tunasub | OPEN POST 2017

I'll be counting on it.

[there aren't many people that joker is anything but cocky to—especially not while in situations like this. when he has the mask on, he's definitely collected and a bit arrogant, but there's really little reason to be that way with lupin himself.

lupin is the embodiment of that; arsene being his persona and all, it's just... natural.]

The layout's changed from last time, it's going to take some searching. [thanks for your randomly generated dungeons, persona.]

Yeah, I thought so. Pretty weird.

[ who ever heard of a shapeshifting ... building? area? He's not sure what to call this place. It doesn't matter too much, though - he prefers to have his targets thoroughly scoped out, but he wouldn't be as successful as he is if he couldn't think on his feet, too. If anything, it's sort of a fun new challenge. Lupin draws his cape up around himself, hopping down and moving forward with a few confident strides. Only a few; he stops and turns to glance over his shoulder at the boy, waiting for him to take the lead. It seems like he's suited for it. ]

Ready? Show me what you can do. Don't worry - I'll back you up if you get in trouble.

I can explain it more later.

[because there actually is a reason for it! but explaining it while actually running through the area would probably be a hassle, especially for the way he seems to move around.]

Follow me. [he'll gladly take the lead, because he somehow feels more in his element when leading. normally, he wouldn't even do this part on foot, but he knows the target won't be too far away—

but this is definitely where akira shift into full joker mode, taking cover and shifting ahead of lupin pretty rapidly with swift stealthy motions. he's not quite solid snake over here, but it's definitely befitting of his flashy, phantom thief nature as he peers around a corner to spot for shadows.

...except there's no shadow behind that corner, only a very pretty, golden treasure chest.

sweet! loot, they have to steal the loot first.]

[ weird 'palace' or not, sneaking around in places he shouldn't be is pretty much his lifestyle, and he doesn't lack for confidence or skill once they actually start moving. He's dedicated the greater part of his life to being a phantom thief, and it shows. As expected. The two of them look like a picture-perfect pair of masked robbers - or they would, but that would require being spotted by someone. Which, clearly, won't be happening.

Rule one of being a good gentleman thief. ]

Heeeh... We just got here, and we're already scoring. Not bad. [ A GOLDEN TREASURE CHEST. it's like dangling a juicy steak in front of a dog, how is he supposed to resist it?! ] The guy who owns this place - he probably deserves to have a few things go missing?

It's what treasure chests are for, right? Not much point if they're not out for the taking.

[he's still somewhat cautious though, just in making sure there aren't any shadows in close range to try and ambush them; he's got no doubt that they'll be able to handle whatever threats come their way—

but joker likes having the advantage and wrecking them so he can maximize profit, be that in personas, money, or... well, loot.

for now? he's pulling a lockpick from his pocket, holding it up for lupin to see.]

Time to see what kind of haul we've got.

[ well, he won't argue. It's the kid's show, not his. Lupin just nods, satisfied enough with the answer, and turns his attention back to the tempting chest.

The lockpick makes him blink, and then he grins a little. ]

You made that yourself, right? You're pretty crafty. But...

[ he slips a hand within his own cloak, withdrawing what looks like a rather antiquated swiss army knife; once he folds it open, though, it's obvious that it's not. It's a sturdy set of steel lockpicks - slightly used, but doubtless still effective. He tosses them to Akira. ]

They don't last long, I bet. Try that. A thief's tools are his second most important asset.

[ the teacher-ing might get old... but it's coming from an honest place, it seems. ]

[he's swift in catching the lockpicks, taking a moment to look them over. they're definitely sturdy, given their condition. they've undoubtedly seen a lot of use (because naturally, lupin would be that way), but they clearly hold up well.

still, even with a smirk, he nods his head.]

I haven't had what I needed to make my own yet. [well, that and he probably needs to be a little more proficient in making lockpick. he's learning, but he's hardly an expert.

still, even while he lacks the proficiency, he also needs to actually have the materials to make stronger lockpicks. akira can admit that much, though it's likely clear that he has every intent of working until he can actually make a lockpick that strong for himself.] These are good, though.

[because of course, he's also taking notes on how they're made.]

[ tfw mona won't let you make the cool kid lockpicks. ]

I know... Sort of.

[ if he pays attention, he can know what Akira knows, or at least how his cognition perceives it. Lupin's not just a person anymore - he's something more than that. A legend? Lupin's not really used to it yet. But it sure isn't a bad thing, he doesn't think; knowing that the gentleman thief Arsene Lupin would always be remembered actually makes him happy. And this kid - Joker - his heart is enough like Lupin's that Lupin is sort of alive again inside him. That's how he sees it, anyway. ]

Oh yeah? If you think so, you can have them. I think you'll probably get more use out of 'em than me. [ he puts his hands on his hips. ] Now, let's crack this guy open!

