[CLOSED] it gives me butterflies, gives me away;

[lempereur]

WHO: Yusuke and Yuri, and somewhat begrudgingly, a not(?) rotten adult, Viktor. And other things added in I guess
WHERE: around Heropa and also a SUPER SECRET training spot
WHEN: End of July, after the storm and other assorted clone shenanigans
WHAT: one cute date, one serious date, one not date
WARNINGS: none? maybe mentions of violent stuff



1 - v. cute;

[ Yusuke feels like he should be nervous. That's how these things usually go, right? It's the expected reaction, but it isn't his. Yuri knows his whole story, all of his secrets, and has seen him at his most angry, his most broken and vulnerable, his most drunk and foolish. If he still liked Yusuke enough to go out with him after all of that, it would be hard to scare him off at this point. There was always Otabek, but he is making the difficult but important choice not to worry about him. His actions are out of Yusuke's control, and a distraction from what really matters, taking a break from all the ugliness that had crept into his life and just enjoying himself with Yuri. Nothing has gone how it was supposed to so far, but it was perfect to him all the same.

He shows up at Yuri's door, dressed a little nicer than usual, but nothing too showy. The cool charcoal collared shirt might be new? If it is, the money he used to purchase it was definitely clean. The artist plans to take up as much of Yuri's time today as he'll possibly allow, so he arrives mid-morning, tapping firmly against the door. And...now that he's thinking of it, he's only ever entered this house through Yuri's bedroom window or giant ice slide.

Normal is a nice change. Hopefully Yuri is the one who answers. ]

2 - v. srs;

[ They can't train in Adachi's spot anymore. Yuri is too stubborn to use it, and the thought of going back there makes Yusuke's hands sweat and his stomach churn. Even if they wanted to, it's compromised now that Dooku knows about it.

For a while, they had used a warehouse in Nonah, and it was fine for some basic ice wielding techniques, but not as good for speed or agility training. So, it had to go, too.

Now, Yusuke pushes his mask up over his head while Goemon slashes down trees in a wooded area a few miles from De Chima. If pounding the earth with his pipe hard enough to create a wave of force so strong that it rips them from the ground and throws them off to who-cares-where counts as slashing. It's probably almost definitely 100% illegal, too. ]

That should do for now, I believe?

3. v. not a date;

[ Even in the middle of the night, it is so hot in Heropa. Yusuke longs, now more than he ever did in Tokyo, for the cold embrace of winter...which he hears is not actually cold here, merely tolerable. He is not looking forward to the disappointment of no snow or visible breath. His entire winter aesthetic has to be reworked from scratch, or he has to move. At this point, he's undecided.

At least at night, he doesn't have to fear sunburn, the stars are out, and the streets are calm. The perfect time to visit Akira, whether he is awake and ready for it or not. Yusuke is carrying a duffel bag stuffed with blankets and pillows, both of his own and snatched off the couch at home, but at least has the decency to knock on his friend's front door before trying to climb in through the window.

Isn't he responsible? ]

Comments

[fourlevels]

[ The completely NOT rotten adult answers the door just like he did for Yuri's other date, sorry Yusuke. He blinks for a second before smiling, and then the smiles deepens as he takes in the nicer clothing. ]

Yusuke, good morning! It's almost weird to see you actually come to the door this time. Are you here for Yura?

[lempereur]

[ Why would he expect anything different, really? The good news is that Yusuke has warmed up to him enough to greet him with a polite smile, even as he wonders if Viktor is making some kind of dig at him. ]

I am. Did he tell you I've been coming in through the window?

[fourlevels]

[ Only a little dig. Viktor steps aside to let him enter. ]

He didn't have to, the walls are pretty thin. Government housing, you know~ He probably doesn't even know that I know.

[lempereur]

[ ...maybe Viktor thinks he's teasing but he's actually being terrifying. There was a lot of sensitive information in those conversations. The Phantom Thieves, namely. As they all know, Viktor is better at keeping secrets than any person should be, but the particulars of how they operate are a secret for a reason.

