2025-07-16: Birds of a Feather
- Log: Birds of a Feather
- Cast: Tsubasa Seki, Goro Akechi
- Where: Kasugayama High
- OOC Date: 2025-07-16
- IC Date: Monday, June 11 2012
- Summary: Akechi visits Kasugayama to solve a mystery for the Student Council, only to pay a visit to Tsubasa... who, despite not talking to cops, ends up remarkably open to accepting a relative stranger's help. They agree to help him investigate the Phantom Thieves -- and whether that group was the source of the Psychotic Breakdowns which ruined Tsubasa's life.
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Yesterday was a complete disaster -- and Tsubasa doesn't even know how much of a disaster -- but they must still go to school today.
They still slept through first period.
Now they're here, though, reluctantly or otherwise. No one can tell they're beat, under all that makeup and fake tan, but they're slouching more than normal and their fuse is shorter, so it's a pretty good bet they're not having anyone's bullshit today. Lunch rings --
And Tsubasa doesn't have to deal with Lunch Politics today. They're free to just eat their tuna sandwich (it's definitely not a bento) and chill out on the Thorn Boss's bench. They're not labelled, but everyone knows where those people sit. Pastel Boss's people are over there, and Foundry Boss's people are over there, and so on until figuring out where to eat your lunch is its own little war.
They watch a tussle breaking out, as one girl protests another's bag being in her space, and don't even bother getting up.
Dinner and a show. Whatever.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Goro Akechi was called here today to solve a mystery. One of the girls at Cuss High is being harassed by an unknown perp.
It's a simple enough case, given to him by the student council here because they don't want to report it to the police or have the Bosses take care of it.
That would quickly become accusations without evidence, and an even worse brawls. Sitting in the student council office for roughly five minutes, one leg crossed over the other, a hand at his chin as he leaned back, he scrolled through social media until...
"It's Takeo Nakada... he's attempting to frame a friend of his, Itoh Atsushi, so that Megumi-san will reject his feelings."
The student council member was taken aback, "Wait, you already solved it? How?" Akechi casually turned his phone around to show a chat, "I checked her social media feed. Two accounts were checking every single one of her posts but only one... was to the point of obsession. The account of the incidents as presented by you pointed to Atsushi-san... but the true culprit was boasting about his deeds on a second, more private account. Unfortunately for him, these things are rarely so private as one thinks they are."
The Student Council members gawked, before checking the chat on the screen, then jotting down some notes. "Wow - the audacity!"
"I can't believe you already solved it, without interrogating a single suspect!"
"Well... it was hardly a challenge. Merely a petty romantic rivalry between school mates, not hardened criminals... still, can I trust you to inform Megumi-san of the outcome?"
One of the Student Council members froze up, then- "W-Well for your fee we were hoping you'd see this to the conclusion."
"... Ah." His lip curled with distaste, "In other words, you'd rather not get involved openly."
"Well yeah... Nakada-senpai is... uhhhh pretty big."
"... Ah. Well then, I think now is the time to discuss renegotiation of my fee."
-=-=-
... Well, one thing led to another, and Akechi is carrying his case with his left hand because his right hand now has some bruised knuckles from his own brush with pre-'Lunch Politics'... as in, in the hallways on the WAY to Lunch Politics.
-=-=-
"Fucking poncey little SEVENS brat wants to come here and ACCUSE ME of being some CREEPY STALKER in front of everyone?"
-=-=-
It didn't exactly take so long, which is when he turns the corner and crosses that bench. His right hand instead bearing something a touch lighter. A sack of convenience store food. "You're Seki-san, right?"
He asks, with a faux affable smile, "You don't exactly look like you're in the mood for company right now. Nevertheless, would you mind if I joined you?"
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Huh, another fight in the hall.
Cool.
Tsubasa doesn't bother getting up, instead taking another bite of their sandwich. (Thanks to the generosity of some church marm or another, they've got butter to put on it. It keeps pretty well, so they can just shove it in the fridge. At least that still works.) Chomp, chomp. They don't look friendly, their sleeves rolled up and the lower half of their shirt unbuttoned and tied up over their belly. They're definitely one of those people.
