2026-07-25: Special
- Log: 2026-07-25 Special
- Cast: Ren Amamiya, Goro Akechi
- Where: Outskirts of greater Tokyo metropolitan area
- OOC Date: July 25, 2026
- IC Date: Saturday, December 15, 2012
- Summary: Ren and Akechi head out to see the Geminids. Ren at last tells him how they feel, and the two share their first kiss.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"Hey!"
White clouds puff into the air as Ren jogs across the snowy train station to meet up with Akechi. They're bundled up with a thick coat and blue scarf, partially due to the early morning hour, partially due to recent snowstorms near Sumaru spreading out to the greater Tokyo metropolitan area, and they've got a good bit of gear, including two bento boxes and two thermoses. Despite this, they grin as they slow to a stop next to him.
"You hype?" they ask, despite knowing the answer; they just want to hear him say it. They know they are, and not just because of the promise of the Geminids tonight.
They've already decided: they're going to tell him how they feel. That thrum of fear and excitement twangs their body like a string, and they want to see the same on his gorgeous face, too.
===
Ren looks out the window as the train departs from the station. Their things are stowed away, including bentos and drinks under their seat, and their incredibly early morning awakening is catching up to them. They yawn hugely, covering their mouth with one hand.
"Woke up extra-early to cook and brew coffee and stuff," they explain. "You mind if I borrow your shoulder?"
Without waiting for an answer, they rest their head on Akechi's shoulder. Within seconds, they are asleep.
===
Around lunchtime, Ren gets out the bentos they'd gotten up early to prepare. The thermoses remain under the seat; for drinks, the two will instead enjoy what they bought from a vending machine. (Earl Green for Ren today, despite preferring grape Manta. It goes better with their meal.)
Said bento includes rolled omelets (tasty, but they messed up rolling them so they're ugly), salad with lots of diced vegetables (Morgana scolded them about getting more vitamins in their diet and pointed out Akechi probably needs the same), and the cornerstone piece, curry onigiri. These turned out quite well. Ren went easy on the spice level, minced the chicken and vegetables, and cooked down the roux, and so the curry forms the heart of the rice balls quite neatly and tastily.
They eat leisurely, savoring the flavors, with disposable wooden chopsticks they'd brought along for both of them. Still, they glance at Akechi frequently to gauge his reaction. He liked their rice balls the last time he tried them; does he still like them? Does he like the tamagoyaki, or did they mess them up too much? The salad is safe but boring; will that matter to him?
"Next time, I'll make you omurice and write you a message on it in ketchup," they joke either way, quirking a half-smile.
Well. 'Joke.' It'd be just the thing for Ran Umemura, one-time maid of Alice's Apron, to serve to her Master Goro.
===
From the final bus ride to the last stop near their ryokan, Ren and Akechi carry their luggage. They'll only have enough for one or two nights, at least. Once they've dropped their stuff off in front of the ryokan, they stretch, then wander off a few steps back into the snow, which is thicker out here in a more rural area.
This particular snow is thick and wet. Perfect for packing into snowballs. For a moment, they bend over, and then--
"Hey, Akechi!" they call to their friend. The second he turns around, they HURL a snowball directly at his face.
Hit or miss, they burst into laughter and a wicked grin, already weaving away from what will no doubt be a vengeful detective hell-bent on retribution. "Snowball fight," they declare, and dash away, scooping up more snow to form into balls as they go.
===
It's harder to run around in the snow than it seems, so the snowball fight doesn't last that long. The two of them still need to check in and unpack and everything, too. Still, Ren has tremendous fun, if their broad smile during battle is any indication. If their cheeks are especially rosy, surely that's just the cold and the exertion.
It ends when Akechi catches up with Ren at one point. Ren turns to dodge him, but slips on an unseen ice patch. Their eyes go wide and they instinctively grab Akechi by his coat, dragging him down with them--
WHUMP. Ren falls back-first into the snow, Akechi overtop him.
They stare up at him for a moment, puffing more white clouds as they catch their breath.
And then they smile with crinkly affection warm enough to bring about an early spring.
===
If Akechi is flustered afterwards--too flustered to join them when the two are finished settling in and Ren heads to the ryokan's open bath to wash up and warm up--well... no wonder. They get it. That doesn't stop them from being disappointed.
At least, when Akechi hits the baths after they leave, they're able to buy some fruit milk from a ryokan vending machine and drink it with him once he emerges. From there, they challenge him to ping-pong, and for some reason that cheers him up immediately.
Considering he absolutely destroys them at it, despite their utmost efforts--AGAIN--no wonder.
Again.
===
Night falls early in winter. The Geminids are predicted to start around 9 PM, so after a post-ping-pong rest, Ren gathers up the thermoses with their reheated coffee, a thick thermal blanket, and a few other necessities, and heads out with Akechi at around 8:30. It's a slow trip up the mountain with the snow, but the two make it back to the camp area from their last visit and set up on the same bench. Ren sweeps the snow off and drapes the thermal blanket over it so they can warm up and not get soaked.
"Here," they say, handing him the second thermos. They lean back on the bench, their thermos clutched on their lap, and gaze up at the starry night sky. Despite yesterday's snow, tonight is clear, and with the moon new, it absolutely sparkles. They smile as they spot the constellation Gemini, and once Akechi's settled in, they point up at it. "Right there. That's where the Geminis will start to fall from." They look over at him as they settle their hand back on their lap. "It's going to be incredible."
They want so much for Akechi to love it too. It meant so much to them that he came out all this way despite not caring about the stars, because he cares that much about what they love... but they still want him to love it too.
So they can love it together.
"Do you know much about the mythology behind Gemini?" they wonder, gazing back up at the sky. "It's called the Twins, because of the stars Castor and Pollux, named for the Dioskouroi."
Akechi will recognize the names; Pollux is another name for Polydeuces, and Castor... no need to translate there.
"They were twin half-brothers--don't ask me how that works, gods are weird--and Pollux was divine, but Castor was mortal. Inevitably Castor died, and Pollux was so devastated he begged the gods to gift him immortality. They did so by putting him in the heavens, and the two of them remain there, together."