[mona only lets us sleep, we're a very well-rested bunch here.

regardless, akira seems perfectly content with the situation otherwise, and with lupin there—he may not really know the whole of how this legend's heart and his could be so similar it would be this way; what he's read in books isn't quite the same, after all.

but it's fine.]

Right, let's do it.

[he offers lupin that dangerous smirk of his—the one that's ready for anything the metaverse has to throw at him. it's exciting, and his fingers are dexterous enough that he doesn't seem to falter for even a moment with the lockpicks.

once he manages to pop it open, the chest seems to shine brightly until it reveals its contents.

a soma (useful) and... a dirty, worn down piece of armor (mildly less useful right now.)]

...Hm. [he'll have to clean that later and see if he can make something of this. if it's in a locked chest, it's gotta be good for something, right?]

[ Wait, that's the treasure? Some medicine and a filthy piece of armor? Lupin's expression of anticipation instantly becomes one of disappointment, and he raises an eyebrow, turning to look at Akira. ]

... Are you sure this is the right place? This just looks like someone's junk.

[ what am a mementos ]

It's not like I expect gold and jewels every time, but this is a little...

It's right, don't worry.

[it's fine, lupin! he'll explain, at least.]

I can sell the Soma for a lot of money if we don't need it. It's pretty useful, but if we need the money more, it sells for about fifty thousand yen.

[you'd think he'd keep an item like that when it can restore everyone to full health and stamina, but sometimes you just need the money to keep your ragtag group of thieves well-equipped.]

A little cleaning and that armor will be good as new, too.

[ he listens, though his expression suggests he might still be a little skeptical. Still... The kid knows better than he does. And it's not like this place really makes any sense. Armor, first aid... The Phantom Thieves engage in way, way more combat than he ever did - ever wanted to, really. He's not good at fighting. In his head, he knows that they're not actually hurting anything living - not exactly - but he still feels like it's irresponsible of him to let a bunch of teenagers run around with guns and blades... fake or not.

He'll work on that later. ]

If you say so. You're the boss, after all. I'm just your handsome sidekick. [ slash Persona. ] Does that mean you're gonna wear that later?

[akira probably wouldn't be too fine with it if they were real people, but cognitions seem to be fair game—so long as they're not destroying the owners of palaces, of course. though maybe as it stands, lupin is in part, just the other side of akira's consciousness, holding onto a sense of morality that he's had to cast aside for the cause.

life's tough in that morally grey area, after all.]

Depends on what it is. [he answers pretty simply, shrugging his shoulders and offering lupin a smirk.] I probably won't look good in a corset, though.

["probably." it's really hard to tell what kind of armor this actually is when it's in this condition, by the rules of weird metaverse nonsense.]

[ doesn't he know it... ]

Hmmmm. I feel like one or two of your friends might disagree. [ you popular boy, you!! obviously, he would expect no less from his... whatever Akira is to him. Now's not the time for teasing, though; Lupin bites off whatever he might have said next, perking up and brushing some hair out of his face. Not that it helps much - it's dark here in this weird liminal space. But he's pretty certain he heard something down the twisting tracks, and he's learned to trust his gut by this point. ]

Hey. One of them's coming.

[ this is where he'd normally formulate a plan to hide and run away, but he defers to the younger boy, eyes flicking his way under his mask. Unlike Lupin, Akira can fight. And he's good at it, too. ]

[hah.

it's probably true that some of them might enjoy that look, but akira's pretty sure he'll pass. he can't even imagine how a corset would make them any stronger, but he leaves equipment choices like that to the girls anyway. ann wears a leather catsuit, he just lets them do what they do.

so it's for the better that to him that the focus shifts to the other thing he does best when in joker-mode. the first thing is thievery, of course. the second is fighting shadows. and that's why he turns to lupin, grin widening—he's reckless and a bit dangerous at times, for sure.]

Let's get 'em. [though it's not like there's really any time to argue that anyway; he's electing to get the jump on it by using his stealth to jump behind it, pulling the mask off the creature and reveal their true forms for a proper fight.

...he's definitely a show-off, too. whoops.]

[ Did he mention he's not good at fighting? He's not. His skills revolve entirely around how to avoid getting into fights at every turn - how to not get caught, how to evade capture if you do get caught, how to distract and slip away if you do get captured. Winning a battle is hard,　but if you never even start one, then you'll never lose.

Such is Lupin's philosophy. Also, the reason he still can't help but reflexively start lifting a hand (he doesn't finish) to stop Akira when he suddenly turns to jump straight at the approaching enemy. Jeez, this kid... He knew this was going to happen, but it still makes him nervous. Once he's caught the Shadow's attention, Lupin darts forward to his side, drawing his cane with more confidence than he's actually feeling.

