voice test ☀ joker

[jokered]

the hierophant; cafe leblanc

[most days have routine. get up, eat breakfast, hop on subway. school, meeting up with friends afterwards, and then a brief reprieve to do homework before some evening shenanigans.

but of course, some things don't always go as planned.

like the rare occasion where someone comes into the cafe leblanc for some coffee or curry (or perhaps both; they complement each other well here, after all) and the proprietor is nowhere to be seen. like this moment, for instance, when a certain scruffy-haired teen comes down the back stairs, bag slung over his shoulder (is that a cat popping its head out?), and he just pauses.]

Huh?

[he questions quietly, wondering why the place is unattended—he can only guess it was meant to be brief, and with the assumption that nobody would show up. whoops?

either way, it looks like akira is walking himself behind the counter, placing down the bag and picking up an apron like a semi-pro. unless you're one of the phantom thieves, in which case he's not helping your ass unless you ask, like a true pal.]

Can I help you?

[see? totally a pro!]

the magician; mementos

[how you got here may not matter. but it's certainly a strange looking subway station. it's devoid of people, but full of... something else. monsters? well, shadows, but this particular area seems to be devoid of even that.

until there's a rustling sound. one corner. the next. then behind a pole.

...do you feel like you're being watched?

...or maybe like someone is about to ambush you?

well, it doesn't matter, because as soon as joker has discerned that this isn't an aggressive shadow, but someone else, he'll somersault out from where he's hiding, gun in hand. to those who know him, he may seem familiar, even recognizable entirely. to anyone else, this masked trickster is joker of the phantom thieves. his smirk skirts on the dangerous side, knowing he's got someone cornered—though he doesn't seem particularly aggressive before asking the most important questions:]

Who are you? ["and why are you here?" he doesn't lower his gun completely though, instead twirling it in his hand.

show off.]

the chariot; texts

[did you want to make plans to hang out tomorrow? did you think akira would want a text from you?

...well, he probably does! except that he fell asleep, so being woken up to a text that says "do you have a second?" or some variation of it is going to be met with a response.]

1.

[and then, immediately after that, a second text:]

Time's up.

[nobody said it would be a helpful response. please though, continue.]

the fool; wildcard

[idk do whatever, make up some stuff!]

Comments

gimme the cafe

[messianic]

[He's...so incredibly lost. It's not the first time Minato's been in this area of the city, but the last time was quite a long time ago; that he's here now is an incredible mix-up of shenanigans that he doesn't really feel like thinking about (Mitsuru is going to have his hide if he doesn't figure things out soon) and the back alleys are just baffling in all possible ways.

He makes loops and circles and gets nowhere near closer to getting on a train that will take him home, so eventually, shoulders sagging with defeat and hands tucked into his pockets, he...decides to try his luck and enter a random cafe.

The sign says "open", but there's nobody there; he blinks, lifting a hand from his pocket to lower his headphones, and is ready to turn right back around and leave when his fellow protag makes his appearance. ...Still, he doesn't really look like he was ready to suddenly start cafe service...]

Ah... Sorry, am I interrupting you?

[He can go, it's fine!!! Probably. He'll just go get more lost.]

gives you the entire cafe

[jokered]

[but what kind of protag would he be if he just let that go?

which is exactly why akira shakes his head as he ties the apron.]

No, it's fine. [he's not the wordiest, but it's clear that he's not bothered by it. if anything, he's taking in it stride.] I didn't realize the boss stepped out.

[honestly. thanks for nothing, sojiro, he could've at least called up the stairs or something. still, this kid doesn't look familiar to him—is it his first time at leblanc? maybe. there's a slight tilt to his head as he looks him over before shrugging it off.]

Can I get you anything?

thank

[messianic]

[... Oh.

Well, in truth, he still feels a little bad. It's clear that this guy's got this covered, but...he's still holding him up, isn't he? Minato hesitates a brief moment...and then he shrugs, settling his hands back into his pockets again. It's fine. He's already a dead man he's sure, with how long it's taking him to get back. What's a few more hours?