His expression doesn't change as he enters their home, but his hand grips a little tighter around the strap of his bag. ]

He said you were dead to the world and wouldn't hear a thing. I suppose we will have to start meeting at my place, then. Thank you for telling me.

[fourlevels]

[ He blinks, his eyebrows rising up his forehead as he catches the way Yusuke's fingers tighten, how his shoulders tense with that minor muscle movement. ]

Don't look so frightened by that! I was depressed those few times, yes, but it's still not hard to notice voices in the next room when it should only be Yura and I in the house. It's not as if I could hear what you were talking about, even if I was paying full attention.

[ He gives Yusuke a mild, childish pout. ]

I might snoop to tease Yura a bit, but I wouldn't outright eavesdrop on you two.

cute!!!

[beautiful_monster]

[Yusuke will have to wait a few long minutes with Viktor before Yuri actually makes it downstairs. He's been busy putting the finishing touches on an intricate french braid and then agonizing over his wardrobe to pick out what to wear. He's settled on a snug pair of jeans with just the right amount of wear and tatter (because it's not cool if they're new and perfect!) and a tiger striped tank under a plain, unbuttoned black shirt.

So. You know. He looks really cool.

He shoots Viktor a suspicious look when he reaches the bottom of the stairs—who knows what the man's been talking about while he was upstairs. But he quickly turns his attention and a bright smile on Yusuke.]

Hey! Were you waiting long?

[lempereur]

No, not at all.

[ It feels like it's been longer than it really is, since his conversations with Viktor seem to take a turn for the awkward no matter what he does. Whatever reservations he had about that were stolen from him as soon as Yuri's visible at the bottom of the stairs, looking amazing, as always. He relaxes from head to toe, finishing out a relieved sigh with a smile he couldn't help if he tried. ]

I have to say, I like your hair out of your face like that. It's like seeing you for the first time. Gorgeous.

[beautiful_monster]

[That pulls a pleased blush across his cheeks, and his smile softens fondly.]

Oh—[He pauses for brief moment. Otabek had said something similar, but he can't say that now.]

I...hear that a lot. My fans have been saying it since I started to grow my hair out. I guess I should wear it up more often.

[lempereur]

It can't hurt to change it up. Keep surprising me.

[ He tucks a lock of his own hair behind his ear, ignoring Viktor's presence entirely to move across the room and take Yuri by the hand. ]

Are you ready? I have something I want to show you.

[beautiful_monster]

[Yuri squeezes his hand fondly and tugs him towards the door, eager to escape before Viktor remembers to pull a camera out.]

Completely ready. What have you got in mind?

SERIOUS :F!!!

[beautiful_monster]

[While Yusuke and Goemon were hard at working clearing an area out for them to use Yuri was hard at rest watching him from atop a boulder at the edge of the designated training ground, safely out of the way of Goemon's attacks. He stretches his way up into sitting, arms extended above his head and back arched, and scans the freshly made clearing approvingly.]

It looks like it to me. We can worry about it later if it turns out we need more space.

[fourlevels]

[ Viktor gives a low whistle as they watch Yusuke work. ]

Wow! It's still amazing to watch what Personas can do.

[ Viktor pokes teasingly at one of Yuri's legs as it hangs down from atop the boulder. ]

Remember how you freaked out when I was talking about trees flying around me that one time? Looks like you're more used to these things now.

[lempereur]

I am wary of doing too much at once. The point is to not be noticed.

[ That should work for now, at least. Yusuke lets himself relax a bit, Goemon disappearing again in the usual flash of blue flame. He turns to Viktor, his expression serious. ]

You invited yourself, you have a plan of your own, I presume?

[beautiful_monster]

[Yuri rolls his eyes at Viktor and nods his head towards Yusuke, agreeing with the other boy.]

I don't have to worry about Yusuke losing his shit and flinging them around carelessly.

[He hops down from the boulder and saunters a few paces out into the clearing, taking the chance to finish stretching out his limbs while they're still talking.]

I can think of a few places to start if Viktor's got nothing. [Though Yuri would be surprised if he was actually unprepared.]