Because... how are they going to fight this weird monster? ]

I hope you have a plan!

[ he knows that they share some sort of power, but will it work...? ]

I always have a plan.

[does he?

maybe. though really—he comes up with most of his plans on the spot. and now... is really no exception. if nothing else, he's pretty good at keeping track of shadow strengths and weaknesses, especially if he's taken possession of their masks already.

in this case, he already know that girimehkala is weak to bless skills—because fortunately, it's not the first encounter. just the first without the whole team there to back him.]

It blocks curse skills. [he smirks; he knows where those affinities lie, after all.] So we'll take on a little extra help.

[isn't that the whole tactical advantage of his being a trickster? he may as well use it, and then lupin won't have to fuss too much about it.]

[ it's a big monster, so it's probably not too fast - plus, it's only got one eye. A bit of running and a well-placed smoke bomb would probably be enough to get the two of them out of this spot of trouble. After that, hiding would be easy in a place as big and shadowy as Mementos. That's what's running through Lupin's mind.

Pretty much the opposite of what's running through Akira's mind, evidently. Curse skills - that's what he has. He knows that instinctively, even if it's not always him, not how he knows himself. In other words, he's useless in this fight - nothing new there. Lupin offers a wry laugh. ]

Sorry about that. If you need a distraction, maybe...

[ it sounds like he's got something else in mind, though. ]

[sorry, lupin.

while the idea of running from fights and being stealthy is cool, he'll never be able to defeat the strong shadows that he can't avoid in palaces.

sometimes a fight is just necessary.]

I always keep backups to cover our natural weaknesses. [after all:] Isn't that was being a Trickster is all about?

[being able to wield so much, being able to fool their enemies on the fly? so lupin can just hang out and not get his hands dirty. instead, he'll call forth unicorn—

best to deal with an enemy that's weak to bless skills with a persona that specializes in them, right? he looks over to lupin.

see? he can be trusted in combat, it's fine.]

-- A unicorn?!

[ man, life is wild. He really shouldn't be surprised by this stuff anymore. Lupin shoots a raised eyebrow at Joker - as if he needs confirmation that he's serious - but it's quick to turn into a disbelieving shake of the head and a little smirk. ]

You're full of surprises.

[ are they going to ride on it? Part of him sort of hopes so. He stays light on his feet, not willing to stay still while a monster's got them in its sights, and starts to circle around to the side, looking for a chance to -- improvise, he'll call it. ]

You should know to expect those by now.

[what would be the fun in phantom thievery if there wasn't? that dangerous smirk spreads on his lips—

akira's definitely having fun with this. for whatever that's worth. he probably should slow down, but instead? he's not going to. he doesn't actually do that.

instead, he starts with a bit of tease to weaken the shadow, using kouga to down the girimehkala.

not bad, eh?]

[ yeah, that's an expression he's seen before... on Akira, and on himself. This isn't traditionally his idea of fun - but then again, Akira is anything but a traditional thief.

The monster falls thanks to Akira's unicorn magic (man, his life is weird now), and, once again, Lupin's first instinct is to take this opportunity to book it out of here, but he knows that's not what's going to happen. Van Helsing would probably have a good combat trick to pull out at this point. Maybe he should have started taking lessons, too. ]

If you wanted to run, now would be a good time!

[ thanks Lupin ]

...Who said anything about running?

[really, lupin. that's not akira's style at all unless he's truly back into a corner.

which.

right now, he definitely isn't. there goes akira again, with one of those dangerous smiles settling on his lips.]

[ this child is too wild. Lupin definitely looks like he still wants to run, but -- he sees that smile on Akira's face, and, frankly, he knew from the beginning it was going to end up this way. Is everyone in the future this violent? ]

-- Then make it quick! Catch!

[ a black cane with a curious gemstone on it slips out from somewhere in his attire, resting in his palms for only a half-second before he tosses it in the younger thief's direction. In Lupin's hands, it's nothing but a holder for his parlor tricks to help him get out of tight spots, but when Akira uses it, it transforms into something else entirely. ]

[not everyone! and really, akira is only situationally violent.

this just happens to be one of those situations, that's all. when it comes to shadows, it's just a necessity to roll with it and beat them up.

in any case, akira seems to make easy worse of catching what lupin throws—what is this going to transform into!!]

OPEN POST 2017

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OOF sorry this is a little late BUT NOW I HAVE MINOR CANON KNOWLEDGE SO I'LL BE LESS USELESS!!

IT'S OKAY you got this!!

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i wrote that tag and didn't think ahead on how this would actually work with lupin SWEATS

it's fine we'll improvise

hella

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