It's only polite, he thinks, to order something if he's going to be taking up this person's time like this.]

...Directions, honestly, but I guess a coffee would be nice too.

[He can ask for more help after he actually pays for being here, that seems more fair.]

comments even though the journal isn't completely set up yet ALSO CHARIOT

[modelthief]

[honestly she'd be more offended if she didn't already know this is just how Leader is]

[so she's just gonna sass him in return]

Ooooookay, smartass, I guess I'll have to offer these extra Destinyland tickets to someone else.

so good to me tbh

[jokered]

[he's probably only as sassy as he is because he knows that his friends expect it from him at this point.

he can be himself with them, so why not?]

Ryuji might puke on your shoes if you take him on too many roller coasters.

[therefore, no, he's not refusing destinyland tickets??]

the magician!

[proactively]

[Guns. It's always guns.

What a sense of deja vu.

Seiya really ought to be more afraid when faced with a potential psycho wielding firearms, but he's had a gun pointed at him/been shot so many times that he's kind of used to it by now. Granted, he still has no desire to learn what it's like to be shot with lasting damage, but.

While he looks (and is) nervous, it doesn't take long before his expression shifts to something akin to deadpan.]

Who am I? [He spreads out his arms, palms facing upwards.] As happy as I'd be to grace you with my introduction, I think that in this situation, the more suspicious of us here should be obliged to answer that first. So, the better question is, who the hell are you?

[jokered]

[if it helps any, it's technically not a real gun. sort of.]

Definitely not a shadow, then. [it's a note made quietly to himself, but this time, he'll pull the weapon back. still, the cocky smirk never leaves his lips. why is he like this, we just don't know.]

Someone who needs to work here in the shadows. [or against the shadows? is this wordplay? maybe just a little.] How did you get here?

[he needs to know, because it's not normal. this is already a game of evasive questions, it seems.]

mementos b/c wow this must be a normal subway station!!

[apatheia]

[Joker please... You're talking to a Platinum Games character here, showing off is gonna take more than that!!

Would you believe this is the most intact human structure 2B's actually ever seen? Never mind that this isn't exactly a human structure per say, she wouldn't know. Regardless, she doesn't look particularly surprised when he somersaults out. Then again, with half her face covered by a blindfold, she doesn't look particularly like anything.]

2B. [She replies evenly, calmly. Despite the boy wielding a gun, he doesn't come across as hostile to her.] And who are you?

[jokered]

[in all honesty, she probably draws more surprise from joker; he's going to remain on the defensive, because he feels he needs to.

it's not as if he can know so easily that she isn't human; her current getup honestly makes her look as if she's a persona user in the metaverse.

but clearly, she's not a shadow. he's cautious, but amiable enough, lowering his guard.

2B. it sounds like a codename to him, so he nods.]

...Joker. [he pauses, thinking for a moment of how to proceed.] How long have you been here?

[sure, that's a good start, maybe.]

magician!

[pseudonyms]

[Maybe this was a mistake. She had wanted to do some scouting on her own after picking up a weird reading and though she's only in the city for a short time she's managed to slip past the watchful eyes of Inoue-san once more. It's questionable how she slipped right into Mementos, but the more questionable thing here is the fact that there's a.) a gun right in front of her and b.) some...weird...Phantom of the Opera wanna-be trying to scare her.

The gun, thankfully, doesn't alarm her just yet. Naoto uses firearms when they fight, but this strange boy in this strange place is still unnerving.]

Are you expecting someone in particular?

[jokered]

[well.

this is fucking awkward.

he'd have to be a fool to not recognize her—posters for her single are plastered up all over shibuya station, and someone even gave him on as a gift, which now hangs as a badge of honor in his room.

so yeah. awkward. probably also not the person to point a gun at.]