And here's this poncey little Sevens brat, strolling in with his lunch. Tsubasa looks him over -- looks at his knuckles -- and after a long, tense moment of silence:
"Aight."
(They're bruised up, themself, of course, though the marks are covered by concealer just as surely as their older wounds. There's a couple on their arms, something on what ought to be the good side of their face... and an aggravated bruise on their side, too, exposed by their habitual gang fashion.)
There's more silence, as they finish off their sandwich. Apparently, 'joining them' means 'sitting here at all', not any kind of conversation...
... though they don't get up as soon as they're done, either.
They recognise him -- though they doubt he recognises them. (For one thing, they weren't a 'them', back then. They weren't even 'Tsubasa', though, being fair, their school records don't officially carry that name either. ... and they didn't have a tan.) "You're... Akechi-san, right." They ask -- presumably, even though it sounds for all the world like a statement -- and surely they've just seen him on TV.
(Being fair, that's where they got his name. It's just not where they first saw his face.)
"... I don't talk to cops." Which is a dirty lie, because young Officer Shimizu is assigned to their case, and they definitely talk to her. "But seems like you're gettin' on pretty good." And they must be talking about his knuckles, and not his continued part-time work.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Akechi is still smiling even as he slides one leg around the bench, then takes a seat, opening his convenience store bag to produce... a bounty of-!
A Dawson's Egg Sando... as well as several Onigiri. He slides off the tab on the Sando, and takes a bite of the creamy egg and Mayo 'goodness'.
It's disgusting of course. He knows it is. It hardly matters to him, his smile doesn't even change all that much.
"That's right." He finally says after he swallows. "And you're Tsubasa Seki... and while that isn't your original name, I've deduced that your current is not merely some nom de plume."
It is his own roundabout way of being polite, "So with that in mind, you would prefer Seki-san, yes? And perhaps... that is not the only way you'd prefer I refer to you by...?" He inquisits... without insisting upon his conclusion.
... But Tsubasa would have the impression that he already has a leaning of where Tsubasa might indicate in mind...
"Why thank you. I'd like to think so." He says in response, "Though I was hoping that perhaps... you'd be willing to make an exception this time."
As he opens his pocket, and pulls out a paper, sliding it over to her. Within it... is an image of the Calling Card the Phantom Thieves of Hearts sent to the Ichyrusai Madarame, and another sent to Suguru Kamoshida - both side by side.
"Would you happen to be a fan of theirs?" He prompts, though he does not say much else yet.
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Mm," Tsubasa hums confirmation, when Akechi reveals his stunning deduction. And with that in mind...! "Yeah. I ain't a girl." Pause. "Ain't a boy, neither," because it's probably a decent guess, with what kind of uniform they're wearing.
(It's probably pretty easy to guess where they started from just from which binary they excluded first, though. Well, that's not the only clue, but... there's only so much they can do to strap that shit down.)
They scowl, when Akechi asks them to make an exception. "Fuck off," they say, reflexively, placing a hand on the table to push themself up. Akechi's able to pull out those calling cards before they leave, though, and their fingers curl against the wood.
(It's been scored with a dozen pocket-knives and pens. ... including theirs.)
"Those're... the letters the Phantom Thieves sent?" They ask, their weight settling back down on the bench. "I heard they sent a bunch of those to get that Kamoshida confessin', but..."
Their scowl deepens, as they look over them. "... that one's pretty stylish," they say, looking at Madarame's Calling Card.
Maybe they are a fan. A fan who can tell that their artistic talent grew from one act to the next!
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
"Neither a girl nor a boy." Akechi repeats, but not as if the concept is foreign to him... before he indicates, "Well, you'll receive no complaints from me."
He doesn't say more, because even if he has quite a lot to say on the matter, the fact is - he can't exactly trust what might happen if it passes through more ears than theirs.
His smile flattens subtly as they tell him to fuck off, but he manages to keep it on his face, as he places his egg sando down in the packaging, to rest it for a time.
And indeed, he nods, his smile renewing as they point out the stylistic differences... "I agree. It has a certain dramatic flair to it after all, one that the original lacks due to it's technical shortcomings..."