Ren takes a moment to breathe in the silence of the night. They aren't that familiar with Greek mythology; this is something they read up on before tonight so they could tell Akechi about it. Then they point back up to the second brightest star, Castor.
"You know what's cool about Castor, astronomically speaking?" Of course he doesn't; Ren remembers Akechi telling them he knows nothing of the stars. "It's a star system, like Sirius, but instead of two, it's six. You need a telescope to see that, of course. To the naked eye, it just looks like a single blue-white star." They move their finger just a touch towards a brighter, orange-hued star, Pollux. "And the cool thing about Pollux--is it has an exoplanet. Since Pollux is an orange giant, it burns less slowly and more stably than our Sun while being warmer than a red giant, so theoretically it's ideal for supporting life, meaning maybe there are people on that planet right now, staring up at our star."
They nudge Akechi with their elbow and crook a smile at him. "Hell, it's not even the only star in Gemini with a planet, so maybe first contact will come from
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
They nudge Akechi with their elbow and crook a smile at him. "Hell, it's not even the only star in Gemini with a planet, so maybe first contact will come from your Zodiac constellation. How about that?"
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Akechi arrived here early, and had been tapping on his phone, waiting. He'd usually be insecure about someone cancelling- but since this was about something Ren loved, not merely spending time with him, then he could allow himself to relax some on that front.
"Why hello." He says with a bright, smile, with that affable-ness feeling far less manufactured than usual.
'You hype?'
"Yes, I am the hype." He quips, with a grin, thinking himself clever. And completely ignorant to the fact that it was more true than usual.
He's wearing a heavy tan coat with a checkered scarf, dark pants, and for once he doesn't have the damn briefcase with him, instead sporting a travel bag and another rolling briefcase.
-=-=-
He had noticed, that Ren looked quite tired, after all- it's something he's been watching as of late. Literally, in the case of the Jazz Jin.
"I see. Well, if you'd like to take a nap-"
'You mind if I borrow your shoulder?'
"... ... ... W-Well I..."
It's already done, their head is on his shoulder, asleep. And he doesn't move. Not for so long, as if afraid he might startle a sleeping cat.
Then a single fingertip moves up, sliding a bang out of the way of where it rests, just under their glasses. That he feels their hair, even for a brief moment.
Well, it's just a brief moment. There's no violation there.
His eyes look up blearily, the truth is, he hadn't slept well either- because he never does. Still, he resolves himself not to sleep.
He keeps his promise to himself for a good hour and change just watching them at rest, before he too drifts off.
When they awaken, Ren's head is on his shoulder, and his head is laying just lightly against Ren's.
It's the best sleep he's had in some time...
He tries not to think about that.
-=-=-
For Akechi, it's a canned black tea, to help himself wake back up, then he takes the chop sticks- and tries it out.
There's a thoughtful nod, as he tries one omelet- before some of the salad, then finally picks up the Curry Onigiri and takes a bite, his eyes widening some.
Chew, chew.
"It's all quite good. You're improving all the time." He says, finally after trying some of it all, with a smile. Fortunately, the spice of the curry at the Leblanc is something he's used to.
Woe be unto whoever puts more spice than that into something he doesn't expect though.
There's a laugh at their joke, "Practicing for your part-time work at the cafe?" He winks, "Well, I certainly don't mind. So long as you don't skimp on the secret ingredient-"
He puts his hands up, into a heart, like a gesture the maids at the cafe might make for the 'love' they put on as an ingredient.
"-just because it's practice."
He's teasing of course, he doesn't really see food as love- or care. But it is a fun thing to poke fun at all the same.
-=-=-
His travel bag in one hand, he carries his suitcase with the other so as to not drag it through the snow.
When they arrive, and he stows his luggage at the front.
Ren had wandered off, so he's standing there, musing to himself hand on chin, "Hm, it really is a different atmosphere here in the middle of wint-" 'Hey, Akechi!' "-hm?"
Song of this moment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYIAfiVGluk&t=169s
As he looks just in time to catch one right to the face, the packed snow disintegrating all over him, as he stumbles backwards, catching the wooden rail on reflex before he'd fall over, his gloved hand grasping at his face.
'Snowball fight,'
"YOU-!" He says, sounding livid as he gets back up, his perfectly coiffed hair now flecked with flakes, his cheeks ruddy, "-What happens next be on your head, AMAMIYA!"
Oh yeah, he gets some good shots in. The last time he did this, it was at the orphanage. He didn't start that fight.
But he certainly tried to end it.
This too, can be called his Justice.
-=-=-
Indeed, he was ready to end it, with a snowball smashed into Ren's face point blank, as if it were a slice of cake, when he's dragged down atop them.
He too is ruddy cheeked, as he loses his train of thought, atop them, in the face of that smile, then smiles himself.
"Well that was quite bracing... it's been a while since I've done anything like that."
He takes a deep breath, still quite ruddy-cheeked, as he peels himself off, slowly- almost reluctantly.
And offers a hand.
The moment Ren takes it and starts to get up, they get what remains of the snowball Akechi had in their opposite hand, in an attempt to plant it right in their face at point blank range- as he chuckles.
"Let's end it right there."
And Oh no no no no- the smart phone is out of his coat. in the next second, catching a picture of Ren wiping the snow from their face- assuming it hit in the first place.
To his small credit, he only sends it to Ren.
-=-=-
Akechi is absolutely too flustered to get into the bath with them. Far too flustered. His excuse is at least a good one.
But the heat of the bath feels like it only is making him being so flustered worse in retrospect.
At least the Fruit Milk cools down that part of him- during the Ping Pong match after, he grins at Ren.
"Allow me to tell you my secret." As he twirls the paddle around with a dextrous abandon, "It's quite popular at many police precincts, in particular, the station that Sergeant Suou calls his own. They hold tournaments all the time."
There's always been talk that Akechi might be banned next time, as an outsider. But it's never been followed through on as it would make Captain Shimazu look like a coward in front of his men.
Unacceptable.
-=-=-
Up the mountain they go, he's traded out his suitcase for a far more practical backpack- so too has he replaced his pants and shoes with something more suitable for the hike.