...No. [which is not a lie, but it's a careful admission he makes as he drops his hand to his side. she's a person, not a shadow, he can tell that much without assistance.

but how? how did she end up down in mementos?] It's dangerous in here.

i have barely any icons BUT I'M HERE also the hierophant pls

[bufudyne]

--Akira.

[For some reason, Yusuke has a big old sketchbook tucked under his arm as he enters... guess who spent all of their money again on art supplies and probably can afford little more than a coffee. Someone please start a fund for him.]

I thought I'd come and enjoy one of boss's coffees, but-- [Ie: take up space and draw, like, whoever walks in because apparently he can't do that in the subway station for some stupid reason. Why would you get mad about that?? Yusuke has no idea. It's pretty rude.] --are you working in his stead?

[Just taking a seat at the counter... he's staying here forever. No, jk.]

icons are for squares, it's fine

[jokered]

[oh, it's just yusuke.

which could probably sound a lot worse than it is, but really it just means he doesn't have to be nearly as guarded or polite. yusuke is yusuke, and he knows what to expect—

which certainly includes probably money out of his own pocket if yusuke wants more coffee than he can afford, or if he gets hungry. but hey, that's what friends are for, right? either way, he sees a note on the counter—thanks for that helpfulness, sojiro...]

He said he forgot to pick up something for Futaba. [so he'll probably be back in a few minutes, if that's the case. ]

You can wait until he gets back, if you want. [or akira can make him coffee, but he knows that he can't provide as complex a flavor profile as the boss.]

the hierophant, arrives late

[scannerly]

[ Good thing Akira's a pro, because he's about to get one of his strangest customers yet.

This android. ]

Oh, uh, I guess. This is a "restaurant", right?

[ He looks ... pretty weirdly interested in his surroundings right now. Normal people do not seem this interested in cafes. Normal people also do not carry floating swords on their back or walk around with floaty robots either. Or wear blindfolds. At least not in public.

And despite his general interest in everything, he seems weirdly nervous. Sorry, he thought humans were dead and being in this city (through mysterious rp means??) has taught him otherwise. He is unsure how to deal with it currently. ]

it's never too late for andriods

[jokered]

[well.

this isn't at all what akira expected to see walking through leblanc's door, and for a moment, he's just... puzzled.

is he cosplaying? he looks like he has to be cosplaying, and he's just going to assume the sword has to be fake, because who in japan can get away with just being out in the streets with a real sword?

it's fine, this is fine.

akira can roll with the punches. it's hard to get much stranger than yusuke, but 9S is already trying.]

...That might be overselling it, but close enough.

hierophant/cafe. (pardon my lack of icons.)

[courted]

—Oh!

[ Politely, Haru smiles at him from the other side of the counter. She stands, neat and prim and rod-straight, with a shopping bag held in both hands. ]

I'm sorry, you don't need to do anything for me.

[ She likes the apron, though. He can keep it on. ]

I actually brought some vegetables for Sakura-san. [ Um. ] ... Is he here?

[jokered]

[he'll keep it on, then! but mostly since he probably should. even if haru's not here to be serviced as a customer, so long as sojiro is nowhere to be found.

sorry, haru. akira shakes his head.]

I think he went to help Futaba with something. [since that's usually the only reason he ever leaves during the day, even if she's more prone to coming into leblanc herself lately.] He should be back soon, if you want to wait.

[he'll keep her company, for whatever it's worth.]

texts

[bookofyonah]

[ Technology from the old world sure is fun to mess with! Yonah has found a new way to send out letters to her father. Much more quicker than dropping off letters into the mail box.

Except... this isn't her father that she's sending accidental messages to. Is it? ]

Does this mean you're coming home soon, Dad? Did you get the melon I asked for?

[jokered]

[the worst thing he can probably do is play along, but.

you know, he's a punk.]

I couldn't find melons, but I have a cat.

