Thread Continuations

[sleight_of_hand]

For the things that no longer belong in open communities, or can't be continued in thread for various, more innocent reasons.

Otherwise known as the "Appreciating Dio's Muscles Memorial Log".

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Dio

[sleight_of_hand]

[ Obviously, Adachi didn't get what was so funny about the drink, but he didn't really have long to dwell on it, considering that Dio was asking him a question like that. He felt his face heat up red, feeling really, really hot with each step he took, and he had to reach up and loosen his tie. Still, despite the obvious state he was in (the hell was in that tea!?), he managed to keep his answer to himself, away from prying eyes of reporters, until they were safely behind the closed doors of the hotel. ]

[ Because taking advantage of the fact that he was behind Dio and grabbing his ass was a perfectly acceptable answer, right? ]

[ Not that it was easy to grab. Seriously, the guy could probably cut watermelons with that ass. There was nothing to really squeeze, not that he didn't try. Adachi's hand retreated almost immediately, embarrassment flushing all over his face, but his eyes were still raking rather shamelessly over Dio's behind. ]

[dioception]

[Dio had expected such an answer, though the delivery left a little to be desired. Only a little though, since really, it just meant the guy was eager and unable to really stop himself, Dio decided as he turned around once the door was shut and Adachi withdrew his hand quickly.]

Holding that one in, were you?

[Hopefully Adachi really was as eager as he seemed, because Dio reached out to grab him by the collar, actively dragging him along to the bed and very literally tossing him onto the bed, as if Adachi was some kind of stuffed animal rather than a fully grown Adult Person. And while he was busy hitting the bed, Dio was already pulling off his sunglasses and shirt, both being tossed to a side. No use for them right now.]

You're going to get to grab that one plenty, my friend.

[Like a big cat going in for a kill, Dio pounced onto the bed, fangs bared and his claw-like nails digging into the covers of the bed.]

Start undressing, or I'll do it for you.

[sleight_of_hand]

[ For a moment, Adachi thought he did something wrong and pissed Dio off -- he still wasn't sure what to make of this guy, nor what to make of the fact that he was apparently okay with just jumping into bed with a stranger?! It was out of character for him, but the thought of grabbing onto that ass, among other things, was definitely overriding his better judgement at the moment. What the hell was in that damn tea?! ]

[ He let out a grunt as he hit the bed, bouncing once before settling on it. He looked up then, wanting to be irritated, but... well, apparently Dio wasn't mad? At least if that response was any indication anyway. ]

[ Adachi let out a breath, already working off his tie as Dio jumped on after him, the bed letting out a groan of protest at the treatment. He had managed to at least get that undone before he realized that... yes, those were fangs in that guys mouth. And... claws... ]

[ ...oh god, was he going to turn into something!? Adachi's eyes widened as he scooted back until he thumped against the headboard; he did not sign up for bestiality! ]

W-wait a sec...!

[dioception]

[This stranger was bound to be a memorable experience, at least. And hey, he knew his name!

Dio gave a snickering kind of laugh as the guy was immediately frightened away from him, his smile widening as he crawled up the bed after him.]

What is it? Getting cold feet, love?

[There was no transformation going on, at least? But he was closing in on him fast, and his face was getting in rather close... but Dio didn't bite him just yet. No, that was for a little later. This time, Dio pressed his lips to Adachi's jaw, his finger hooking into the tie that had been untied, sliding it off of him and then letting it fall to the floor.]

Don't let my size intimidate you. I can be as gentle as a pussycat, if I want to be. [He wouldn't be, but like. He could. The guy was a virgin though, if Dio read his words correctly, so he'd at least have to start gentle.]

[sleight_of_hand]

Lo--?!

[ Adachi cut himself off as Dio got close, bracing himself for... something. Fur? Fangs? Claws? Of course, none of that actually happened, though he did jump a little when he felt Dio's lips against his jaw. There was an awkward moment, like he was just waiting for something terrible to happen, and it took the (false) reassurance from the other man before he withered in embarrassment. ]

S-sorry, I just-- well, there's all different kinds of powers here. I though you were going to turn into something; not the first time I've seen someone do that.