Once on the bench, he takes the thermos with a smile, "Why thank you. In this cold, I imagine it will be all the more satisfying."
That was at least his theory, and in practice- it seems to be true, warm beneath the thermal blanket, they look up as Ren points, "Aptly named, to come from there." He comments, as Ren explains.
He knows that much at least, but he doesn't mind it being explained to him, in this regard.
"Castor and Pollux." He echoes, as Ren speaks of the Mythology- and he thinks of the Personas. Shinjiro- Akihiko.
There's a little ironic mirth in that. "I've certainly heard of them." But he doesn't interrupt the story, instead listening to it. Before, astronomically speaking? "I don't." Watching their expression as they speak. "Six? Ah, that explains then why the astronomers of old named it such."
They wouldn't have had the capabilities until later to pick out details like that.
But that nudge, the prospect of first contact-
"It does sound possible. Though I imagine it's certainly not guaranteed. After all- even in our Solar System, the distance one orbits from our sun becomes the difference between life- and death."
It is an incredibly difficult prospect to create the perfect conditions for a planet such as their own.
Which is why it's all the more depressing that men such as Shido would ruin it for profit.
Still.
From his Zodiac constellation. A constellation shared with Akihiko and Shinjiro. There's an ironic smile, "I think- I would find it rather funny, if that came to pass. The universe can have a cruel sense of humor- but- it does have its moments."
Despite the cynicism there, he doesn't sound like he's down. After all, for all of that cruel sense of humor there might be.
This, he feels, is one of those moments.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
It is more true than usual, and that's precisely what makes it clever, however accidentally. Ren snorts a laugh and taps their foot on his ankle in the lightest of kicks. "Shut up," they say affectionately, and don't argue in the slightest when he inevitably refuses.
===
It's always so satisfying when they can surprise Akechi. They don't get to revel in it for long, since they really are tired and they really do fall asleep in an instant, but it makes their dreams that much sweeter.
Especially when, some time later, they wake up with Akechi's head leaning on theirs. Now it's Ren's turn to be unable to bring themself to move, for however long it lasts...
===
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren smiles broadly at Akechi's feedback. The way he looked when he bit into that rice ball tells them he's not just saying so. "Glad you like it," they reply.
The secret ingredient, love. They know Akechi's joking--there's no way him making a heart with his hands would be anything less--but their cheeks heat anyway when they laugh. "For you? Never," they reply before they can think about it.
Then they do think about it, and they go from 'red-cheeked' to 'red-faced.'
"A-anyway, it's not really for Leblanc, though the Boss' curry lessons have been..."
It's too soon to admit it. Change the topic, quick!!
===
Akechi is so mad to get a snowball to the face. He's SO mad.
Ren loves it.
They love him.
"Yeah," they murmur, gazing up at him. "It was... really fun."
They don't move while Akechi takes his time getting to his feet, only watching him as he stands. It would be reasonable to assume that his slowness is because he doesn't want to slip and fall again. Ren knows better, but for right now, they'll let that be the unspoken assumption.
They smile when he offers them a hand, and they accept it, leaning up and pulling their feet under them to stand--
--only to get a snowball smashed directly into their face. For all they sputter as they fall back onto their butt and brush the snow off their smeared glasses, and for all that Akechi snaps a photo of them as they do this, they really don't mind.
Him taking that photo means this is a memory he wants to cherish.
"You're so vengeful," they complain afterwards--but then add mildly, "Well, not like I wasn't prepared for that."
===
They're much more annoyed when Akechi shares his ping-pong mastery secret with them later, and they scoff, deep and guttural, at the news. "That's so like you," they utter. "Dick."
Then, with direct and prolonged eye contact, they flip and twirl their own paddle around with just as much dexterity.
He might have beaten them at the game itself, but they're not willing to just roll over and accept defeat. Not against him.
And, muddled and contradictory as it is, isn't that why this relationship works?
===
Ren smiles back at Akechi as he accepts his thermos. Satisfying is the word.
"Definitely not," they agree of guarantees. "But there's something about dreaming of the possibilities."
They've fought in battle alongside Akihiko and Shinjiro before, though it's been a long time; all the same, both of them summoned their Personas and called out their names. When Akechi calls it a cruel sense of humor, they blink in a lack of comprehension, then recall all of a sudden why he would say that. Ren hadn't thought of that until just now, but considering what he knows of his shared past with the SEES senpais, it's no wonder he says that.
There's something ironically nice about that. Knowing and understanding enough about Goro Akechi that they can decipher his meaning without needing to be explicitly told.
"Mmm. It does," they agree, gazing back upwards. Pollux, or Polydeuces, and Castor, huh... They wonder what that's supposed to represent about Akihiko and Shinjiro. Aloud, they remark, "Imagine loving someone so much you beg the gods to keep them alive so you can stay with them forever, huh?"
As the two gaze at Gemini, there is a streak of light that almost seems to originate from Castor--then another--then another. Ren sits up straight, eyes locked on the sky. "Look!" they say hushed, yet urgently. "The Geminids are one of the most spectacular meteor showers of the year--you can see up to a hundred shooting stars per hour during this one. That's one to two per minute. Keep your eyes up!"
They know Akechi wants to watch them stargaze, and to be honest, they want that too... but they really want to know if this shower will be enough to change his heart.
For a few silent moments, they simply watch as the meteorites fall. Then, quietly, they say, "Hey... You remember asking me how I got into stars, and I said I didn't really know, I've just always liked them? I thought about it more, and I realized that's not quite true. I have always liked them, but what got me passionate about them was this one time in elementary school when my class went on a school trip to an observatory. One of the things I learned there is that the carbon in the universe all came from the hearts of massive stars that went supernova. In other words, all of us are made from stardust." A pause. "I just thought that was so incredible... That's something that connects us to everyone else, no matter how far apart we are. It's a fact that's always comforted me whenever I've felt alone. That's when I really started getting into space."