Elsewhere, Ryuji Sakamoto probably feels VERY irritated all of a sudden.
"Now... I know you don't have a lot of reasons to trust the authorities, but now would be the time for me to point out that I'm not with the police... and am instead a Private Detective, fully licensed of course."
That may not be so impressive to Tsubasa, at least not until he adds... "And as a Private Detective, I need not bother with considerations of institutional reputation in matters of Justice. As an example... The Sumaru City Police Department have already come to their conclusions on the Arson in City Hall... whereas, I'm not so certain myself."
Akechi allows that to hang out in the open, for quite some time, locking eyes with them, when they would assuredly look up.
"Have you heard of the epidemic of 'Psychotic Breakdowns'? I have reason to believe your own psychiatric evaluation was... maliciously mishandled."
He places a hand upon his chin, looking down across the table... "It is a rather new diagnosis after all... and hardly a popular one. After all... it's inconvenient to both police and prosecutors alike when someone would... in their eyes, 'escape responsibility' for their actions because it was merely 'random coincidence' that is unlikely to reoccur..."
He strokes his chin for a time, as if lost in thought, "But what if it weren't 'random coincidence' after all...?"
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Tsubasa nods, when Akechi registers his lack of complaints, in silent approval. ... there are plenty of people who would complain, after all.
They don't comment on the shortcomings of Kamoshida's Calling Card, but perhaps their silence is condemnation enough.
"... tch," Tsubasa clicks their tongue to their teeth, when Akechi points out he's not with the police. Isn't that basically the same thing?!, they think, with suspicion to spare. Except --
"The fuck did you say?!" Tsubasa hisses, head snapping around to glare at him. Of course he knows they did it; there's no way he wouldn't, with that reputation he has. But if he wanted to start a fight, why would he say he wasn't sure?
They're not sure, either.
But he asks about those breakdowns, and Tsubasa's eyes narrow to pinpricks as he suggests the doctors were mishandling them. "Y--yeah?" They prompt him, not entirely able to keep their cool, but certainly listening.
If he's looking into it... can they trust him?
"Listen," they say, gravel-tone low, "the numbers don't add up. They said Nakajima-san was embezzling funds, but the money wasn't leaving, it was coming in. Like, shit, five million yen, and it was all unaccounted for." ... it's a risk saying something like that, when that's the exact story which marked them as insane, but what if Akechi's found something?
"But I couldn't find who was behind it," they say, their hands curling to fists on the table. "Tried askin' for help, but before anyone could, I... I-I..." Again, their voice cracks, as they bite at their bottom lip to keep it still.
"If you know why I did that, you gotta tell me. I -- I don't know -- can't figure it out. It just, happened, and after that... after that, my father... everyone..."
They all lost faith in them.
But how can Tsubasa blame them, when they lost faith in themself just the same?
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
The heat in Tsubasa's hissed anger isn't exactly unexpected. And indeed, Akechi takes it without even a reaction, his hand still upon his chin... like he's contemplating the issue.
He waits, instead, like he's lost in thought... and his patience is rewarded, by Tsubasa mentioning that.
"And I imagine you mentioned this to the police... who promptly ignored it. There wasn't a single mention in your case file."
Akechi says, as if suspicious... but not of Tsubasa. "I tried tracing the transactions myself, but the trail has been expertly buried. As it stands, there's little chance of a lead by following the money from two years ago..."
He rubs his chin again, before he looks up, and smiles, "As it stands, I believe you..." He says, reassuringly, and perhaps there's comfort in that smile of being believed by someone, "Seki-san, it is my belief that you suffered from what is known as a Psychotic Breakdown. Contrary to popular belief - they are not a break with reality that signals the onset of mental illness. However, to this day - we have yet to understand why these 'acute' episodes occur, where someone acts violently and contrary to how they normally would. Experts believe it occurs entirely at random... but... after recent events. I do not... at least, not since..."
Then down to calling cards, holding it up, "... ever since the Phantom Thieves of Hearts entered into the public eye. This 'Change of Heart' phenomenon."
His expression becomes quite grave, "Tampering with hearts, against the will of the individuals in question. If a Change of Heart is truly possible because someone else desires it..."