[this is followed almost immediately by him sending a picture—glasses off and hair disheveled, with morgana in the frame.

sorry yonah, this isn't actually your dad, he just plays on one tv or something.]

the magician, OBVIOUSLY

[covenantal]

[ This is not what he expected to happen when he ducked into the subway.

Two immediate impulses - to get out right away, and to explore further - keep him rooted to one spot, glancing around, his spine stiff. This feels familiar in a way he can't place, a feeling of tension and foreboding he hasn't had to deal with in, well.... since the team dealt with that mess surrounding the Love Meets Bonds festival, anyway.

It won't work outside of the TV, or ... various other special circumstances. But something scratches at the back of his mind, whispers and rustles around, and he can't help the way his fingers curl around a sword he isn't holding.

His sense of caution is rewarded with ... someone. Someone in a mask and a flowing black jacket appearing in a rather theatrical way. Somehow, this should be surprising, and it's not. Yu doesn't step back, nor does he look intimidated. If anything, all that registers is a mild surprise as he looks Akira over. ]

Shouldn't I be asking you that?

[ A tilt of his head. ]

... I don't want a fight.

[ Put down the gun, please. ]

[jokered]

—A person.

[he knows this feeling, after all. this is different than shadows.. even the shadows that appear in human form have that tension to them that a real person doesn't.

with his finger near the trigger, he twirls the gun in his hand with an almost animated level of dexterity before putting it away. he's still got his other weapon and personas should he really need it...

but joker isn't here to hurt anyone at all, and it seems like this guy probably isn't going to attack him suddenly.]

I have business here. [which doesn't say who he is, sometimes you just gotta skirt a question or two.]

This isn't a place most people can get to. [so how did you do it, bruh.]

the chariot; you brat

[jurisdick]

[ that is the most bratty thing he has ever seen written on his screen. why on earth did he allow these gang of hooligans to have his phone number? he had simply been texting kurusu to ask about the details of tomorrow - were they infiltrating the palace or not? - and he received that quip. ... then again, it's par for the course, what with that stupidly confident grin he can't seem to wipe off his face. ]

My apologies for waking you, in that case. Should I let you get back to your beauty sleep?

[ you want sass? you're going to get sass. ]

:D also GENTLY SPOILER WARNS for my stalking pals bc i don't trust these two

[jokered]

[it's always better with a little sass, anyway. he would have sent the same reply to ryuji or anyone else that texted him at this hour.

but when it's akechi, he can't help that extra twinge of sass, and he's got every reason for it.]

I'm already awake now. What is it?

hierophant;

[classifidol]

[ The producer had stressed - while looking quite stressed - that while it was permissible to wander around the area after the work for the day had been completed, it was imperative that they keep a low profile. Which could work for Haruka, who could hide behind glasses and a hat, and Yayoi, who emitted such an aura of innocence that no one would dare to bother her--

But when you're in Japan, and you have a waterfall of lustrous silver hair and the tendency to make people wonder if you came from the moon, there's really no hope at all for Takane to blend in. So she doesn't. She's finished with the shoot, she's ravenous, and this tousle-haired young man now standing behind the counter is her only hope.

Which does not stop her from standing there rather grandly, chin lifted with quiet pride, eyes resting on his face, as she speaks-- ]

I desire your earnest assistance with procuring your most highly-rated sustenance.

[ She's 18. ]

[jokered]

[well, she definitely does stand out, but it doesn't really bother him. aside from a bit of a surprised look thanks to the fact that he's not used to seeing anyone like ann around that here.

it's not a bad thing though, even if...

her choice of words definitely gives him a bit of pause. not because he doesn't understand what she's saying, but just because it's unconventional.]

We have coffee and curry rice. [and yet, despite that pause, it's like he barely skips it beat in giving her response. there's no verbal questioning of her word choice...

you do you, takane.] You can sit anywhere you want.

[it's not like there's anyone else there, anyway.]