They smile slightly and huff a little breath of a laugh. "It's a little funny. Stargazing and astronomy primed me for a long time to grasp the Metaverse, I think. You know how cognition makes something real there, and that's a lot like the night sky. Up close, meteorites are just bits of space rock burning up as they pass through Earth's atmosphere. Not very impressive when you think about it like that, right? But from down here, with a different perspective, they're such breathtaking streaks of light. No matter how ugly or banal something is, there's always a way of looking at it so it's beautiful instead." Softly, they lean their shoulder into his. "There's never anything, or anyone, who's unconditionally bad."
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
"It's going to be a long train ride if I'm silent." He quips back, apparently in good humor to Ren's 'kick' and 'shut up'.
-=-=-
It doesn't last that long. Akechi is apparently, even when sleeping deeply... a very light sleeper. What a good thing to know about him...
-=-=-
"What a pity." He says, clearly not upset at all, "And here I thought Umemura-chan's job required her to offer that kind of- '<TLC>' to every customer."
Of course, he says that part in English. When Ren is blushing, he interprets it as them being embarrassed about being called out for posing as Ran- multiple times.
He decides not to tease further on the matter, at least at that moment.
He nods thoughtfully, when the subject shifts to curry lessons, "Well, it is rather good curry... few places would get away with it being the only thing on the menu other than coffee."
-=-=-
He's SO MAD.
He also loves it.
What a weird feeling! To be mad, but to be having a good time.
When Ren notes they're so vengeful, and that they were prepared for it, he grins.
"Well well. Were you now? When the inevitable comes, I suppose we'll see how prepared you are."
What an unusual comment, but you know- it's certainly just Akechi telling an off-color joke about being vengeful.
Right?
-=-=-
His solemn answer to Dick, with prolonged eye contact is, "Please, if you're going to call me that, I insist you use my full title. Goro Akechi, Private Dick."
How can he say that with a straight face!? Despite the innuendo inherent in the slang?
And as Ren shows how much dexterity they've acquired- does Goro Akechi, switch the paddle from his right hand, to his left.
With such a cocksure grin.
He really is a dick.
Their rivalry will just have to continue.
-=-=-
'Imagine loving someone so much you beg the gods to keep them alive so you can stay with them forever, huh?'
He doesn't have to imagine. A child who just lost their Mother. He remembers trying it- just once.
But no Gods or Devils answered him.
"It's not so difficult to imagine, is it?" Akechi asks quietly, but without being too somber, in this moment, "The first stage of grief is denial. It's just rare that the denial is vindicated by the divine."
He sits up straight, as Ren points out the streak of the light, sitting forward. "That many..." He says, as if surprised. After all, last time, they had to keep their eyes glued to the sky.
Whether he'll take to this shower, or not, that is in question.
Then Ren begins to explain, and he watches them out of his periphery, keeping his eyes on the sky. "Stardust? Really? I didn't realize that..." He considers the prospect, "So all carbon-based lifeforms would thus be made of stars at the end of their life cycle." He echoes.
Somehow, he can doubt that wonder of the universe, only because it would be something he would share in, though he doesn't voice that aloud.
"Hm." He mulls the idea of a shared connection, "How curious. I wonder then, do we all come from the same star, or a great many? Could one then trace back that carbon, as one would DNA?"
He's at least taking the idea quite seriously, like he does at least like it- even if he can always find a way to undercut it for himself.
"It's a rather romantic fact, I'd say."
To share the parts of himself he likes- he must share them then with the man he doesn't like- with a great many people he does not like.
But there are at least... some.
Some like the person here with them.
"When one puts it like that, it's not very impressive, no. But-"
...
"-as we see it now, it's like Fire from Heaven."
'One might have supposed that the true act of love was to lie together and talk.'
It's a rather interesting way to put it. For him. It's also a literary reference, albeit a very basic one, though perhaps- one that's a little opaque.
'Never anything, or anyone, who's unconditionally bad.'
His eyes lull down at the concept, then he looks up again. "A duality of sorts. Even in the story of how you came to love the stars. As a child, you were drawn to the concept of interconnectedness..."
And it's not difficult for him to understand why. Isolation, to a child is so devastating. That one needs to have their own ways to cope.
Yet- in that isolation, he found wonder, a sense of romantic interconnectedness of all within the universe, a glass half-full to his glass half-empty.
He loves it as much as he hates it.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
It is a good thing to know... even if Ren would be getting WAY ahead of themself to dwell on it.
They talk about curry for a time, among other things. It's easy to talk to Akechi, these days. No matter what they talk about, he's interested in it. That's why...
Ren gives Akechi a quizzical look at that unusual comment. What's 'the inevitable'? Unease prickles at their heart as part of them whispers caution--but they choose to not read too much into it and simply smile and shrug.
Well, if he still wants revenge for the snowball to the face, they'll take him on.
Maybe the ping-ping is that revenge, then, given that he reveals the sordid truth afterwards. Ren snorts, unable to help a half-smile. There is certainly innuendo there, and they certainly think of making a sex joke, but they instead quip, "Because god forbid your fans see you be a public dick."
Indeed, if Akechi's going to be a dick on full display, of course he's going to reserve that for Ren. When he swaps his paddle to his left hand and grins at them, they just glare at him.
It will have to continue. But for tonight--
===
"...True," Ren admits, both of it being easy to imagine and that denial is not generally vindicated by the divine. "I guess that's why, as a story, it's so memorable."
As a Gemini, what do you think it says about you? they wonder. But they don't really have to wonder. There's something in Akechi's tone that cues them on to the idea that he's thinking of his mother. That's why they keep the question to themself.
"Right," they confirm instead. They smile, keeping him in their peripheral vision in turn, when he mulls on the concept of the origin of carbon. "Hard to say. The universe is a huge place, and those stars went supernova billions of years ago, so there'd be plenty of time for them to mix--but those stars were also massive in and of themselves. It wouldn't shock me to learn this entire solar system is one single star reborn."
It is romantic. Whether Akechi ends up loving the stars too or not, Ren's happy that he can appreciate that much.