[ His mind flashed to The Brat for a moment, and he grimaced; no, definitely not the first time. Now that he wasn't scared he was going to get eaten in ways that were questionable, though, he let his hand reach out, curiously feeling up that tank top that left nothing to the imagination. Holy shit, this guy was fascinating on a level that was entirely different from anyone else he knew. ]

[dioception]

[Dio laughed as he dug his nails into the guy's clothing, tugging on it as he pressed himself in closer. He loved how the guy touched him, clearly enraptured by his frame. Yes, excellent.]

Go ahead, take it off.

[He wouldn't stop Adachi from undressing him, and certainly encouraged it. The sooner they were both nude, the better.]

I don't need any transformation, though. I think my form is just perfect as it is.

[And he could eat the guy just fine without changing shape anyway, though right now he was just hoping to devour him in a different way. A good thing that tie was off, because the rest of him was about to be rather abruptly undressed, Dio tearing at his shirt and jacket. Really, he looked so ridiculous in that. "Security?" What a joke.

Dio actually laughed at that, at his own thoughts, and at how fun it was to just tear the guy's clothes.]

Come now, I want to see the beast you can be!

[sleight_of_hand]

[ If Dio was expecting a beast, well... some beasts are really scrawny? As Adachi jumped in the spot and let out a squeak as his shirt and jacket were practically ripped off of him, it was very clear that he was definitely that: scrawny. It looked like there was an attempt at working out, as he had some muscle definition, but he wasn't nearly back to what he was before he had been forced back home. ]

[ Adachi, meanwhile, was torn. He wanted to worry about his suit -- other than the dress suit he had bought for dates, he didn't really have another work suit. At the same time... here was this guy, ready to literally tear down and bang him senseless right then and there. That was sounding far, far too tempting to his tea-addled brain (seriously, what was in that stuff?), and he found his hands moving on their own, grabbing Dio's shirt and yanking it up. He didn't exactly have the strength to tear it off, but that didn't keep his hands from going under it as he pushed it up, running them along his bare skin and finding his breath caught in his breath. ]

Shit...

[ He didn't even realize he said anything, he was just that fascinated but what he was seeing. ]

[dioception]

[Dio certainly didn't expect to see him bulk up or turn out to be really ripped under his clothing. Despite how he looked, Dio was used to sleeping around with people who were really rather average! He was an anomaly, back in Cairo, but it was not necessarily a person's body that was what Dio was attracted to, and as long as Adachi was still interested in him, still praised him, whether verbally or not, he wasn't about to turn down a good thing.

He grinned as Adachi's hands slipped under his shirt, moving to help him in getting it removed and shaking his head once he was free of it.

Dio didn't waste much time then in grabbing Adachi's legs and pulling him in close so that their hips met, Dio slid right in between those legs. It was only too easy for him to man-handle him as he saw fit, and as long as there were no protests, the vampire intended to continue doing so.]

[sleight_of_hand]

[ Adachi let out a gasp as their hips met, a shocked jolt shooting up his spine as his fingers pressed hard against Dio, fingernails digging into skin. His hips moved against him of their own accord, and his face reddened at that, mouth working for a moment, before deciding that maybe not saying anything was better. ]

[ Besides, his body was probably saying enough. It didn't take long before his pants were feeling rather uncomfortable, and he was starting to wish they weren't in the way. The thought didn't help his embarrassment, but he had something else to preoccupy himself with. ]

[ His hand ran up Dio's chest, and it wasn't until the color in his face hand toned down before he leaned forward, his lips brushing against a well defined peck, a small shudder running down his spine at how firm it was. Just... damn. ]

Phantom Thieves

[sleight_of_hand]

[ Continued from here. ]

[lempereur]

Maybe that discussion is for the original thieves to field, but that doesn't mean Yusuke wants any part of it. He's had enough headaches over this particular topic, he is here to sketch a portrait of Haru and for clarification, if needed.

"No, he was on our team. In a way," he says, totally helpfully and not vaguely.

[crimeboy]

Thanks, Yusuke. Helpful as ever. Though Akira still didn't want to tell Ryuji what was going on with Akechi himself. That was for Goro to do. "Yeah, he is a famous detective from home, he was on tv a lot and we met him at the television station when we took a trip there. You, me, and Ann, with the rest of the class." Ryuji might not know about all of that, so might as well get him up to speed.

