awashlogs | [CLOSED] What is it you want, Mary? You want the moon?

[ Well, that was... interesting.

In all honesty, Akechi had almost forgotten about that silly little dare of theirs;so much had happened between them since then, terrible flashes of the past and new, better memories to take their place. So imagine his surprise when he gets a note-- a calling card, no less-- reminding him of the fact.

And, really, "incorrigible prince of doubt"? It makes him wonder whether he should be looking for Akira or Joker instead.

Since he wasn't given solid directions, he heads towards Flavo and just wanders around, hoping for a clue, or anything that could lead him to the intended meeting point. Eventually, he runs across what seems to be a trail of scraps of colored fabric, and decides to follow it; even if it doesn't take him exactly where he needs t be, it's odd enough that it's worth investigating, anyway. ]

[The trail seems almost random at first, but soon the bits of cloth seem to clearly be leading somewhere. They're wrapped around trees, fence posts, and sometimes a laying in a bush, but they're easy to spot in the clear moonlight.

And at the end of the trail is a clearing, in front of one of the abandoned Flavo cottages, that is oddly sparkling.

When Akechi approaches, he'll see that the sparkling is due to mirrors. They litter the ground in a large circle, many of them cracked or worn from years and neglect, but all of of them able to reflect. Most importantly, they reflect the sky above - the heavenly bodies seeming larger than life in their surface.

And on the roof of the cottage stands a lone figure, coat swaying slightly in the calm autumn breeze. The glint of his mask is just visible, as is the white of his grin.

Joker has stolen the moon.]

Edited 2018-10-04 20:16 (UTC)

[ That magnificent piece of trash. He really did it.

Akechi inspects the collection of shards laid out on the ground with amused curiosity, idly wondering how long it must have taken for Akira to gather them all, and how he even came up with the idea, in the first place. In the end, it doesn't make much of a difference; all that matters is that fractal glint bouncing off glass surface, casting light and color over a place that lacks both.

That, and the man keeping close watch over him from atop the roof. So with a grin to match Joker's, Akechi looks up. ]

Nice job, thief.

[Joker jumps off the roof, landing with almost no sound on the ground in front of the cottage. He walks out into the field of mirrors, now reflected himself in their surface.]

I believe now I get a reward.

[And if he remembers correctly, it's anything he wants. He spreads his arms out, still grinning at Akechi.]

Isn't that right?

[ Heh, show off. But it is a pretty impressive maneuver, he has to admit; very much cat-like, too. ]

And I believe the deal was for you to steal the moon; this is merely borrowing it.

[ Since the moon will eventually disappear again, or Akechi could even smash the mirrors if he were feeling particularly inclined to make a point, but he trusts him to be smart enough to pick up on his petty technicalities. So instead, he crosses his arms in direct opposition to Joker's gesture, though their grins are a perfect match. ]

So instead of simply granting you any reward you ask for, I'll have to first decide whether or not you're deserving of it.

[ His being a difficult piece of shit is mostly just for show, though; in all honesty, if it's Joker asking, there's very little he could say no to. ]

Hmph.

[He crosses his arms, but he's still grinning, watching Akechi from across the field of mirrors.]

So you're here to judge me, then? Fitting for Justice, I guess.

[Hah. He gestures around at the field again.]

Then what do you say?

[ A shake of his head. ]

I already have passed my judgement on the challenge itself; the requirements have only been partially met. Now whether you deserve your reward or not, that will only depend on what you ask for, in the first place.

[ He moves in closer, his grin widening as he shortens the gap between them. It's an unnecessarily slow routine, and he finally comes to a stop a few steps away from the masked figure, anticipation just barely cracking his voice. ]

So tell me. What is it that you wish from me, Joker?

[He hears that tiny crack of anticipation and is emboldened. He's glad that Akechi seems just as excited about this as he'd hoped.

So he takes one step closer. Then he bends at the waist in a bow, extending up his hand.]

Akechi Goro... Will you give me this dance?

[This is his request.]

[ A dance, huh? Honestly, Akechi almost wants to laugh at how over the top the entire situation is, with the multitude of shards under the moon and Joker leaping down from the roof in full Phantom Thief gear, all for the sake of asking for a simple dance? It's all just so extra.

He likes that. ]

There's no music playing.

[ But he reaches out to place his hand over Joker's, anyway. ]

Does that matter?

[He will take that hand, and sweep them into a ballroom stance, smiling at Akechi from under his mask.]

I can serenade you, if you want?

[Who knows if he's even good at singing? But he starts to move, leading Akechi around on the mirrors.

It's a good thing the soles of his Joker boots are pretty thick or this might actually be kind of dangerous.]

That's hardly how a serenade works, either.

[ But he's laughing in spite of his protests, easily falling into pace with whatever ballroom dance Joker is trying to pull them into. At some point later, Akechi will remember he's not the type to indulge in such pointless, silly behavior - having fun, imagine that! - and perhaps even question exactly how much he's changed, but not right now.

Right now, he just wants to live the moment, and enjoy this odd warmth in a cool autumn night. ]

If it was dancing you wanted, you could have told me. I have a music box we could use.

I got one of those, too. [Its calming sound makes it easier to sleep at night, somehow.] Must have been a reward.

[He's sure he could figure out what it was a reward for, if he thinks back. He and Akechi shared a lot of feelings around that time... He wouldn't be surprised if that's the cause.]

I guess we'll just have to remember next time.

[Next time, as though he already knows Akechi will want to dance with him like this again one day.]