Fire from Heaven, huh... They never really believed in God growing up. Kami and even Personas aren't the same as a single monolithic creator deity, and Ren particularly dislikes the idea of one demanding mindless obedience and devotion from their creations. It's too much like an overly rigid father disapproving of a child who's anything but a puppet for his desires. They can appreciate the romance of the imagery, though--as well as the literary reference.
"We don't even need the universe to turn around us to admire it," they joke.
Watching Akechi sidelong as they are, and knowing how he feels about himself and so expecting such a reaction, Ren sees him lower his gaze for just an instant. They appreciate how quick he is to look up again even so. "Yeah. It's not like I didn't have friends, but... I guess I've always felt a little out of place. I never expected how much more I'd like city living, though. If not for this," they gesture up at the sky, "I'd never want to return to the countryside again."
Not only is the city a place where one can more freely be oneself, it's also where they met true, trustworthy friends--and someone they love more than they've loved anyone else before.
They shiver, and it's not entirely theatrical. However, it's entirely for theatre when they say aloud, "God, it's freezing," and scoot closer to Akechi so they can wrap an arm around his. Heart pounding, they conclude, "Let me leech your heat for a minute."
Even so, they keep their gaze up. For several minutes more, they're silent, watching the stars fall, enjoying the coziness of the two of them together like this.
Eventually, though:
"Akechi?" A beat. "Is there anything you wish for?"
It's easy to assume where the question is coming from. When you wish upon a star and all that.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
"Please? In public? God forbid." He echoes. "It lacks the same mystique." Akechi quips, regarding the Private Dick as compared to the public one.
-=-=-
"Indeed... a Myth, is hardly a memorable one, without some sort of divine intervention."
Would his story only be remembered because some god or devil favored him? Is he doomed to be forgotten otherwise?
He resents the idea that the divine have any hand in his life at all. He'll accept the power they revealed to him- but he refuses to be their pawn.
After all, why only come into it now, years later?
Why not back then...
No, all of his choices are his own.
What does it say about him as a Gemini? It says, that if the divine cursed him- if they won't bring back someone he loved so much. If they won't punish the one who is responsible for their death.
Then he'll burn the world around him down to its ruinous ashes, just to pursue his Justice.
He will be Divine Justice, upon Masayoshi Shido.
"And I suppose it's difficult to know which one that would be." He takes that idea to its logical conclusion, "After all, it was gone long before we were ever born. Long before we ever had names for stars."
Dying, and its ashes, creating all their lives. What an odd thing to consider. He's looking up at the sky, at one of the flashes- streaks across the heavens.
'We don't even need the universe to turn around us to admire it,'
He blinks as if in surprise, at a line from the book being rearranged for the situation, "Ah. I should have suspected you'd read it." After all, it is a 'Queer' sort of novel.
The author even had to leave her home country with her partner in order to publish it without being penalized under the law.
"... It wouldn't anyway." He says with a smirk, "Not of it's own accord... so I suppose, the view is a serviceable enough substitute."
Ren speaks of having friends. Friends Akechi himself never had. Ren felt out of place. So too did Akechi, all the time, when he grew up. Or perhaps more accurately- he was made to feel like he didn't belong.
"I can hardly blame you. My own stint in the country was brief but-" Pause. "-I do not think I'll ever be going back."
If they even contact him one day, it'll be because they want money. He knows it. Then, perhaps, he will say everything he always meant to say.
"But, I find it rather relatable- the idea of finding something within a vacuum." He puns. Because of course. He has mixed feelings. He can empathize with it completely.
But once again, Ren has everything he ever wanted to have himself- casually.
That doesn't necessarily make them better, more special. So many of the things they had were poisonous.
Still...
"Go right ahead." He agrees, taking another sip of coffee. "No blood though, while you're leeching." He teases lightly, as the two bundle up together, and he puts an arm around Ren, obviously just to share body heat.
More stars fall, more fires from heaven. A fireworks show- save that it comes from the beyond, rather than from the earth.
'Akechi?'
"Hm?"
'Is there anything you wish for?'
That's quite the question. He looks surprised, then after a time, forces himself to look back up at the sky.
"Things I wish for... and who would be granting these wishes to me?" He muses, then pauses, as if lost in thought, "I've long known better than to expect anything from such a plea, but I suppose- if I had to wish for anything..."
...
...
...
...
...
"...it would be for these stars to fall a little longer."
Not because he loves them, necessarily- even though he is warming up to them, more and more. But because Ren does.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"Before our solar system formed, even," Ren replies with a slight nod. It's a logical conclusion, but so often logic is the enemy of romance. "Still... I think you don't need to know its name to feel the effect something had on your life."
Hardly anyone knows they're one of the Phantom Thieves--and they're okay with that. Recognition would be nice, they won't deny that, but they're satisfied with being a hero in the shadows. They don't need anyone to lavish praise on them; as long as what they're doing helps others, that's what's important.
And it's good for them that they can feel that way sincerely, considering the dream they once had that would have led to so much fame has been irreparably dashed. They're bitter enough about it.
Those ancient stars that went supernova and seeded the universe with the building blocks of life... It doesn't matter that they'll never know which was which or what they used to be. Their sacrifice has formed the fertile soil of life all the same.
Akechi blinks at them, and they smile back--just a glance back and forth for each of them. "I like books," they say mildly--and not least because this one is a 'queer' one. "We don't need the universe to turn around us, either." They return their gaze to the view. "...Sitting in a tiny corner of it, with no one else around for miles but you..." Their already deep voice drops into a low murmur. "This is plenty for me."
The country doesn't suit either of them, really. Maybe the city has always been where the two of them would thrive best. Ren's expression sobers as they contemplate Akechi's estranged family. That's interrupted by his little joke, which prompts a chuckle out of them. When he wraps an arm around them, it truly does heat them up. They take a moment to unscrew the cap of their thermos and pour themself a hot drink, which they slowly sip at as they enjoy this moment.
They don't look at him directly when they ask that question, but they do still keep him in their peripherals. They thus see that surprised look he gives them. "Mmm... yourself?" they muse back. When he confirms that he wouldn't rely on anyone or anything else for his wishes, they smile a little. When he shares his wish...
...they laugh, just a little bit.