"Did you want to clarify things a little more, Goro?" If he didn't say it, Akira would have to. There was no use in hiding things. It was dishonest and that's .not how he wanted to be with his friends.... even if Ryuji was likely to be the biggest hurdle with this one.

[cognitivism]

Not really. Why would he want to clarify things for him? He takes a deep breath, dragging his fingers through his hair. The more he stared at Ryuji, the more he just wants to run and forget that this ever happened.

"Sure. I was casually investigating the Phantom Thieves as they started their rise to infamy. The fact someone else had access to the Metaverse was worrisome. There was no assurances that you would eventually discover what was happening -- the Shadows of your enemies had loose tongues."

Each word dries out his throat, his chest tightening. He regretted so much and yet facing his atrocities only served to make it worse. Guilt would eat at him eventually.

"I attempted to frame the Phantom Thieves' noble intentions through manipulation and murder. The rampage incidents, Mr. Okumura's death -- were all a result of my own hand." He says flatly, keeping his hands behind his back to hide how they shook. "Akira would have lost his life if I had my way-- if I had my way back then."

A slight pause. "If you wish more detail... I have nothing to hide."

[imaphantomthief]

That’s... a lot. Really fast. While Ryūji’s eyebrows shoot up at famous detective and he almost looks pleased at the idea the Phantom thieves are wildly successful, when Akechi says someone else had access to the metaverse, Ryūji’s eyes dart back into focus from his daydream. Say what? Weren’t they all supposed to be a team?

He almost gets frustrated and interrupts to ask what exactly was happening that they should’ve been noticing, but then Akechi answers the question. He’s not ready for the answer at all. Manipulation? Murder? Rampage incidents? Holy shit.

Then, there’s the part about the death of Mr. Okumura. Ryūji’s jaw drops. He spins on his heel to look at Haru. No way. It can’t be-

Wait, what? Ryūji’s ears are buzzing. His head feels light. It’s a rush of blood, he realizes. There’s a stinging in his palms where he’s balled up his hands into fists and dug his nails in too hard again. His breath isn’t coming in quite evenly. His whole body is trembling. It’s visceral.

Not for the first time in his life, he’s so pissed off he has to make sure he heard that right. He glares at the floor hard enough to burn a hole through it, if he’d had laser vision. Focus. He needs to focus. Jumping to conclusions right now could ruin everything. It’s just not something he’s good at, holding back beyond his limit. He takes a few shaky breaths, trying to keep it together. No way would they bring this guy here or call him a teammate if what Ryūji is hearing is true. No. Freaking. Way.

“Let me get this straight.” His voice breaks, betraying how close he is to losing the cool front he’s trying to hold together. Ryūji doesn’t feel cool at all. There’s a white hot fury choking him up. He almost feels sick. “You killed Haru’s father? Those people in the subway accident? And-“

He can’t hold his gaze on the floor anymore. He glances up to focus on Akechi, looking for some sign that it’s all a big misunderstanding. But... the guy looks nervous. Hell, he looks guilty. Ryūji’s eyes narrow. He leans forward, almost pulling at the imaginary restraints he’s been holding on to until now. He doesn’t even care that his voice is shaking anymore. To hell with diplomacy. “What’s that about Akira?”

[cognitivism]

"I tried to kill Akira." He locks his gaze with Ryuji, knowing full well he may be about to break the chains that held him in place. "I managed to drag the entirety of the Tokyo police force into the Metaverse to arrest the leader of the Phantom Thieves."

Goro can remember the smell of the gunpowder, the pooling of blood on the on the interrogation table after he pulled the trigger, and the burning of skin as he nudged Akira's head at the end of it all. The guard who lay at his feet as he walked out of the room, leaving behind the gun (the silencer in his breast pocket) with the feeling of genuine triumph. It had been easy to lead them into a trap only to be trapped and fooled himself.

He never should have underestimated them.

There's blood on his hands -- more then he could account for -- but he was a weapon. He pulled the trigger, wide eyed with shock and a cruel smirk as he grew more confident and now? He's left empty knowing there was so much more beyond revenge.

He waited to know what Ryuji would say. Would he ask any questions?

"You should know that I never succeeded, and you did."

[girlybruiser]

Haru can almost sense it now; the tension in the atmosphere growing thicker by the milliseconds, so thick one could cut through it with a knife at this point.

... she doesn't like it.