A shadow passes over his face, like even he himself is disturbed by the thought, "...then does it not imply there could be an 'intentionality' behind these 'Psychotic Breakdowns'?"
He waits, for Tsubasa to put it altogether. The mysterious transaction, the Psychotic Breakdown...
... there's only one way those thoughts might come together.
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"They... didn't even mention it?" Tsubasa asks, expression and voice both tense. That's all Akechi needs to hear, surely, to know they told them many times.
The trail was buried, he says, and something dies in Tsubasa's eyes as they realise they can't possibly find the source any more. Even if they could remember the data clearly... if Boy Wonder here can't do it, what hope do they have?
Left like that, they really need his reassurance. They can't prove anything -- not a damn thing, but -- but he buys it, anyway? That's worth something, they think. (More than something, judging by the damp sheen over their pale blue eyes.) He explains what really happened, and...
And he lifts the Calling Card.
"It's not just... convincin' 'em?" Tsubasa asks, as if they'd never before entertained the idea that a 'Change of Heart' would be built out of proper nouns. And why would they? It's not possible to compel someone to change that way, outside of hokey pseudoscience like hypnosis. To say someone has a 'change of heart' has always just meant that they realised the error of their ways...
Until now. It's obvious Kamoshida wasn't embarrassed into confessing, now Tsubasa can see the 'letter' for themself. (And they're assured that these Calling Cards aren't fakes; why would Akechi show them false evidence?) No -- the rumours on the internet they dug up to try and help Ichika might even be true.
No, it's... tampering, Akechi says, and Tsubasa swallows as they try to process it all, gaze darting about the Cards and his person.
"You don't think... they... they forced me into it?!" Tsubasa's trying to keep their voice down, but a stab of betrayal does raise it, for a moment. "But -- but Kamoshida was a piece of shit -- and the news ain't sayin' fuck all good 'bout Madarame now," they look down at their right hand, the scars they can't quite hide there. "Then -- why me...?"
What did they do... that was half as bad as them? Sure, maybe now, but -- back then? Their father might have known they were no good, but...
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
"Likely they thought it wasn't worth listening to the ravings of someone they had already passed judgment upon." Akechi says, sympathetically. After all, if they've already decided they're crazy then why bother thinking they have anything useful to add?
Saying things like that is obviously just deflecting blame. "I'm not certain what their methods are." Akechi admits to them, as if cautious. "But - the psychological profiles of the most prominent hearts they've changed. It simply does not fit. The two were unlikely to be capable of any true remorse previously. And that is terrifying, isn't it? Whether you deem their current actions are 'good' or 'evil'... they claim that by stealing their desires, they will force them to confess their sins with their own mouths."
Akechi gives Tsubasa time to process, he understands he's hitting them quickly with one 'bomb' after another, the overload is useful in a sense... but it's also disorienting.
"I don't know. Unfortunately, without knowing more about them or their methods... this can only be a theory."
As he puts forth limitations of this view forward. "Currently the most compelling is that they found anonymous crime of this nature to... put it bluntly, boring... unfulfilling. So I believe that they've undergone a 'rebranding' of sorts... into becoming vigilante heroes of justice that capture the hearts of the public. Or perhaps... one among their number has kept their more despicable activities clandestine, and pulled the wool over the eyes of their fellows."
Again, he gives them that sympathetic look, "Whatever the case... you were likely a target of convenience... and thus became collateral damage."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"No one would believe me," Tsubasa agrees, dismally. It's a statement about what went on back then, but...
It must also be why Akechi believing them is so effective.
But... Tsubasa knew Kamoshida, last year. They knew how... in charge he was, how on top. It wasn't like it changed in a year, either... so isn't Akechi telling the truth? A guy like that wouldn't confess for no reason.
And it's right there on the Calling Card. They're making them confess.
... it's not like they haven't seen plenty of miscreants getting bored with lesser crimes, either. That's the whole reason Shizuko wanted to learn how to pick locks. The rush just isn't as good when the novelty wears off. But... but doing it to them...!