"That's very you," they say affectionately. "The best wishes are the ones you can make certain come true, huh?" The Geminids will last several more hours at least. The two of them will have to retreat back to the inn long before then.
It isn't just that, though. They know he knows how much this view means to them; they don't expect to win him over on the stars so easily, either. Saying it like that... he's basically wishing for their happiness. For them to stay together like this.
And that...
"...Growing up, I'd gotten used to other people... not really caring what I think or feel. Not if it's something that'll upset them, and not if it isn't about something they aren't already interested in. It's not a huge deal--obviously you don't want to hear things that'll upset you, and no one should have to force themselves to pretend to be interested in something. But, before I came to Tokyo, I was always sort of... alone in a crowd. Even my best friend... he'd get jealous of me sometimes, so I had to hold back to keep from making him feel bad. Because I cared about him, you know? I didn't want that for him. In the end, though... even he didn't believe in me when I got arrested. Cut ties with me right at school in front of everybody."
Their voice is wistful rather than bitter or resentful. They still watch the shooting stars as they arc over the Earth.
"So... when we were here before, and you said you weren't interested in the stars, you were interested in my interest in the stars... that really meant a lot to me. I know you've been watching me for a while now, but that really made me feel like you care about me instead of what I can do for you as a rival or a suspect or whatever. Like... it wouldn't have been just anyone, and couldn't. Like it had to be me."
For a moment, they fall silent. Akechi might remember that time the two of them fought in Mementos--how Joker had accused him of only caring about the role they could play for him. He might have a better idea now of why they found that so upsetting. They drink the rest of their cup of coffee, having only poured in a small amount, and screw the cap back onto the thermos. That, they set aside... then pull off their glasses and toy with them a bit.
"I don't know if it was always like that for you, and I'm not going to ask. It doesn't matter, anyway. Our relationship when we first met is so different from our relationship now, and I wouldn't change it for anything. That initial friction we had is part of what makes me enjoy being around you now. It feels--earned," they continue quietly. They tuck their glasses into their coat pocket and tug at their gloves. "Funny, right? You're the one who kept approaching me. It's not like I was chasing after you. But... the more you've opened up to me... the more you've let me see the real you... the more you've gambled on me, someone you don't trust... I've felt more--drawn to you. You make me feel like I was chosen."
A beat.
"You make me feel... special."
Their gaze, serious, intense, and earnest, is now locked fully on him.
"And that's why...
"...I've fallen in love with you."
Gently, Ren rests a now-bare hand on his cheek. Their thumb brushes a slow arc along his skin like and unlike the stars falling above. Like and unlike is the only way they'd have it.
"Goro..." they whisper, eyes shining as their pulse races. "May I kiss you?"
Do you love me too?
Of course they know already. This way, though, Akechi gets to say it back without saying it. He doesn't need to say anything at all.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
...
Akechi thinks of what his life would be like, if he never knew the name of his Father.
"That much is true."
It's not a neat analogy, even within his own head. However, it still works well enough. Shido never sacrificed a single thing for his part in his birth.
Much less all that they are.
In contrast, Akechi does not hide who he is even when he's being 'Prince' and gets so much recognition.
In that much, they're a study in opposites, the two of them. It would be nice if he could go on without praise- without recognition. It would make his life so much easier.
But that wouldn't fill the void that being a lonely, unloved child left in his heart.
"Well, yes." He chuckles lightly to the idea that Ren likes books, "I knew that much. Just- it's always surprising when someone has similar taste in literature..."
Don't ask how many Kogoro Akechi books Ren has read, Akechi. That would just be too indulgent.
"I suppose it would be nice, if it would consider doing so- from time to time." There's something rueful in that comment, just the idea in the universe being less indifferent and cruel. Yet...
"But, since it has yet to... I agree. This is..." He pauses, drifting off on the idea, "... not an experience I'm accustomed to. I think I rather enjoy it."
Sitting in a corner, with someone special, nobody else around. Just enjoying each other's company.
Not so long ago, if someone asked him if he ever thought he'd do something like this, he would have dismissed it...
But now...
This place suits him. Even if the country doesn't suit him- this place does.
'That's very you,' to the idea of wishes, and he smiles wistfully, "Spot on." Of thinking the best wishes are ones he can make certain come true.
"One can't leave such things to chance."
Especially in moments such as these, which he wants to last even longer.
Ren begins to speak, and at first, he's still paying attention to the sky. Watching a glimmer of a shooting star, with a blink of his eyes. The after-image burned as spots into it.
But- soon enough, he turns to give Ren a curious look, then nods, as if agreeing.
"... Making yourself stand out like that. It exposes yourself to being the nail."
For which the hammer may come down upon. And Akechi understands quite well, he is a rather large nail- for which an even larger hammer looms over him like a Sword of Damocles. One must keep managing the show you stage at center ring perfectly, for it never to come down.
One mistake, and it's over.
There's a frown as Ren says even their best friend cut ties with them. "In the end, you were more thoughtful about their feelings than they were about your own." He murmurs, as if understanding.
In his opinion, anyone who cuts ties with Ren for assault - even if they don't believe them, doesn't care about them at all.
Who hasn't been in a fight in school? There is little difference between that- and assault in a court of law. In the end, it's whether someone presses charges that determines how society views the action, not the reality.
He looks a little startled by Ren saying it meant a lot to them. And he seems ready to speak up again, but he doesn't, instead letting them continue speaking on the matter.
He seems, a little confused like 'where is this going'? As if even the great Detective Prince can't intuit the conclusion that Ren Amamiya is reaching for.
When Ren falls silent, he looks genuinely at a loss for words, unable to read the room on what's going on. All of this means a lot to Ren, certainly, but- why say all this?
The idea they wouldn't change it- that the friction is something Ren enjoys- that it feels earned. That Akechi is the one who kept approaching them.
'You make me feel... special.'
"I..."
Still at a loss for words, he can't even parse the whiplash that statement gives him in the moment. His jealousy over how special Ren is- and yet they feel special because of them? More special?
He hates the fact that Ren is so special.
He's drawn to it. He puts himself up against it. As a frame of comparison, to try and validate his own existence- his own Justice, how special he is himself.