It's uncomfortable and makes her stomach feel queasy while her hands tighten into a ball against her chest. She manages not to shrink back as she and Ryuji exchange glances, but as she looks at Akechi, watching him admit to his crimes before everyone, her expression falls. There's no glee or satisfaction she gains from this.

Ryuji's anger is almost infectious — it sits in her chest, but rapidly sizzles out as she continues hearing Akechi out. He doesn't falter, he doesn't omit the truth... his honesty astounds Haru. He knows exactly what he did and whom he hurt. She realizes she doesn't need to hammer it in any further than he has.

"Ryuji-kun, I understand your feelings... but please, we shouldn't fight." Her voice remains leveled as she speaks. "We should trust our leader's decision."

She sounds so certain, but as she replays her words in her mind she asks herself: does she really trust in this particular decision? Her thoughts are clouded and the rhythmic beating of her heart louder in her ears than normal.

She feels tired.

[crimeboy]

Akira heaves a sigh. Of course it would be hard to hear, hard to understand and to trust. Akira doesn't want to force his team- his friends to feel any one way or another about the whole situation. His own mind was made up, but their opinions were still important to him. That they were allowed to feel what they did naturally was of utmost importance.

That said, he did want Ryuji, and the others, to understand why he's made the decisions he did.

"So. I must seem mad, right?" he asked, giving a light-hearted laugh. It was a little misplaced, but he wasn't interested in adding to the tension that was already here. "And maybe I am. a little. But here's the thing..."

"Coming to this world, we lose our history to everyone except for ourselves. For better or for worse, the things we've done in our world amount to nothing here. For example, we can't get Akechi sent to prison for the things he hasn't done in this world. Nor could we use the things we've done at home to assert ourselves."

Sit down. this will be a long one.

"And even if we could, the maximum sentence for imPorts is two months, no matter the offense. Therefore, the best thing that we can do is change hearts", Akira was as concise as he could be while hoping that he was explaining himself sufficiently.

"That said, Goro, er... Akechi did agree to meet with us when he arrived here. He agreed to a peaceful talk with us, and despite the fact that there was interference, he was open not only to maintaining contact, but even trying to start from zero. From there, I met with him numerous times on my own."

"I came to the conclusion after my personal interactions with him, and after he also helped us with investigating a dangerous criminal group, that he had had his own change of heart. Our duty is to bring changes of heart to the wicked, to make them realize the folly of their ways."

"This is something that I firmly believe Goro has experienced on his own, making the conscious decision to change, and while I don't want any of you to feel like you HAVE to feel the same way, my goal now is to help to cultivate and motivate not only the change of heart through being a positive influence, but also to help him in becoming a fully realized changed person, and to help him to make it up to the people that he's hurt most through his honesty and willingness to hear you all out as well."

Akira sucked in a breath then before letting it out as his posture kind of slumped. That was... probably too much. Probably way too much to say at once, but hopefully it'd be enough for people to maybe not feel the same way as him, but to understand why HE felt this way.

[codeoracle]

"Akira's right." Futaba defended quietly from her corner of the room. She didn't like the tension, the way it had settled over the room. It felt like a storm brewing, a fight ready to happen, and it carried too many familiar feelings of uneasiness for her to keep quiet much longer. At least...At least if she tried to stand by Goro's side in all of this she could feel like she did something.

"Things didn't go too well when he first came here. E-Even though after things back home and us trying to get him to work with us again--" She paused, that part of the story would have to come from Goro too. It wasn't her place to announce his fate back home to the world, no matter how many people here might already know of it. "I reached out and he was willing to listen to me, willing to try and make things better with us..."

She worried her lip, her arms crossing to wrap around herself as she looked at the ground.

"Haru...What he did to you, your father...it was terrible, b-but...think of what we all told him when we saw him last. H-He's been working to prove himself here. He even saved my life, even though things were still rocky between all of us...I-I could have died if he didn't...do something."

Would it be enough? The redemption Goro had been working towards since she first reached out to make amends, since Akira first gave him a chance at a fresh start--he had proved himself time and again to them, but would their word be enough to save him?

[sleight_of_hand]

[ Continued from here. ]

Adachi kept his gaze steady on Dooku, refusing to budge.

"Don't misunderstand me, Dooku," he began. "I know very well how shitty the world is. Just because this place has a different coat of paint, doesn't mean I don't see the corruption and loopholes that people take advantage of."