They hit their fist against the table, eyes screwing shut. "Just -- just collateral? What the fuck, man! My whole life -- my whole life went up in flames back then!" They manage to get a grip on themself, luckily, before too many people start staring.
"... if you knew," they venture, managing to calm their tone down with great effort, "d'you think you could do it? Figure it out?"
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Indeed... to have one person believe you, when no one else might... must be the greatest feeling in the world.
Can Tsubasa even say Ichika would believe them? Truly, in their heart of hearts, have no doubt on the matter?
The fist hitting the table rattles the package of the Sando, and his Onigiri, Akechi allows this... after all, what was done to them was quite upsetting.
The least he can do is not complain about their anger.
"It did." Akechi agrees, "But you're still alive." And as he points out to them, "You'd be surprised what circumstances someone can claw themselves out of, if they but have the resolve to do so."
Then, they ask a question, and Akechi smiles at them, "Well not to 'toot my own horn' but I am an excellent detective, if I do say so myself. I believe that once I know more of their identities and methods - that it will be simplicity itself to solve who is behind what happened to you. Even should my theory be proven wrong..."
And then he winks at them, with a single eye. "...don't you think it's an interesting one? And even disproving it would bring me one step closer to the truth."
He does lean back, crossing his arms, "... But I admit, that as of the moment, it is the strongest lead I have. After all, it led me to reevaluating your case, and those like you. Something which the police have failed to do."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
For some reason, Tsubasa is pretty secure in the idea that the Boss believes in them, today. But... just because she would, does that mean they should put that on her?
If their life was ruined as collateral... it's not like it would be safe for her to know too much.
But Akechi -- even if it was only for a brief window, they were both working in City Hall. He has a reason to be invested, doesn't he? ... that dirty money's got to still be screwing the place up.
Before today, Tsubasa might have said they weren't sure if they could claw themself out of that hole, either. ... they don't know what's so different now, but they still shake their head. "I - I'm tryin'."
And maybe part of trying is...
"Then... can you... help me out?" They ask, haltingly, and it's an effort to make themself look from the table up to Akechi again. It's hard to look someone in the eye, humbled like that. "I'll try an' find shit out... I mean, I used to go to Shujin, y'know? Maybe... I can get at it. I need to know," they plead, one hand grasping at their other on the table. "I can't sleep, I can't rest, I can't relax, man... it's eatin' me up inside. If... if they did this to me... I gotta know."
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Perhaps Tsubasa might feel those brown eyes lingering upon them for a little too long as they stammer they're trying.
Indeed, that sympathy for them might be far more than just... sympathy, in that moment, though it'd be hard to discern why.
Tsubasa then haltingly asks for his help, and his smile fades again, to become something far more serious - as he looks upon them.
"It could be quite dangerous. They could change your heart again or worse - if you oppose them. We don't know to what lengths they would go to keep their secrets."
Indeed, one might think he's turning them down at first, until a singular word comes, "But... I recognize how it would be difficult for me to expect you to let this go. To know that someone violated your mind like this, and burned the life you built for yourself quite literally to ashes."
And again his eyes linger upon them too long, but perhaps for a different reason - as before too long, it's like he's looking past them.
"If anyone deserves 'Justice' for what was done to them... it is you."
Again, it's like he's lost in thought, a moment or two longer, before he snaps back into focus, "I'll help you. If you will be my informant upon whatever you discover, then I can use my resources and connections to do the rest. And even if you're unable to uncover anything..."
He reaches out, providing his right hand to them to shake, "... I'll still do everything in my power to find you the Justice you deserve."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Or worse. What could be worse than -- forcing Tsubasa to burn that office down, with themself inside? Self-immolation is enough torture, surely, but -- but if they got bored of that, what would they escalate to?
It's a harrowing thought, but Tsubasa doesn't look away. After all... "My life's already ruined. Thanks to them, I'm just some no-good punk, now... but I can still show them." And if there's venom in their voice, as they resolve to fight against the people who ruined their life, who can blame them?
Their old life is ashes, now.
Akechi's gaze is unnerving, but Tsubasa keeps on meeting it, and they, at least, are present here. Finally, he agrees to help them, and they clasp their hand into his. Their grip is tight, but not hostile; he's not their enemy. He's their lifeline.
