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[ He glances in Akira's direction as he listens, holding his coffee cup close to his mouth. This is... a really peculiar situation. They've only known each other for a day, give or take a few hours, so what's up with the overprotectiveness? He doesn't really get it. ]

Why?

[Akira would love to answer that question with another, more important question, but now isn't the time. Why Minato seems to care so little about his own wellbeing wasn't a question he could answer easily before, so he doubts that's changed. Now isn't the time to push.

For now, he finally turns to look Minato in the eye. He said he wouldn't scold Minato, and he won't, but Akira delivers his answer firmly. He doesn't want to leave room for doubt even if he's spent the last thirty hours calling his own understanding of "why" into question.]

It bothered me seeing someone give themselves away so easily for nothing. People who truly love themselves don't do that. They won't.

[ Hm... He meets Akira's eyes, but he doesn't have a response right away. That answer only leads to more questions. ]

Do you believe that I don't love myself?

[ Although the question may seem defensive, his tone is neutral. There's no change of expression on his face and he maintains eye contact. This is quite a serious topic to have with someone he's only just met. He's... intrigued. Perhaps even curious, but that's too strong of an emotion. ]

[A little bit of defensiveness would've been warranted, really. Akira had given his answer just as plainly, but there was an assumption being made there, right? Still, he shakes his head and pulls on a thin smile, though it's just a little wry.]

Everyone's different. In my experience, the only people who'd make a trade like that are people with nothing to lose.

[But he doesn't know Minato. He doesn't know if he falls in line with Akira's assumptions or if he simply goes with the flow as effortlessly as water down a slope.

As if to dismiss the suggestion that there may be something ever so off about Minato, Akira shakes his head, making an effort to iron out the concern in his smile. If anything, he looks just a little apologetic.]

I'm sorry for butting into your affairs, Arisato. You just reminded me of an old friend.

[One who is no longer alive, and one who certainly didn't see much value in his own life. This conversation is already A Lot, so Akira leaves that off the table. It's egotistical, but Akira can only wonder if he'd have been able to save Akechi if he'd only met him sooner.]

[ Minato listens attentively, showing a level of attention and awareness that he rarely displays. Since arriving in Erku, he hasn't thought too much about what his actions may imply. It's not that he doesn't care about himself. It's just that he doesn't have any strong feelings to do one thing or another. Even after spending an entire year in Tatsumi Port Island and doing what he did for his friends, ten years of apathy is hard to break from. ]

[ It's only after Akira finishes speaking that Minato breaks eye contact and looks off at nothing again. He takes a long sip from his drink and then just sits for a silent second. ]

... lucky friend.

[ To have someone worry about them so much. He tilts his head slightly so he can look at Akira at an angle. His expression has softened and there are the faintest traces of a smile. Yeah, Minato tried his best to be a good friend, but he knows that in the end that he was still kind of shitty. ]

Thanks for worrying about me.

[ A corner of his lips curve upwards into a melancholic smile. ]

[The subject of that lost friendship is a difficult one to touch on, though perhaps less so in the company of someone he's only just met. Akira has to stay strong in front of his friends — he needs to be their rock, as they've come to expect him to be — but there's no such pretense to keep up here. That makes the burden he's been carrying around a little easier to bear even if it hadn't been fair to project those feelings onto Minato. Still, perhaps doing so was proof that he needed someone, anyone, to express that pain to.

He's the one who should be thanking Minato for putting up with him, really. Akira takes a long sip from his cup and comes away from it smiling. Even if there were any lingering doubts on Akira's mind, he's certain they'd ebb away just as soon as he saw that faint smile on Minato's lips. Seriously, he cute as fuck, but that's beside the point.]

Nah. Thank you for understanding. If you'll have me, I'd like to make this up to you.

[Because he feels bad, of course, but if Minato's going to play bingo with that cursed card, then there are safer ways to go about it. Akira just wants to help (uh-huh)!]

[ He says nothing in response, only nodding at the thanks. It's a little strange, but it's not that big of an inconvenience. Besides, it's not like he didn't benefit from Akira's meddling. He got free food and didn't have to suck dick for it. Nice. ]

[ He perks up when Akira offers to "make this up" to him, but he tries to hide it. Again, it's a half-convincing lie. It's subtle, but he sits up a bit straighter and his eyes look more focused. Although his facial expression is neutral, he gives himself away in other ways. So, what does Akira have to offer? ]

[Now you can suck his dick instead, Minato... Everyone wins.