[fourlevels]

You agreed to me coming here, you know ...

[ He says in his lightly whiny voice and pout, but it's back to his normal tone as Yuri walks ahead of him. ]

I have a few things in mind, but I'd like to see what you two have practiced so far. That way it'll give me an idea of what you've done in the past as well as what you're used to, letting me see your muscle memory and how to either break it or improve it.

[crimeboy]

[Yusuke wouldn't need to climb in through the window at least, because Akira comes to the door when he hears the knock. He's up late, as had become the usual for him now with nothing to really convince him he needed sleep.

He smiles as he sees his friend, quite prepared for a night of stargazing. At least, that's what he suspected. They had said they would sometime soon, after all!]

Hey, Yusuke!

[He's happy to see him, clearly, though his voice was lowered a little. It was the middle of the night, and Akira had roommates!]

Where to?

[lempereur]

The roof, of course!

[ As if it's the most obvious answer in the world. They can't very well just park on the grass here, at least not without being bothered by passerby. ]

Unless you would rather go to the park.

[crimeboy]

Hmmm... [Akira thought about that for a moment. There was something to be said about lying in the grass for stargazing, but ultimately he had to agree with Yusuke. The roof was the best place for stargazing here.]

The roof it is! [He stretched an arm out to accept the duffel bag. It'd be easy for him to jump up to the roof. He'd been practicing with his new super power, after all.]

I've probably got a ladder somewhere.

[lempereur]

If not, I can climb through the window.

[ He's a Phantom Thief! Ladders are for good boys, not crime boys. ]

[crimeboy]

Just don't fall off again.

[He's teasing, mostly. Really though, please don't fall off of the roof, Yusuke, he would feel terrible.]

Meet you up there, then. [With that, Akira steps outside of the house and readies himself for a moment before jumping, making it onto the roof with some amount of effort.]

v. scary date. closed to otabek.

[lempereur]

[ It's a roller coaster. It always is. As soon as Yusuke feels like he's on top of it, like he can juggle it all, make the people who matter happy, it all comes crashing down again. His own teammates are angry with him, his first, and only friends, before he ended up here. He was angry with Akira for keeping secrets from him, more than anything. He can disagree with him, lecture him about making impulsive decisions, belittle him as simply muscle, if he pleases. If that is how he really feels, then fine. But don't lie to him.

Maybe the bulk of the blame is Yusuke's, and he'll find a way to make it right, but first, he has to come clean. He'd be a hypocrite if he let Otabek go another day without knowing what he'd really gotten into. If he starts yelling at him too, or if he calls things off between them, then fine. He hopes not, he desperately hopes not, but at least he could say he told the truth. Unlike Madarame. Unlike Adachi. Unlike Akira.

He's halfway to going to see him before he even lets Otabek know that he's coming, but it's a coffee shop on the way that reminds him that he probably should. Thanks A Latte? They'll try it. ]

I am coming to see you, if you don't mind. What kind of coffee do you like?

[bypasser]

[Otabek is blissfully unaware that anything is going on. He's at home, curled up on one end of the couch with a book in his lap when he gets the text.]

Of course I don't mind. You don't need to ask.
Caramel Frappe.

[He closes his book and puts it away, slipping into the bathroom to freshen up now that he knows that Yusuke is on his way over. Otabek doesn't mind surprise visits, they make him feel as if the other person was so enthusiastic to see him that they forgot to say something.]

The door will be unlocked.
Let yourself in, lock it back, and come to my room.

[When Yusuke arrives, he's fluffing the blanket on his bed as the final touches of straightening up his room. It's never a mess, but he'd napped earlier and hadn't made it again.]

[lempereur]

Something sweet. I'll remember that.

I will see you soon.

[ Yusuke does as he's asked, a little taken aback by the intimacy of letting himself in like that. It's a pleasant surprise he's feeling, though, and it puts a smile on his face as he nudges his way through the doorway of Otabek's bedroom. It's familiar by now, cozy.

He hopes he isn't about to ruin that. ]

I have a lot that I want to tell you.