"I'll do it," they volunteer, in turn. "Whatever it takes, all right? ... I never thought 'Justice' was for me." Who knew it'd be a detective, giving the Devil their due?
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
"... A no-good punk." He repeats, "All because the adults who handled your case valued their own conveniences more than they did you."
And indeed, as unsettling as the idea is that whoever did this to them did ruin their life...
... it almost sounds like some part of him blames the system that did this to them more. The cops that didn't believe them. The father that ostracized them and forced them to live in fear.
Whoever is responsible for the Psychotic Breakdown is truly at fault, but... if the adults had done their job, perhaps there would be a life left that Tsubasa would consider worth saving.
His hand takes theirs quite firmly, and he gives it a strong shake, though not an uncomfortable one. Tsubasa however might note that his grip is perhaps, subtly just a touch firmer than their own.
"Ordinarily you'd be correct."
He concedes, on the point of Justice not being for them, "If it were left up to others... you would never receive it. But my vision of 'Justice' is one I will continue to pursue, no matter who might deny it to you."
Then as he withdraws his hand, he notes, "However... I would warn you to be careful. The practical reality is... in this world, the mightiest decides what Justice is. If you're to oppose the Phantom Thieves, then you must become strong enough to oppose whatever sense of justice drives them."
And yet, he seems entirely unconcerned on whether he is strong enough to oppose them. How peculiar...
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Yeah," Tsubasa says, with a sharp puff of breath. "But what am I gonna do? Fight society? Man, I already am... and they're just runnin' down the clock until they can toss me in a real prison."
... giving a response like that might tell Akechi all he needs to know, though. Tsubasa is already angry at society.
At least they're not saying they can't fight it, now.
They're a little surprised to find themself beaten in Handshake Firmness, but -- that just means Akechi's really reliable. (Hanzou never bothered to teach them much about business; they weren't the heir.) "Cool," they nod, as they pull their own hand back.
Akechi's justice... is cool.
But he warns them to be careful, and Tsubasa frowns. "Yeah. The big fish eat the little fish... I get it. Guess I'll just have to grow wings and skim the water..."
... Tsubasa, at least, finds it pretty easy to think that Akechi would be strong enough to oppose a group which can control people's minds.
If he's strong enough to go out on a limb for them...
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
"There are many ways to fight injustice... earlier, you didn't want to talk to me because 'You don't talk to the Police'."
Akechi smiles in that affable way, even chuckling, "Well, would you believe I'm not much of a fan of the police either? Nor are they of me. Certainly, I consult with them on some of their more high profile cases but most believe I have tarnished their reputation by revealing corruption within their departments..."
And in that moment, he winks at them, as if sharing a secret between them, "And yes, sometimes I must play the role of the 'Detective Prince' on TV in order to have the 'pull' to continue to pursue my justice... a small price to pay, really."
He does definitely seem 'cool'. Whereas as Tsubasa withdraws their handshake... they indicate...
"That is the way of Kasugayama High." Akechi agrees with them a hand upon his chin, "A microcosm of... the world, really. There's something strangely honest about going to school here, as if pulls away all the veneers and facades."
...
"Well, given that you already understand that, I'm not worried." Picking up his Egg Sando, he takes a bite. It's a horrifying putrid concoction to stomach, but stomach it he does.
After he swallows, he looks towards them, "If you'd like, Seki-san, I'll give you my personal cell number - so that we can keep in touch. And if you're ever in trouble, and believe it's too dangerous to call, then have someone leave a message at my apartment... I'll write down the address."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"... that so," Tsubasa grunts, when Akechi says he's playing the role of a Detective Prince. Maybe he's more legit than he was letting on? Kenta Nakajima wanted them to figure out what they valued, and they must have given a shit about corruption, given how that shit ended up painting a target on their back. "Yeah, like... I only ever met the one good cop. Shimizu-san's legit, but her job... sucks, man."
(Tsubasa evidently hasn't met Katsuya Suou yet. ... then again, do dog people really get along with cat people?)
"Yeah. I get it." Tsubasa nods, even though there's no way they could get everything he's saying, right now. They think they're informed, and isn't that a proper contract?