Akira's not looking to collect on any favors when he does honestly believe he owes Minato for putting up with his meddling, buuut he's also just looking for a good excuse to spend more time in the company of someone who's caught his eye. Can't hurt, right? If nothing else, perhaps they can become friends.

The kind of friends that rub their Maras together all night long. Anyway—]

Excited? [Subtle as it was, Akira caught that little shift in demeanor. So cute.] You should be. What I have to offer is a deal you won't get anywhere else. Act fast, because the Akira Special's flying off the shelves.

[Dramatics aside, Akira makes his suggestion earnestly in the hopes Minato will consider it.]

I'll handle your expenses until you've gotten your lay of the land. I have plenty of credits and nothing to burn them on, so it's the least I can do.

[That won't take long, will it? Minato's a capable guy.]

[ "That won't take long", he says, "Minato's a capable guy". Oh, dear, sweet, and naive Akira. You will learn soon enough how big of a mistake it was to offer that special. ]

[ Minato is a very private person, keeping his emotions inside rather than wearing them on his sleeve, but it's clear as day that he seems very pleased. He sits up completely straight and extends out his legs, stretching without having to actually get up from his seat or take his other hand out of his pocket. ]

I'm not cheap.

[ He lets out a small high-pitched noise that whines in the back of his throat as he stretches out. After a few seconds, he returns to his original position, slouched over and his feet unplanted. He appears much more relaxed, now that they got this discussion out of the way. ]

[Much better. With the air between them cleared, Akira can finally relax a little. Though this slouch of his is very much by design, he's content enough in Minato's company to ease out of it and sit up straight, his smile all the brighter for having come to a resolution they can both agree on.

In truth, he'd be fine if Minato never got his lay of the land, but that goes unsaid. Akira can't resist the urge to get a little greedy with someone as cute as Minato, which will also go unsaid. Minato doesn't need to know how easy this boy is.

Hooking his thumbs into his pockets, Akira rocks up onto his feet.]

I'm aware. I saw how much you can pack in that mouth. [but does the same apply on the other end] Out of curiosity, have you found a place to live yet? I don't know if you noticed, but I live in a big gaudy mansion. I can loan you a room— until you find your own place.

[That last bit is quickly tacked on to the end of his statement. Hmm.]

[ Unless Akira indicates that they are done with this area, Minato will continue to sit against the bollard. He has finished his coffee so he has now decided to hold it with his teeth, doing exactly what he did with the soda can. It's extremely important for him to have both hands in his pockets, so yeah. The cup will flail up and down as he speaks. ]

Mm, I might murder you in your sleep.

[ Minato has reached that level of comfortability around Akira that he can now make shitty jokes. Based on his answer, it may be clear that he absolutely has not found a place to stay and yes, he would like that room. However, it's bold for Akira to just let some rando live with him. What if he was a serial killer??? Huh??? What if??? ]

[Minato, your priorities... Laughter rumbles low in Akira's throat, and he frees up a hand to claim Minato's empty cup. Don't ask me where Akira's went before he put both thumbs in his pockets. Clearly he finished his coffee off and tossed the cup while no one was looking.

Pitching Minato's cup in the nearest waste bin, he offers him a hand. Up and at 'em, lazy. Akira won't be carrying Minato this time, but he doesn't mind lending him his free hand.]

Yeah? Try it. I'll haunt you from beyond the grave for the rest of your life.

[The dead fuck he was talking about before, Minato??? That man was an actual bonafide murderer and Akira still stanned him. He is far from the most pure and wholesome Personatagonist.]

We've got a few empty rooms, so I'm curious which you'll pick. It's on you to decorate, though.

[ The cup is easily given up! And the hand is immediately accepted. It's been months since he last handled a weapon, so his hands have healed. They're no longer covered in cuts or callouses, resulting in smooth and healthy skin. Those few months were nice. He didn't have to fight. He just got to relax. ]

[ He uses much of Akira's weight to pull himself up, doing so in a combination of laziness and slight curiosity. Harry Potter-kun was able to carry him all the way from the beach to his mansion, but how's his grip and stance? Will he tip over in Minato's direction if he pulls too much? Time to find out! ]

Does furniture count as expenses?

