi, self-conscious about his love for children's TV shows," - Ren peered up and smirked as though he were in the midst of conquering Mementos - "You heard it here first, folks, he really is a dumb awkward teen under all that glitter and sparkle."

 

[Mothman]

Akechi rolled his eyes as Ren went into his 'dramatic' monologue about his interest in Featherman. He let him have his moment, before rolling his eyes and speaking in retort.

"Don't make me hit you again, Ren. This excursion, at least the Featherman part of it, better stay between us, got it? I'd never hear the end of it from the others." While his words were serious, his tone was far from harsh. His gaze moved over to the large crowd in the lobby, then back to Ren.

"Do you want to grab a photo with Pink before we go? I don't mind waiting while you fight your way through the crowd. How would you feel about going out to get something to eat? I'm starving." He'd once again found himself peeking at his phone, sending a quick text to Sae that boiled down to "I'm busy, but will get back to you when I can".​

 

[satanael]

Ren just laughed. Not a polite laugh, not an awkward laugh, but genuinely, without holding back, laughed. "All right, all right. Scout's honor, I won't rat you out."

Akechi was seriously no fun.

"First you say you don't mind waiting, then you whine about being hungry." Ren shook his head. "C'mon, princess, let's go find you something palatable. Is ramen no good?"

 

[Mothman]

Akechi couldn't help but let a snicker escape him as Ren laughed at him. Or, maybe it was with him? He really wasn't sure, and didn't really care at that point. Just getting to share a laugh was something he rarely indulged in. God knew Sae wasn't one for joking around.

"I don't! I just meant after we're done here, I could go for some food, and wouldn't mind going somewhere with you. If it gets you to stop calling me that, I might be persuaded to treat you." Akechi's gaze went behind him for a moment, as he had thought he'd heard his name called. A tragic habit that many people in his shoes dealt with.

"I really wouldn't mind ramen. Don't laugh, but I eat mostly frozen meals at home, and the occasional in-office dinner with Sae when we work late. Going out and sitting at a restaurant or taking an hour to cook at home is a bit too time consuming for me."​

 

[satanael]

Ren slung an arm around Akechi's shoulders and led him right past the photo event. As they walked on by, he tossed Takeba a nod that she only responded to with a curious raise of her brow.

From the studio, it was no more than a ten minute walk to the trains. "Now I'm worried you're not getting enough nutrition. Do I need to show you how to cook? Curry's got a lot of antioxidants."

 

[Mothman]

Akechi was a bit surprised with Ren full on throwing his arm around him like a man and his girlfriend. It took him until they were out of the studio entirely for him to separate himself. "Has anyone ever told you you're a human furnace? I can practically feel the heat radiating off of you."

As they started walking, Akechi took a moment to answer Ren's concerns about his diet. "I like to think I keep a balanced diet. Probably not perfect, but likely better than living off of curry like you do. Though, I admit, I'm not a great cook."​

 

[satanael]

"You say that like it's not possible to live off of potatoes. Which it is. I read an article online that said as much." Ren had brought a hand to the bridge of his nose, just to adjust his glasses at the most obnoxious moment possible. You know, like one of those anime characters.

"If I'm a furnace, then you're an igloo." Cue another one-armed glomp wherein Ren cackled as Akechi tried to struggle free from his grasp. "Don't be so stingy, it's humid today!"

 

[Mothman]

"There's an American book about a guy who goes to Mars and does it. I feel like you could live a healthier life than that, especially if you're going to bug me about my own diet." A chuckle escaped him as he crossed his arms for a moment.

"I'm not that chilly, am I!?" Once again a bit surprised at Ren's physical gesture, he found himself unable to gracefully free himself. "If one of my fans saw us like this, do you know how much explaining I'd have to do!?"​

 

[satanael]

A line like that only came once in a lifetime. Maybe twice if you were stupidly lucky.

Ren wasn't really thinking when he stuck his face near Akechi's and murmured, "Would it make much of a difference, then, if we gave them something to really write home about?" His gaze flickered down to that pretty mouth that knew all the right and wrong things to say, twirling people around Akechi's finger.

Now or never, huh?

But Ren didn't move. He simply stood there, heart hammering inside his chest. As the seconds ticked away, he started to lose his nerve.

Would it hurt when Akechi shoved him back?

Maybe it was better not to take any chances. Ren let go.

 

[Mothman]

"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Ren." Akechi rolled his eyes at the boy, before the two locked gazes for more than just a short beat. Unsure what to say, he simply stared for a long moment, until Ren let go of him. He couldn't help the gentle blush that crept onto his cheeks as he continued to walk towards the station.

"You're insane, you know that? If a fan tried a stunt like that with me, they'd probably get slapped." He hummed at his own comedy, before shaking his head at the thought. "I suppose slapping a fan would get me in big trouble with my boss..."

"So, are we doing ramen, then? It didn't sound like you were sure."​