They give him the space to eat; they're pretty comfortable with silence. But then he speaks up again, and they nod. "Sure, let's trade numbers. And... I'll keep it in mind." It's a sobering reminder of how dangerous this could be.
... maybe they had really better not tell the Boss what's going on here. She'd be on their side like that, but what if she jumps into something that's going to really screw her up? ... they can handle it.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Indeed, Akechi nods in confirmation, "A celebrity image can open many doors and - make the authorities think twice about doing anything rash."
And if it's mostly a lie well... it's a difficult one to confirm, without knowing what's going on in his head.
"Shimizu-san... Shimizu-san..." He says, as if parsing that name, before putting down his Egg Sando, and reaching into a pocket of his Sevens uniform.
Pulling out a notebook, he turns a few pages, "That would be officer Reiko Shimizu?" He asks for confirmation. "... Well, I'll keep an eye out for her."
He doesn't want to say it openly, but Reiko Shimizu? She's a dead woman walking in the Sumaru Police Department...
... without a lot of help it's only a matter of time before she's killed 'in the line of duty' or put away in a cell as a disgrace for something she didn't do.
Closing up the notebook, he puts it away again.
"Of course and... as a final request..." Akechi says, as he trades numbers, "... if it wouldn't be imposing too much, would you mind putting me in touch with the Thorn Boss, for a small sit down, face to face?"
He looks at Tsubasa, and his expression remains quite serious, "What was done to you is not the only injustice that needs addressing..."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Huh," Tsubasa remarks, again. "Oughta got famous, huh. I'll take a note for next time." They crack a smirk, indicating that the dry humour was, in fact, dry humour.
Congratulations, Akechi! You're officially cool enough for Tsubasa to not just scowl dourly around you all the time. They actually do have other expressions.
... not that they don't default to that scowl. It only deepens after they nod in response to his question, and he says he'll keep an eye on her. What does he mean by... but their gaze darts out to the students around them, and they don't ask. "Yeah," they say, instead. "Thanks."
Maybe they oughta keep an eye out for her, too.
Their phone is a few years out of date, and Akechi can probably guess when they were last gifted a new one, but it still works just fine. There's a cute little chickadee on a phone charm, dangling from its sturdy case. But Akechi has one last request, and Tsubasa nods, looking over to him. "Sure. Should be cool. I'll tell the Boss you're legit, anyway." They can't speak for the Boss, obviously; she's the Boss. But a good word from Tsubasa is worth its weight in gold, with how little they say about most topics.
"... lemme know if there's anything I can do about that, too." Their electric blue lips curl, over their teeth. An injustice done to the Boss can only lead back to one man. "That's a guy I wouldn't mourn, if he got brainwashed into being less of a prick."
Well, they might have already figured out one thing they can do...
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
They DO have other expressions!
Akechi's expression becomes slightly less friendly when Tsubasa mentions 'if he got brainwashed into being less of a prick.'
"Oh no, that would hardly satisfy my Justice."
Akechi says, in a tone which seems flippant, but the way he delivers it is anything but, "A despicable man brainwashed into remorse for what he did would be thankful for the punishment he received afterwards."
...
"I would want absolute scum like that to hate every minute of it, every day - for the rest of his life."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"You know... there was this one time," Tsubasa starts, quietly, when they listen to Akechi's anger. "That fuck, Eiji, he'd found her again. Sicced his crew on her. The Boss got back to my place all right, but... when I was takin' her back..."
They ball their hand to a fist, on the table. "... you think I'm not crazy," they say, "and that's real cool, but I'd better give you the full picture. See, I was takin' her back, and -- and I blacked out, in the street. I mean, I must've. One minute, she was beside me, next, she was huddled on the ground... I couldn't just brush it off. You know, sometimes things are weird, and it's just whatever? But this wasn't whatever. See, back then, I..."
Their fist flexes, and releases. "I thought, if I saw him, I was gonna kill him. I really thought something like that. I had a knife and everything... fuck, I was such a mess she had to calm me down, how messed up is that? That's the point I realised... I really do black out and hurt people. I mean, she said I didn't hurt no one that time, but... but if I'd seen him, y'know? If I'd seen him."