[ Because how is he going to decorate if he doesn't have any money, fool. Lucky for Akira, though, Minato doesn't need much. The only decoration that he really had in his own dorm room was a calendar. It's kind of sad tbh ]

[Akira's not going to withdraw his hand before Minato does. He's free to assume Akira's simply being polite, or that he thinks Minato will get lost the moment he lets go of his hand, or a million other things... but if he's being honest (and only to himself)? He enjoys the simple pleasure that is holding another person's hand. It's warm! It's nice!! It's completely platonic!!!

As for whether he'll tip like a cow when Minato puts up a token amount of resistance... no, he won't. He'll unconsciously widen his stance to accommodate and consciously give Minato a look that's some ways between amusement and a challenge. Pull him off his feet if you dare, Minato. You'll be the one shouldering the fall.]

A desk and a bed won't cost you anything. For anything else, you'll need to beg me.

[Is he serious? It's very hard to tell. Anyway, off they go! The mansion isn't much farther from here than it was from where Minato woke up.]

[ Oho, so the pretty boy is strong as well. Minato gives him the beginnings of a smirk before it disappears when he bows his head and gets on his feet. He's not particularly a touchy-feely kind of guy, so unfortunately for Akira, the hand is taken back so it can go into his pocket. Outside of certain circumstances, he generally doesn't like to be touched or vice versa. ]

Then that's all I need.

[ Really, what other furniture does he need when he will only use his bedroom to sleep in? A TV perhaps, but it's useless without anything to actually watch. Maybe if he finds some cheap DVDs. Hm, he'll see. Anyway, he'll tag along to the mansion. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Minato isn't really a conversationist so Akira will either need to keep up the talk or just wait until they get there so he can pick out his room. ]

[Shit, not his comfort hand... Some part of him needed that, but it's alright. It was said before and will be said again: he likes a cutie who plays hard to get. Whether that's Minato's intention or not simply doesn't matter.

It's far from a long walk, so Akira keeps their back and forth chatter light. After bringing up Akechi, he's not in the mood for more serious conversation anyway.

Besides, they've got the subject of rooms to discuss at length. Back at the mansion, Akira shows Minato three different rooms, all with unique features of their own that help them stand apart from the rest of the mansion.

One room has a wall that's entirely glass, framing the sunset as it sweeps across the ocean. Another room is big and round, because who the fuck wouldn't want a round bedroom? Finally, the third is much more understated in design and far more typical than every other room in this abomination of a mansion.

After showing Minato his choices, Akira turns to him and slouches back against the hallway wall.]

Well? Which one speaks to your soul?

[None of them, probably. Hell knows Akira wasn't particularly enamored with the options when it came time to choose his own room.]

[ Minato, being the quiet person that he is, mostly answers in short sentences or sounds. The coffee will keep him awake for a bit, but he's getting hungry and that means he's low on energy. He must save whatever little power he has left to check out these rooms. ]

[ The first two are... eccentric, to say the least. They're definitely different from what he knows, so when the third one is relatively normal, it's easy to choose. ]

I'll take the third. It looks boring.

[ Which would normally be a bad thing, but he talks about it as if that's actually its plus side. A boring room means that there are fewer distractions and fewer distractions mean more sleep. ]

[Sure, there are times when Akira feels like he's talking to a door, but those moments are few and far in between. As far as Akira's concerned, Minato makes for good company. Then again, Persona protagonists are far from the pickiest when it comes to their social circles...

Unsurprisingly, Minato wants a normal room. Fine with Akira. He himself chose a large room with space enough for engaging in all his various hobbies, but he certainly wouldn't have minded if that room were more traditional.

In any case, Minato officially has a room to dwell in and a simp to mooch off. Good for him. Akira can tell Minato's getting tired, so he'll leave him to it just as soon as he's ensured his needs are all squared away.]

Boring and very normal, unlike the rest of this place. Good choice. [He'll see Minato down the hall and to his Normal, Boring Bedroom.] By the way, tomorrow's hot spring day. If you feel like tagging along, this is your official invite.

[ i gotta use the same icon twice because that is literally minato ]

[ At the mention of hot springs, he doesn't try to hide his interest and excitement like the previous times. He absolutely adores hot springs and he isn't afraid to let everyone know it. You have the best naps there. Soak in hot water, eat some eggs, drink milk, and just relax. That sounds great. ]

Sure. Let me know when.

