first notes § a classy diner

[jurisdick]

who: goro & you
where: diner
when: first week of may
rating: pg-13 (probably? will update if necessary)
the story: a detective walks into a diner for some pancakes and....

option 1 - for the employees

[ while this isn't leblanc, per say, it still has a rather comforting feel to it. he isn't sure if it's the decor or the general energy in the diner, but it seems to call to him the same way that the tiny curry and coffeeshop did back in tokyo. it's not insanely crowded but it has enough interesting faces to keep him intrigued. still, that's not to say he's actively seeking conversation. rather, he's brought a book from the library down to the diner to thumb through as he takes a break from investigating the hot mess he's found himself in.

there's a pencil stuck between his teeth, brown fringe covering his eyes as he skims the pages of the book. occasionally, he plucks the pencil out to scribble something down in the margin, and then just like that, the pencil returns dutifully to his mouth.

he hasn't ordered yet, a bit lost in thought over the pages of paradise lost. ]

option 2 - for others

[ now that he has his coffee (it's really a necessity in life), he's taken a break from the pages of the riveting story to glance around the diner. simply surveying the area for any "familiar faces." one leg is crossed against another, dangling off the edge of the stool, toe of his shoe tapping light sounds against the counter in front of him.

as usual, each and every lock of hair is perfectly in place and he's wearing his tan jacket complete with a drab, striped tie. although he enjoys the tranquility, he can't help but catch the gaze of anyone who walks into this diner. namely, you.

there's a bright, undeniably charismatic smile that appears and he lifts a hand politely up in way of greeting. ]

May I ask you a question?

Comments

[eatsyourscience]

It might be easier to show you, if you don't mind going outside with me.

[...]

I can't really use it inside.

[jurisdick]

I don't mind.

[ he smiles. ]

Would now work?

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji nods.]

Now's fine. Everyone knows that if I'm not here, they can help themselves.

[Though lately, since he's not the only one working there anymore, there are other people to help out.

He sheds the apron and gestures toward the door. Since they're on the eighth floor...]

The roof will work. It's closer.

[jurisdick]

I didn't realize the roof was accessible.

[ that's useful to know! he nods and slips off his seat, making certain that the book is neatly resting by the cup of coffee. ]

It must be quite the talent.

[eatsyourscience]

It's just kind of destructive.

[Plus Izanagi is...large-ish.

He leads the way up to the roof, passing through the attic on the way. It's warm and sunny outside as they step out and he takes a couple seconds to look down at the grounds from there before turning to Goro.]

Alright.

[With just that said, he summons Izanagi-no-Okami. There's not much on the roof, but he still has the Persona cast Ziodyne on a weather vane or something else innocuous.]

i am so sorry for this tag

[jurisdick]

[ there's a chilling silence as he watches. his hands, neatly in his pockets, tighten, knuckles turning white in their hiding place. long lashes meld together with messy bangs as his eyes cast down to the hard cement he stands upon acting as the perfect cover. this was a miscalculation.

with the exception of haru - who had really thrown him off guard when he first saw her at her father's palace - he had calculated just how many users of the app there were. any miscalculations would be dangerous. any pawns on the board that weren't accounted for could be disastrous. ]

That's quite the parlor trick.

[ he says it breezily, not looking up at first. recalibrate. focus. plan. plot. if gore's admitted to be a part of the phantom thieves, then-- ]

I imagine that Persona would come in handy quite often.

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji looks at him curiously. There's more to that reaction than there seems to be, and it reminds him oddly of Adachi, even if Goro and Adachi are nothing alike in approach. That puts him on guard, but he shakes himself and responds normally.]

So you know what a Persona is. Do you have one?

[jurisdick]

[ at the question, he looks up, smile already slipping back in place. his hands come out of his pockets and thread neatly in front of him. ]

Ah - yes. I do.

[ that's definitely a true answer, but.... he lets one of his hands slip away and he brings it up to his own face, fingers splaying and obscuring his vision as he summons forth Robin Hood. ]

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji takes in Goro's Persona. He can guess who it is, so he doesn't ask.]

What can he do?

[jurisdick]

One moment please.

[ as charming - and dramatic - as ever, he extends a hand and sends Robin Hood using Megidola on a contained area of the roof. hopefully it won't cause too much damage. ]

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji recognizes that attack and nods.]

One of the ones I have with me has a similar spell. It'll be useful during dangerous events.

[jurisdick]

[ a quirked brow. ]

One of them? [ despite the affixed smile, there's a stilling to his previous grandiose gestures as he summons Robin Hood back to his side. ]

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji looks the Persona over again before looking back at Goro.]

I have six with me. There are a lot more of them at home.

[It still feels strange to carry around the same half dozen of them without ever changing them out. He's gotten to know them much better over time at least.]

[jurisdick]

[ Like Akira. ]

I would say the versatility is much more useful than simply healing.

[ and now he can't help but ask ]

So you have the App?

[eatsyourscience]

[He was not expecting that question.]

App?

[jurisdick]

Yes? That allows you to access the Metaverse?

[ did he accidentally access it, then? ]

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji doesn't recognize that term either and he pauses for a moment to think. Clearly things are different for Goro than they were for his team, and if he's not asking about the Dark Hour, than he's not from Minato's "era" either.]

You must have come after me. We went into another world through TV screens.

[No matter how many times he says that, it never feels less silly.]

[jurisdick]

[ .... through TVs. still, that's not too outlandish given his own situation. ]

Ah. We use a small application on our phones that allows us to enter the Metaverse so long as we have a name and password. ...To put it simply.

[eatsyourscience]

...That sounds a lot more convenient.

[jurisdick]

[ the smile looks a bit brighter. ]

I could imagine. I don't understand how you'd fit in a TV to be honest.

[eatsyourscience]

There are some pretty big TVs. All we had to do was go through the screen anyway. There was another world on the other side.

[jurisdick]

Hm.

[ it sounds fairly similar... ]

Filled with Shadows, I assume?

[eatsyourscience]

[A nod.]

It sounds like my TV world and your Metaverse aren't that different in some ways.

[jurisdick]

That definitely seems to be the case.

[ a faint chuckle!! ]

That would explain why you aren't a Phantom Thief.

[eatsyourscience]

[That catches Souji's interest and reminds him of something he'd been wanting to ask since he first saw Robin Hood.]

The friends you mentioned earlier. Do they have Personas too?