He folded his hands before him, leaning forward like he was interrogating a perp.

"Loopholes you yourself took advantage of while leading the Constellation, I might add," he pointed out. Look, he wasn't stupid; he may have not been in on the money making game, but he knew those funds that were deposited in his bank account had to come from somewhere. He was still trying to find out all the people that had been hurt by that to this day; he doubted he would ever find them all.

He leaned back after a moment, taking up his chopsticks again.

"Believe me, I want those people to pay for what they do, maybe I'll figure out a way to do it one day. But I'll tell you one thing I'm never going to do: I'm never going to go back to that Emptiness again. I'm never going back to that point where I care so little that I don't care about the lives that are affected by my selfishness."

[dun_moch]

The Count remained impassive in the face of Adachi's mock interrogation, hands staying calm and relaxed on the table in front of him, cool and composed. Only the contempt in his eyes betrayed the bile roiling within him.

"Were you truly ever Empty?" He questions, gazing deep into Adachi's eyes. "Or were you finally filled with your own desires and feelings, instead of allowing yourself to be filled by others?"

[sleight_of_hand]

Adachi fell quiet, his expression becoming stone faced, but his eyes looked almost hollow, like he was looking back at something that haunted him. And it did; he never talked about it, not even with the therapists he had been to over the years. It was still a thing, though; something that niggled at the back of his brain and he hated to acknowledge, but he knew it was there. He knew that a certain teenager had been right about one thing when it came to him.

"My desires had no substance," he finally replied, "and I couldn't feel anything. I hated everything; the world was shit, and I was the shittiest thing in it."

He felt like his heart was being squeezed in his chest.

"...I wanted to die, but I was too much of a coward to kill myself."

Adachi took a deep breath, closing his eyes and counting to ten and Riza hopped off the couch, pawing over to him and resting her head on his lap. He reached for her, petting her head gently, before he finally felt calm enough to focus on Dooku again.

"When I say I was 'Empty', I'm not kidding."

[dun_moch]

"I see."

The Count closed his eyes for a moment and sighed, as though moved by Adachi's admission. But while Adachi felt as though his heart was being squeezed, there was no such pressure on the block of dark ice that rested within Dooku's own chest. Only a vague irritation that he had judged wrongly.

"I had thought that you and I had something in common," he said. "But perhaps I was wrong. While I came to despise the world around me, I never came to feel the same way toward myself. And never did I desire self-destruction, unless it was to tear down the falsehoods that had ensnared me."

Master Dooku had died so that Darth Tyranus could be created. A fair trade, in Dooku's estimation.

"Are you truly happier now?" He asks, ignoring Riza to focus once more on the detective's eyes.

[sleight_of_hand]

Adachi looked down at Riza, smiling faintly as he rubbed her head.

"...yeah," he admitted softly. "Sure, things are a pain in the ass still, but I... I don't need to go through it alone."

He paused at that, finally returning Dooku's gaze then.

"I kind of feel bad for you in that respect, you know," he said. "You're really never going to change, aren't you?"

[dun_moch]

The Count's eyes widen, then narrow. He snorts as he realizes what Adachi is doing, what he is saying.

"You? You pity me?" He sounds somewhere between offended and amused as he shakes his head.

"I have changed more than you know," he insists. The food is now completely forgotten in front of him as he lifts a finger in warning. "I have renounced the Sith. I have abandoned the dream of Porter control. I do not repeat my mistakes. Which is precisely why I will never turn back to the lies of the Light."

His yellow teeth flash beneath his lip as he speaks, the beginnings of a sneer. "I spent far too much time upon that path to ever walk it again. When you reach my age- if you live that long- you may know something of the regret that comes with so many wasted years."

[sleight_of_hand]

"Yeah, I do pity you."

Adachi leaned back in his seat, not looking the least bit bothered by the very clear threat that was Dooku. Then again, he never was, not really.

"You know, for all your 'change' and all your age, you never really learned anything," he replied. "You keep things divided between light and dark, yet you never see the shades of grey in between. All you care about is your power, your pain, what you've suffered, but you never see what other options you have. You can never find your own peace, and you bring about your own misery because of it while blaming everyone else."

Adachi let out a breath, scritching Riza behind her ears.

"So yeah. I pity you."