[closed] Special Extracurricular Phantom Thieves?

[orphne]

Who: Akechi, Akira, Ken, Kotone, Shinji, Yoshizawa, Astralin
Where: Astralin's farm
What: Meeting of SEES and the Phantom Thieves! (sleepover)
Warnings: blood and violence, thanks akechi

It honestly feels a little overdue to get all of the Persona-users together in one place, but in fairness to them, there's been a lot going on! With Ken's arrival, though, it feels more important than ever to get everyone together -- if something happens again and they need to fight together as a team, it'll be good to have moments like this.

Hopefully.

Also, like, it's a chance to just relax and have fun with the others. Kotone's close friends with all of them, so it only seems natural to invite them to what's essentially a sleepover. There's nail polish, drinks, snacks, games -- it's not a party, but just a chill hangout session to her. An opportunity to sleep out under the stars with her friends while still being close enough to a house that they don't have to worry about monsters outside.

Everyone please be on your best behavior?

Comments

[orphne]

Oh yeah?

[Kotone lunges forward and grabs a truffle off the nearby plate and- tries to smush it right into Sumi's face. Take that! Death by chocolate!]

[foundheart]

[She yelps and jumps back, flailing her arms wildly. It doesn't stop the truffle from getting shoved into her face, but she pulls on Kotone's arm as she falls backwards toward the ground.

Despite it though, she's still laughing, throwing her arms around Kotone to hug her]

[orphne]

Nooo, there's stuff on the stoooove!!

[Still laughing, though, pressing her face into Sumi's shoulder as she lets herself be hugged. This is nice. She needs more hugs in her life.]

You okay?

[foundheart]

[Sumi clung to Kotone for a second or two longer, just enjoying the hug before she let go and grinned]

I'm okay. Are you? I didn't mean to scare you that badly. [She reaches up to brush truffle bits off her face, making sure her glasses haven't cracked or anything either. Thankfully it all seems good!]

This is my first sleepover in a long time, you know. It's a bit strange...

[orphne]

Yeah?

[She grins down at her, lightly bonking her forehead against hers, before pushing herself back to her feet because there's still milk simmering on the stove! It's dangerous to leave it unattended! Or at least, she doesn't want to clean it up if everything boils over.]

What's strange about it?

[foundheart]

[She sits up, her hand resting against the ground at her side. She glances at it for a moment, considering whose hand she used to reach for at times like this, then shakes her head as she pushes herself up.]

It's just been a while. And it used to be with the girls in my gymnastics classes. I never had a co-ed sleepover before, I don't think my parents would be too happy if they heard about it.

[She laughs and brushes herself off] I least I've got you around too!

[orphne]

Well, I won't tell them!

[Her parents, that is. Kotone pulls the milk off the heat and carries it over to another counter, slowly pouring it over some chopped-up chocolate in a bowl. Maybe she should have helped Sumi up, but the milk-! It could've burned!]

Besides, I'm not worried about the boys here. Ken-kun will keep them in line.

[Said with a giggle, as if any of them would need "keeping in line." Even Akira had revealed himself to just be a dork under all that bravado.]

I used to live in a co-ed dorm, so I guess I just got used to it.

[foundheart]

Ken-kun... Ah, he's the newest one, right? He seems pretty reliable. [Sumi cups her hand at her chin, nodding a couple of times as if in agreement with her own assessment]

A co-ed dorm! I didn't even know they had those! But I guess if I had to stay in a dorm with the others it wouldn't be so bad, since we're all friends anyhow...

[She looks up thoughtfully, imagining it. Staying in one big home with all the thieves seems like a dream, honestly, even if it'd sure get very lively and loud and weird sometimes. Sumi can't help but smile a little before she continues]

I hope you get the chance to meet everyone else somehow... I wonder if we'll all be able to meet up after we get out of here...

[orphne]

Mmhm! [He might not be ten anymore, but he'll always be special to her. All of them were struggling so much with their problems, and they weren't kids like Ken (lol).