[ He hands off his Otabek's frozen drink, and has a sip of his own (he went with vanilla bean), before settling on his bed, looking up at him with a combination of hope and anxiety. Yusuke pulls one leg up against his chest, thinks for a moment, and puts it back down again, not giving himself the option of closing off. ]

I mean it, Otabek. It's a lot, and some of it is distressing. There is much I have not told you about myself, about what I did back home and intend to carry on with here, and what I am doing here that isn't working.

[ The coffee drink gets put on the bedside table, so Yusuke can tug and scratch at his ear with a heavy sigh. It's so stupid, this nervous reaction he's developed since that night Adachi was found out. Nobody is bugging him, and if they were, they wouldn't put it in the same place twice, and he's never even found anything and he needs to stop. And just focus, on his impossibly sweet and thoughtful boyfriend, and pray that he understands. ]

I can start with the most immediately dangerous, or I can start from the beginning.

[bypasser]

[Otabek doesn't do anything partially, it's all in and everything he has. When they'd decided to date, he took that seriously. He was going to make every effort to be open and responsive, a good boyfriend in any way that he could be. Access to his apartment, allowing him to let himself in, was one way that he could show that.

He smiles when Yusuke slips into his room, taking the drink and he considers reaching for the other boy so he can greet him properly, but something in his body language has him holding back. Otabek takes the coffee, sitting on the bed beside him with a frown.]

Ah. [He does reach out then, placing a hand on Yusuke's thigh.] You can tell me anything, Yusuke. Big or small, I'll listen.

[Squeezing gently, he straightens up and shifts on the bed, sliding back to the headboard so he can see Yusuke's face. He nudges his leg with his toes, suggesting that he get comfortable.]

Start from the beginning. Only say what you want to share. You don't have to explain if you don't want to.

[lempereur]

[ The touch is comforting, but not enough to relieve his tension. He could barely get comfortable when he told Yuri about it, even after all they'd been through up to that point. He shifts his leg towards the nudging feet, but he isn't relaxed. ]

I want to explain everything. I want you to know who I am, and I want you to be safe. But you'll think I'm crazy.

[ Yusuke's fingers run through his hair, tucking it away from his eyes, and settle clenched in his lap. He breathes deep, and forces his gaze to match Otabek's in silence until the breath is released. ]

Back home, I was a vigilante. Akira, Futaba, myself - Makoto, as well, she's just arrived - and four more that are not here. We were called the Phantom Thieves, and we had the power to enter an alternate reality made from humanity's collective unconscious. Our thoughts, desires, fears, and perceptions of ourselves and the world around us. We went inside this other world and stole things, and as a result, things changed in the real one.

Bad people who abuse others for their own gain or amusement, whose twisted desires have gotten out of hand, claim a place for themselves in the other world. The Metaverse. These palaces they construct to glorify themsleves are heavily guarded, full of demons and horrors of all kinds. We go inside, steal something of value that represents those desires, and the real person on the other side changes. We forced them to change, permanently, stopping them by changing their hearts instead of hurting them. They don't want to beat and blackmail their students anymore, they don't want to swindle the disadvangated. They collapse under their guilt, they confess their crimes, and they go to prison. We targeted sadistic teachers, the disturbed man who raised me, yakuza bosses, a CEO, the Prime Minister of Japan. It got more and more public each time, we were on the news nightly, the target of a national manhunt.

[ He pauses. It's a lot of information. Yusuke wants to explain it fully, but he doesn't want to overwhelm him, so he's certainly glossed over a lot of details, but that's the basic gist of it. His eyes scan Otabek's face, the hand warming his thigh, the rest of his body language, trying to gauge his reaction. If he believes him at all, plenty of imPorts have insane stories to tell, but few can claim that this isn't their first alternate world. ]

We did it with a power called Persona. It is...a familiar would be the closest comparison, but it is a manifestation of our rebellious spirit. It lives in my head and it comes when I call for it. It is very powerful, and very fast, with a range of skills. Ice magic is one, but mine is primarily violent, in nature, not as versatile as Yuri's.