[ A reward, huh? If that's true, then it must have been... ah, right. It was about sharing their honest feelings, wasn't it? It's fitting, really. ]

Next time? [ He hooks an eyebrow at the implication, though it's only for show-- and he's not even sure why he bothers with it, when it's clear as day that he's enjoying himself. ] What are you planning to steal next? The stars and the night sky?

[ There is absolutely no need for any more heists; asking is all it takes. ]

[Joker grins back, a bit haughty in the face of this questioning. He thinks he's starting to really know Akechi, after all.

And so...]

I was hoping next time, I could just ask.

[As fun as these games are, he feels like they can probably skip them, at least sometimes.]

[ That grin is just the kind of infuriating look that makes Akechi both want to punch it out of his face or furiously kiss it into a more subdued expression. He realizes, with some alarm, that his feelings for Joker will always be complex; this is just a new facet that has recently sprung on him.

Try as he might to remain unfazed, in the end, he just laughs it off with a shake of his head. It's hard to keep up with his act with such a light flutter inside. ]

How about next time I bring it to the cafe?

[ A compromise; if he's going to be this silly, at least let it be a private affair. ]

[A private affair, Akira doesn't mind. Not that he really intends for this to be public - anyone who tries to happen on them right now will probably be met with a scare by Arsene. Or worse, a Dream Needle.]

We'll have to move some tables around.

[But it's clear he's agreeing. He pulls Akechi up closer to him, hand in the back starting to stray a bit lower...]

[ Well. That is certainly a hand going places that should be off limits for what's only a second date, but-- ]

Oh, that shouldn't be a problem to you. [ He hooks an eyebrow, a secretive smile playing on his lips. ] You're quite dexterous, aren't you?

[ Or maybe "handsy" would be a better term? Either way, Akechi's meaning here is clear: he's on to Joker's transgressions.

(He's fairly curious, too, to see where this is going.) ]

[If he really doesn't like it, he can stop it at any time. But it's true, that while Akira might not have dared to go this far on just the second date, as Joker he's brimming with confidence.

Maybe that confidence will get him in trouble, but so far it seems alright. And as it is...

He just rests his hand there, right above the waistband of Akechi's pants. He'll wait for a signal that he can go even lower.]

For you, I'm sure I can make it work.

For me, huh...?

[ If Joker's confidence might get them in trouble, then Akechi's curiosity is just the same. So instead of playing hard to get, he moves in closer, still following the steps of their improvised waltzing, lightly pressing the side of his face to Akira's as he whispers: ]

And what else can you make work just for me?

[Joker feels a pleasant tingle run down his spine at that, and he does what he wanted to do in the first place.

His hand runs lower, giving Akechi's butt a light squeeze. Might as well make his interests clear.]

There's been a lot of things I want to try, if you're interested.

[They don't have to jump into anything too deep, of course. But Joker isn't going to pretend he isn't just as physically attracted to Akechi as he is emotionally.]

[ Akechi feels his entire face warming up at the touch, and it's a good thing Joker can't see it from this close-- he's supposed to be cool and composed, after all. So he just laughs it off, and doesn't make any motion to pull away. Quite the contrary. ]

I might be interested.

[ That said, he buries his nose into Joker's neck-- or rather, whatever skin that the waistcoat doesn't cover up. He doesn't intend to leave any visible marks (yet) or go for even go for scandalous displays, but he does aim to tease, first with light nuzzling, followed by brushing of his lips as he speaks: ]

Are you planning to tell me or show me?

[Akira laughs, a self-defense mechanism against what that nuzzling is doing to him. It's ridiculous how much such a small thing can light his body on fire. Then again, he's never done this before...

Even Joker is having a hard time acting cool in the face of this, but he swallows it down.]

They do say show, don't tell.

[He grins, pulling Akechi even closer, moving to a slower tempo now as he rocks the two of them together.]

Let's not get ahead of ourselves, though. We're at a dance.

[ That laugh is... unexpected, but a welcome surprise, nonetheless. For all that he thought he was completely powerless against Joker, it would seem even the masked menace has a weakness for Akechi's charm. That's something to keep in mind. ]

A dance with the moon and the night sky as our only witnesses...

[ He trails off, letting Joker lead their dance as Akechi leads their joint train of thought with an implication he hopes is clear: though this is a public space, this might be as much privacy as they get. ]

Have you suddenly realized your newfound love for obeying the rules, I wonder? Or could it be something else...?

[ Could it be that Joker is scared? ]

[Ah... is it that he's scared? Maybe not so much as Joker, but... at the end of the day, Joker and Akira are the same person, aren't they? And Akira... maybe he's scared.]

...I don't want to move too fast.

[And just like that, his mask drops - literally, and physically too, though the rest of his outfit remains.]

I don't want to mess this up.

[He already made mistakes, back in the cafe: asking Akechi about his name, and trying to cuddle.]

[ ... oh. Well, he can understand that-- really, he even appreciates it, all things considered. But there's still one problem with that: ]

And I promised I wouldn't keep you waiting.

[ And that's just what it is. Knowing what he does now, that Akira might have been interested in him since the friendship tournament, that he's clearly interested in even more... It gives Akechi an odd sense of guilt, but also urgency. He doesn't want to waste any more time.

So Akechi pulls away, just enough so he could look him in the eye again, and all thoughts of suggesting a compromise are swept off his mind the minute he catches sight of Joker without his mask. Gorgeous. ]

You know-- [ He starts, one hand straying towards Akira's face, thumb rubbing circles on his skin. ] --you look really good like this. Perhaps you shouldn't cover your face so often.

[ Maybe the unplanned change of topic is a compromise in and of itself. ]

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