Tsubasa looks to the side, clearly a bit torn up about the whole episode. "... I must've scared her," they say, and they're ashamed of it.
... of course, they only remember twenty-four hours of the day.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Akechi's expression does not look angry even when he's expressing anger. His voice is just so carefully controlled... and measured.
Either way, he listens to Tsubasa's story, and that smile slowly fades away, his expression becoming pensive.
"... I don't." He repeats after they say their piece, "Even after hearing your story."
He contemplates this for a while, looking down and to the right. In fact... he even looks sad.
"I've dealt with many cases like this... where individuals who have been traumatized by abuse... they feel no guilt or remorse when it comes to killing men like him."
His hands fold together, and he takes a breath, "'My body acted on it's own'. How many times have you heard that on your favorite show?" He asks, but doesn't wait on their answer, "I most often hear it during interrogations. Trauma can strip from a person their inhibitions against taking such extreme action... they instead feel fight or flight in scenarios like the one you described."
Now his eyes drift up to meet Tsubasa's again, settling on their face. He doesn't say anything for a few long seconds. "I don't blame you for wanting to act on such impulses - urges. Not because it's inhuman... but because it's the opposite. Still... I would suggest that you resist the impulse to kill him. Not only because it runs contrary to the idea of 'Justice'..."
He smiles at them, "...what proves your 'Justice' to the world, more so than showing yourself as mightier than the monsters that frightened you?"
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
He still... doesn't think they're crazy, huh?
"Shit," Tsubasa swears, when Akechi uses language like that. It isn't so long ago that they'd insist he wasn't talking about them, invoking something like 'trauma'. But...
Well, caring about Ichika gave them some opportunity to see how their stories rhymed, anyway.
It's not like they enjoy being related to it, but... what he's saying makes way too much sense. That lack of inhibition...
Like, next time it'll be his face.
"... you think?" They ask, rubbing at the back of their neck. "I... I, uh, I'm not really, that much of a badass. I can't really beat... those kinda monsters." They look terribly awkward, admitting it. "But when it's someone who hurt the Boss, it's easier, y'know? To -- to do somethin' about it. But that's about her feelings. So -- how I'm feelin' doesn't come much into it. She's... a good person, so... even if it was that guy, she wouldn't want him to die, I guess. So I think, like, if he confessed and went to jail and stopped hangin' over her head, it'd be better for her, right? I wanna do somethin', but... I know I can't just kill him."
It's not just Ichika's ethics giving them qualms, but maybe it's easier to give her the role of shoulder angel. ... as opposed to the role they play for her, that is.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
'... you think?'
He shifts backwards, inspecting them as they speak on the matter... of when it's the Boss, it's easier.
"That's not uncommon either." He says of them valuing her more than themselves. "... And while I don't know her, it usually is better for the victim's recovery process."
Picking up his wrapper, and unfinished Onigiri, he starts to stand up. "Becoming someone who can be like that. It doesn't happen in a day... or even a year. In that sense, it's not unlike becoming a detective."
He says as he recovers that slightly smug smile. "But for people who are motivated, it's possible, Seki-san. Perhaps in your case, your motivation is right in front of you."
He checks his watch, "Unfortunately, I have to be on my way. I am due back for-"
"HEY THERE HE IS!"
"GET THE BASTARD!"
"-well... I suppose some delays can't be avoided." He takes one last bite of his sandwich, before turning around to face his assailants. A pair of Cuss High Students out to avenge their fellow.
~*TWO VIOLENCES LATER*~
"I'm surprised there were two people still willing to take Nakada-san's side after that. Or perhaps - a Sevens Student dining here was just that offensive to their sensibilities?"
He says, jovially, as he steps over the pair writhing on the ground. "Well, it was a pleasure meeting you Seki-san, I'll be in touch."
"HEY - THAT SEVENS PRICK IS HERE TO STEAL OUR GIRLS!"
"THE FUCK!? WE HAVE FEW ENOUGH AS IS!"
"Ah... perhaps I should see myself out before this becomes... a bit of a slog."