[ aka give him a time that he'll forget because he's sleeping so akira has to wake his ass up ]

[Oh...? So he's cracked the code and discovered one of the few things that brings Minato genuine joy in life? Great. Sounds like he's inviting Minato for bath time every week from now on. Akira hasn't had a consistent bath buddy in some time... As such, he looks plenty pleased himself.]

Tomorrow evening. I'll come fetch you when it's time.

[Minato should be alright on his own in the meantime. That Very Boring Bedroom is already furnished with the basics, including a hideous red velvet duvet... but it's serviceable. So long as he has no complaints, Akira won't bother swapping out the linens.]

Need anything else from me tonight?

[If not, he'll be heading off to bed shortly himself and spending the day tooling around the island. If Minato needs nothing else, Akira will come knocking the following evening!]

[ Akira has discovered one of the seven wonders of Minato Arisato. Now he just needs to figure out what the other ones are. Perhaps he will find out in the near future. As for now, there's else that Minato needs, so he shakes his head. He won't be able to fall asleep for a bit because of the coffee so he'll just chill. He can fiddle with his earphones and mp3 player to see what he can do to get them working again, but alas, he won't be able to figure it out. ]

[ The caffeine keeps him up during valuable sleeping hours, so by the time that Akira comes knocking the next evening, Minato will snoozing. The phantom thief will need to barge in and drag this tired boy out of bed because no amount of noise will get him up. ]

[ akira rudely waking up minato can either be threaded out or!! we can skip straight to the hot springs where minato will go and drown himself lmfao ]

[Rest assured, Akira did indeed let himself into Minato's room and pull him out of bed by his feet when all other methods proved fruitless. Thankfully, someone decided he felt fine enough to walk to the hot springs... and with surprising eagerness. It was a refreshing sight!

Even more refreshing is seeing how quickly Minato takes to the waters of the hot springs. He seems so... content. At Peace. Like he's ready to drift off to sleep and drown a very pleasant death at the depths of the springs.

As for Akira, he's happy to chill at the spring's edge, arms draped over the cobbled rim. All manner of things come floating their way from sake to eggs and even the occasional dildo (all of which Akira has had entirely too much fun grabbing and flinging out into the woods. It's like a sport.) He does, however, dutifully float the eggs in Minato's direction whenever they come their way.]

Hey. No sleeping in the bath.

[Akira only calls out to Minato when it seriously looks like he's considering a watery nap. They haven't been in here nearly long enough for that, man.]

[ Minato is definitely all too eager to get over to the hot springs. After he's able to rub away the sleep from his eyes, he will waste no time walking to his new favourite hangout spot (dethroning his bedroom). It's been so long since he last was able to have a hot and relaxing soak and after all that happened back home? Yeah, he thinks that he deserves to stay there for the entire night. ]

[ He doesn't pay too much attention to which pool that he slips into. They all seem the same to him and, well, he hasn't been here long enough to know that he should be suspicious of everything. He just walks right in and immediately finds himself relax. He takes in a deep breath and exhales a long, relaxed sigh. His eyelids are already falling heavy and Akira's voice is starting to sound faint. ]

[ Sleep...... in........ bath......? ]

[ Why, don't mind if he does. He already begins to sink. ]

[Don't? Sleep?? In the bath??? Akira's in the middle of strongly considering a shot of sake when Minato starts sinking. He's well aware that this boy's propensity for eating like a pig might weigh him down in the bath, but this is almost alarming. What did he just say?!]

Don't kill yourself. If you're tired, lean on my shoulder.

[Peeling himself from the edge of the spring, Akira wades over Minato's way and tugs him upright... mostly. There's no tension at all in these muscles, is there? Minato's love affair with hot springs is no joke.]

[ Even as he gets lifted up from the water, his eyes remain closed. He's practically dead weight by now. Luckily for him, he hasn't had any strenuous workouts since his battle with Nyx, so this bath is nothing more than a very nice way to doze off. No knots or tension spots for him to work out. ]

Mm...

[ Did he hear even a word that Akira said? It's unclear because he immediately starts to sink again. He's gonna have to be kept upright for his entire stay in the pool or be dragged to the edges where he can actually be seated. Either way, Akira's gonna have the fun job of holding a near-unconscious Minato who doesn't seem to care about a thing in the world. ]

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