And continually he comes up short, in ways that hurt more every time.
But he also enjoys every moment of it.
'And that's why...' '...I've fallen in love with you.'
The whiplash of the prior moment is nothing compared to the ten care pile up in his mental thought process at the idea that Ren Amamiya reciprocates their love for them, creating so much turmoil in a fraction of a second- as outright, naked shock is painted all over his face.
They love me? What a fool
This is my fault
This only works to my advantage
How could this have happened?
I'm just that good at working things to my advantage
It's too much Too far
I love them
I hate them
I tricked them into this
It will make things all the sweeter when the moment comes
To kiss and kill- I can't
This is the worst thing I've ever done
Why would they? Why would anyone!?
Love someone like m-
'Goro...'
'May I kiss you?'
"I-"
The static buzz of his thoughts in turmoil blips out in the face of that question. It's not like such things are gone- forgotten forever.
But they are in the moment, in the face of what he feels in the face of that question.
"... ... ... yes." He says so softly, only barely audible, as if still in disbelief over whether this is really happening.
Whatever contradictory storm of self-loathing he has is standing by- but in the moment, there's just this. As he looks Ren Amamiya in the eye, with his own amber ones.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
What would it be like to have the universe turn around you--to have the spotlight shine on you as you dazzle the stage? Ren's come close to that before. Futaba reminded them of it recently, even--the trophy they won at that one skating competition. They'd worked hard for it. Even their parents had come to see them, and they'd praised them after--both of them. For a time after that, Ren really thought everything would be okay after all. That maybe they could have a relationship with their mother and father as who they truly are, doing what they truly love.
But since the universe is too vast by far to notice the hopes and dreams of specks of dust like them, Ren will chose to be glad and grateful for this moment with him, under the wheeling stars... a moment even he admits to enjoying.
They smile when he says one can't leave such things to chance. That's precisely why they've made the decision they have, much as they're thrumming inside over it. Akechi hates himself too much to ever confess his feelings. It's up to them.
So even though he makes those understanding comments, and they glance at him with affection in their eyes when he does, they continue on with what they have to say. He'd said before that, whenever someone confesses to him, he asks them what they like about him.
A huge part of securing victory--and they're sure he'd agree, since it's his own damn strategy--is making sure you fulfill the win conditions before you deal the final blow.
It's endearing, and it's heartbreaking, to see the great Detective Prince totally unable to read where this is going, despite all the clues Ren has dropped up until now. Hell, they almost completely gave away the game at lunchtime. That gape of utter shock is precisely the same way. It's so cute. It makes them want to cry.
Of course, they can't know that it's not just self-hatred, that there are contradictory and violent thoughts at war within him in this moment. That part of him is exulting in how he's deceived them, how it'll make his victory that much easier, and crowing over his superiority over their specialness--that very specialness he makes them feel. In the same way, they can't know how agonized it makes him, to feel like he tricked them into loving someone who doesn't actually exist, to be overwhelmed about the inevitable implications, for he simply cannot turn himself away from the path of destruction he's chosen.
They just see his eyes wide with shock... and his lips ringing consent.
Ren smiles as broad as the Milky Way, eyes crinkling with affection as deep as the night. They slip their other hand up to frame his face as they reposition themself to face him. One hand brushes back into his silky hair, stroking back those long strands before hooking in behind his neck, while the other hand slips that thumb across his lips in a feather-light touch before they trail their touch past his jaw, past his shoulder, down his chest and around his back. They lean in, closer and closer, eyelashes fluttering shut as they tilt their head slightly to one side.
When their lips press onto his, they use them to coax him into responding, then match whatever speed he gives them back. Ren has kissed many girls and boys in the past, much of it for the experience, and they deftly utilize all of that experience to try to make this every bit the unforgettable experience Goro desires.
Above the two, the stars continue shooting down, as if to frame them between the flames of Heaven and the snow-blanketed Earth.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
One can't leave such things to chance. You have to seize the moment. That is what Ren Amamiya decides- which Goro Akechi would agree with, whole-heartedly.
Nothing will work out, unless you seize what you want with your own hands.
And yet, isn't he not leaving things to chance, by making his revenge such a prolonged affair? So much could happen.
Perhaps he doesn't believe he is, given the power he possesses.
The universe is cold, and indifferent. So perhaps he intends to heat it up- and make it take notice of his existence.
It is true though, that despite Ren giving him every hint, that he can't read it. It's true what they say. No matter how good one is, when it comes to matters that regard themselves- there's always a blind spot.
And Ren knows what Akechi's is all too well. He loathes himself too much to think someone being truly in love with him, rather than an idea of him- is utterly impossible.
Unthinkable.
And while he still believes that, that Ren is in love with some idea of him. He knows him better than most.
And thus Ren claims victory without any true fight. Akechi's face softens as Ren takes hold of him making him face them- not that he'd need to, in this moment.
It's so, gentle. Surprisingly so, as they lean in- closer, and closer. And Akechi finds himself closing his eyes. The hand he had around Ren moving up to the small of their back, as their lips meet.
There's an almost endearing lack of experience in Goro Akechi, in this instance, he's letting Ren kiss him. But- it's not that he's merely being kissed, a light pressure against their lips, as he kisses back.
It's soft, the warmth of those lips such a contrast to the cold, an urgency- that nevertheless remains gentle, a light wetness despite the dry chill mountain air as Ren kisses them. Almost like they're afraid of going too far, despite Ren's desire to kiss them.
This is how he will remember his first kiss. As something... someone... causing him to forget himself for a while.
It's wonderful. It's terrifying. It's everything he ever wanted and thought he could never have.
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
He's gonna be very upset with himself later.
But...
...not now. Not yet.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren does know Goro better than most. Didn't they remark on how making his own wishes come true is the most like him? Didn't they point out earlier how vengeful he is?
Didn't they tell him just recently how hateful he can be?
And yet, knowing all these willful, ugly parts of him, they love him.
And yet, there's so many more willful, ugly parts of him they don't know. A very willful, ugly part of him that they openly loathe.