With the hot milk melting the chocolate, she leans back against the counter and shrugs with a shake of her head.]

It was kind of a special situation. The dorm was only for SEES members, so it made it easier if we had to talk about operations or go out to fight Shadows.

[It's only thanks to Dazai's practice for how to lie that she manages to keep her smile on her face, even if it's a little brittle at the corners for just a second. Meet up after...? No, that won't happen. Maybe Shinji and Ken can meet up with them, if they wanted, but-]

Maybe! [is all she says with a laugh.] I'm sure they're an interesting bunch from what you and Akira have told me.

[foundheart]

That would’ve made things so much easier for us too… We were meeting in Akira’s room and the cafe.

[which granted was a very cool place for an HQ but commuting there could be a pain…

Kotone’s mention of how Akira has told her a lot about them too makes Sumi fidget a little, playing with her hair]

Have you guys… talked more about it? About the other, um, thieves?

[orphne]

Not that much.

[For whatever reassurance that is. Kotone glances at the way she fiddles with her hair; something about it is bothering her, though she can't imagine what.]

If you want to tell me more about everyone, I don't mind! I like listening to people talk.

[foundheart]

Kotone-san is too kind... [She trails off with a little laugh, considering it as she stares at the melting chocolate.]

When it's later in the night, maybe. I don't want to make things weird or sad right at the start of the night! Not after all this trouble went in to this night...

[orphne]

[Oh Sumi... things are always weird and sad. Welcome to Persona 3. She tilts her head and hums quietly, then pushes herself off the counter and moves over to the fridge. There's a bowl of resting cookie dough in there with her name on it! Whichever name she wants to use.]

How good are you with a rolling pin?

[Better hold out those hands, because that bowl is going right into Sumi's arms whether she's ready or not.]

[foundheart]

[She watches Kotone move about, a bit confused and a lot worried, but the worry is at least unfounded when Kotone returns with the cookie dough]

As a weapon, or...?

[She's joking! But she moves away from the counter and accept the bowl with little fumbling]

I'm a really good cook, actually! i like baking and all of that. Should we do shapes, or regular old round cookies?

[orphne]

Maybe!

[A duel to the death with kitchen implements-! No. That's so much work. Kotone laughs and gently herds Sumi over to a counter of her own.]

Whichever one you want! There's cookie cutters up in that cabinet, or we can just do round ones. You pick for me, okay?

[And just like that, she's off without giving her the chance to argue, checking the chocolate melting in its hot milk with a spatula to make sure it's melting properly.]

[foundheart]

[With a little bit of a brighter smile, she roots through the cabinet for different cookie cutters. Some are clearly Christmas-y ones, but she takes them anyhow. Why not! And gets to rolling them out.]

I wonder if you could add protein powder to these...

[Is she joking? Maybe... unless--]

[orphne]

[She can't help it -- there's a sudden bark of laughter as her hands go to her heart, a weirdly bittersweet feeling tempering the amusement.]

Not you, too!

[Violet... why. Unfortunately, Kotone can do nothing but take it at face value, because-]

You sound like one of my senpai. Sanada-senpai. Aragaki-senpai would get mad at him for putting protein powder on his food.

[foundheart]

[She giggles, shaking her head in protest]

If you add it right, it won't change the taste any! It can be good for you! Maybe I should make some food for everyone sometime... You can ask Akira-senpai, I made food for him once!

[She made...so much food.]

What kind of sport did Sanada-san do? [Because clearly someone who knows the benefits of protein powder is into an sport]

[orphne]

[She just groans. It really is like talking to a perkier Akihiko-!!]

Boxing. He's the captain of the boxing team, actually! He's pretty popular at school.

[Kind of dumb and oblivious about his own popularity, though, which is kind of endearing? Boy just wants to fight and get stronger, incredible work. Still, she can't help but smile fondly at the memory.] He has loads of trophies, and he could punch a Shadow like- POW-POW!

[She raises both hands and mimes her best imitation of a boxing jab and cross.]