Is it any wonder that Akechi thinks that Ren truly loving him is impossible...?
Ren makes a soft, almost inaudible noise of approval in their throat when Goro kisses them back. They don't mind the lightness or how he lets them take the lead; when they understand that's the speed he wants, they take it, asserting their desire with more confidence, responding to the urgency Goro won't let himself fully act on.
It is wonderful. It's terrifying too, because Ren doesn't know if Akechi will still want this when the two of them return to Tokyo. When eventually they ease away, their heart isn't pounding just because of their moment of intimacy.
Still, Ren remains close, bumping their forehead on his as they look into his eyes. The hand they placed on the back of his head to subtly guide him now combs through his hair, one slow sweep at a time.
"Goro... I want to know how you feel right now--but before that--do you want to head back and... pick this up in our room...?" they murmur, somehow shy and suggestive at the same time. "Or do you want to stay out here and watch the meteor shower a while longer first...?"
They expect the latter. This is what the two of them came out here to do, and Akechi loves the way they look when they're looking to the heavens. They just want Goro to know they're open to, and eager for, more than just a single, blessed kiss.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Yes, indeed. The moment Ren Amamiya finds out about that side of him...
... is he not then, tricking them? He has to be. He's tricked Ren Amamiya into loving someone they hate.
Yet, the magic of the moment is that he's set aside such thoughts. Perhaps such a miracle was written in the stars.
Or perhaps neither of them left it to the stars, and made it happen with their own hands. Either way, there's one thing for certain.
Goro Akechi's first kiss remains everything he ever wanted.
As Ren responds to his needs, reads them as if they're an open book, in the act of kissing itself.
He's such a touch starved individual, that the moment is intoxicating, like the start of some addiction he didn't realize he had.
And as it ends, his own forehead tilts to lean against his own. Breath, misting, as if it were creating an ephemeral link between them, even parted.
A question, asked.
"... ... I think it goes without saying that I'm something of a jealous individual." He finally answers, and there's honesty in that, but also the honesty of realizing that Ren almost certainly already realizes that.
"But, even keeping that in mind." A gloved hand reaches up, as his forehead parts from Ren's just a little, and he slides some of Ren's bangs back, "I think it would be a true shame to take you away from a night under the stars."
And with that being said, he crosses the gap between them again, this time kissing them. His eyes close anew, his lips, lightly osculating across their own, in a show of affection- and love- and desire.
And if several falling stars cross the sky overhead as they're in the midst of that act.
Well. Ren Amamiya is still under the stars, just like they both wanted. A more thorough answer in words can come later, as they requested.
However, actions sometimes speak loudly enough, to be a serviceable enough substitute for the time being.
After all, would Goro Akechi really keep kissing someone they did not love, after all the conversations they had previously? It does not take a detective's intuition- to understand how unlikely that would be.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
The mischievous twinkle in Ren's eyes as they smile does neatly away with that 'almost.' If there was any doubt left, there won't be any when they teasingly murmur, "Oh, are you?"
Still, that twinkle vanishes when their lashes sink shut at Akechi's touch. They look so content to be touched by him. They'd thought for a long while he wouldn't want to be in a serious relationship, and even now they're a little afraid he'll panic and change his mind in the light of morning. However, in this moment...
I think it would be a true shame to take you away from a night under the stars.
"Goro..."
If they thought to say anything else, Akechi's lips put a stop to it. Ren hardly minds, though, flush with the thrill of being kissed first. They return the sweet gesture as they slip their arms past his shoulders and around his neck, reveling in the wordless response for what it is. They take their time with it too, but when eventually the two surface for air, they flick the tip of their tongue on his lips just before they part.
Their smile is flushed and excited and pleased and satisfied, at least for the moment. When they slip to one side to sit next to him properly and resume stargazing together, they lean their head on his again.
...
...
...
...
Eventually, the two of them do pack up, thermoses empty, and head back to the ryokan. Ren holds his hand if he lets them. They're quiet on the way back, though they steal many glances at him. Once the lights of the inn draw close, they loosen their grip, but don't let go--wanting to see if Akechi will pull away of his own accord once there's a risk of being seen.
They'll accept the answer either way. They know how much Akechi has worked hard for his sterling reputation; they're not going to ask him to ruin something he values so much for them.
Once the two have returned to their room and have changed into their bed clothes, Ren settles on one of the futons laid out in the middle of the room. They pause, though, and look over at their... boyfriend? Is that what they are now? They choose not to dwell on that for now.
"Goro? Do you mind if we push our futons together?" they murmur. "I want to sleep next to you."
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
The flick of the tongue gets a little reaction of Akechi opening his eyes, like some startled feline at a sensation they didn't expect.
But he doesn't seem to mind. It was just- a sensation that was unexpected.
When Ren leans their head on his, he puts that arm back around them, this time, around the shoulders under the thermal blanket.
The stars truly are beautiful tonight, for the first time in Goro Akechi's life.
...
...
...
...
On the way back, he does allow a held hand. His right hand, which isn't altogether strange in this context. Perhaps he merely wants to keep his dominant hand free...
There are glances, but mostly, silence on the way back. His thoughts are- everywhere. Every which way, but, he took that leap, and he is not the type to take such things back.
The question is now, what does this mean- for, them, for everything he had planned? Still, there's no need for an answer tonight.
When Ren loosens their grip, he doesn't let go. They're in the middle of nowhere, after all. If anyone sees? It will be some rural bumpkin, likely.
And if there's one thing Goro Akechi is good at?
... It's plausible deniability.
He too wonders what- to call it? Is it fair to even truly think of Ren as their boyfriend? After all, there are layers of trickery involved. Perhaps- appropriate, between two tricksters.
But still...
Despite it all...
"... Yes, I think that's... what I'd like as well."
It's halting, but not because he's opposed, just because this whole night has been unexpected. It's not moving too fast- but it is moving in ways beyond his wildest of dreams.
As they push the futons together, and they face each other, their eyes meet. And Akechi eventually pretends to close his eyes and sleep...
... before opening again, to watch Ren as they sleep.
What does this all mean?
That's a tomorrow question... right now, there's this.