013 ☀ Phantom Thieves, Magilou

[jokered]

Comments

[virtuale]

[Akira's helping.

But Futaba is not backing down!! Because obviously not.]

Quirky Side Witch uses Plaintive Diversion! It's not very effective!

[Shut up, Futaba.]

Here's your test! I want you to tell meeeee--

Why you like Akira! [Ah.

Of course.]

[jokered]

[honestly, akira is just going to hum this.

it's fine.]

[spinatalltale]

[aaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAH. literally the one question she never answered for anyone except Akira himself?? god. no. she's not ready for this]

[she's wearing a hoodie, she's totally pulling the hood up over her head and drawing it shut around her face, so only her nose is visible. her words are muffled]

. . . hey, no fair. Aren't midbosses supposed to use their weakest attacks before their strongest ones?

[SHE'S]

[STALLING]

[virtuale]

[Akira's the best, and Futaba leans against him contentedly and affectionately as he indulges in her everything.

With Magilou, though, she shows no quarter.]

Ha ha! That's assuming that this is my strongest attack! I have techniques the likes of which you've never seen!

[Doomed.]

[jokered]

Magilou used Stall! It doesn't affect the opposing Futaba....

[he's commentating this like a pokemon battle. softly. it's fine. he can't help himself, he needs futaba to know he'll be okay somehow and...

it's kind of funny to fluster magilou, anyway.]

[spinatalltale]

[yells??? yells!! he is literally the only one who has ever been able to fluster her like this]

[also SHOVES AT AKIRA'S KNEE FOR THAT COMMENTARY]

I'm under leveled! I didn't dungeon grind enough for this! Throw me a support spell, please!

[still stalling]

[virtuale]

Absolutely not! I save my support spells for people who have passed my test!

[So like.

The Phantom Thieves.

That's it.]

Time's up! [A point.] Your answer! [Well, Magilou?]

[jokered]

No buffs this time, Magilao.

[... nickname and all, huh.]

Talking to Futaba's like talking to me, anyway. Family's just an extension, you know.

1/2

[spinatalltale]

[. . . augh what the fuck. nickname is cheating. everything is cheating]

[her reply is dry]

His charm, smooth one-liners, kindness and good looks.

[badum tish]

[spinatalltale]

[okay, but. more seriously. Magilou shifts underneath the table so her back is pressed against the wall, legs stretched out in front of her. she also pushes the hood from her head, running her fingers through her bangs as she does so]

You know him too. . . don't you? [quietly, not looking at either of them] He has a strong heart. Much stronger than my own. And he uses it to just-- [hrrrgh this is embarrassing, and Magilou never gets embarrassed. she keeps her tone even in an attempt to play it cool] -- feel things, you know? He lives, brighter and more vibrantly than anyone else I know now.

[insert casual nonchalant shrug here THIS IS FINE, SHE IS FINE]

Even when he cracks, even when he shows weakness, even when he hurts and experiences pain and grief. . . well. It's like I said earlier. Not even that island could extinguish that spark within-- nothing could kill that no matter how hard it tried.

[another shrug!!]

. . . he keeps going. Despite the ugliness in the world, despite his own suffering and the suffering of those around him.

[. . .]

So in other words, he's okay, I suppose.

[after that, only "okay," jfc Magilou]

[virtuale]

[... Oh.

Futaba pauses at that, listening intently, her arms wrapped around her legs...and then she smiles a little to herself. In truth, Magilou loves Akira for a lot of the same reasons that Futaba loves him, even if they love him in different ways. He's still Akira, and he's everything both of them need and more.

And he always keeps going.

So... she nods, humming a satisfied little tune.]

Yep, you're right. He's Akira, and Akira's Akira. [Obviously.] That's why he's so cool.

[And amazing and warm and the best big brother she could ask for, but she won't say that. Instead, liltingly:]

Okaaaay, you pass. I was going to unleash a super special crazy move after, but... eh.

I'm bored now.

[No, Magilou just...convinced her with that answer, that's all.]

[jokered]

And so, she concedes, mercifully.

[but to futaba, more softly:]

Thank you.

[and he means it. futaba is family, she's someone who can't be replaced in his life and someone he loves with all his heart...

but there's a lot of room in his heart, and a lot of people he loves. magilou is one of those people now; she helped him through his darkest hour, and he wouldn't be here like this right now if it weren't for her. so for futaba to recognize that and accept it—

it helps him. it makes him feels like things will be okay. it's going to take him time to heal, and there are still more people who need to learn the truth, but...right now, this is fine.

he'll at least give magilou a moment to recover, even if he slips his hand under the table, as if to offer it to magilou and pull her back up to their level here.]

[spinatalltale]

Hmph. That wasn't me conceding. That was a Mystic Arte, and I just one-hit-KO'd the midboss.

[but her response is a little less sassy than usual, and after a moment to regain her bearings, she does reach up to grab Akira's hand so she can clamor back onto the booth seat again]

[virtuale]

Eh.

[Futaba just shrugs a little, leaning against Akira before she reaches across the table to fetch her coffee.]

It was a scripted boss fight anyway.

[Futaba.]

[jokered]

[akira snorts at that. look at his best girls, here!!]

I can't tell if I'm the damsel here or not.

[spinatalltale]

[sorry Futaba, but once Magilou is level with them both again, she is totally leaning in, pressing one hand against Akira's cheek, and stealing a (not so quick. . . actually. . . SHE'S LINGERING A BIT) kiss. GROSS PDA]

[and when she pulls back--]

You are. And you're welcome for that save.

[lightly thwacks his head, before she settles back into her seat next to him]

[virtuale]

No, you're the key it--

[... GROSS.

GROSS???

UGH.

She's immediately making a horrified face, and there are definitely gagging noises coming from her side of the table as she slumps uselessly to the table and makes dying noises.

Death by her stupid brother's stupid girlfriend's gross PDA. RIP in pieces.]

[jokered]

[okay, well!! he wasn't expecting that. not that he's going to refuse it, but he expected a signature cheek smooshing or a nose pull and not a kiss.]

Ah. Midboss down.

[just.

flatly.

(he's amused, he loves them both so much??)]

She might need this.

[where did akira procure a revival bead from? who the hell knows, but it's funny.]

[spinatalltale]

[pleasant surprises!!]

. . . are you going to make her a necklace?

[bead?? necklace?? she doesn't know wtf those are, okay, they have life bottles where she comes from]

[virtuale]

[Futaba's hand just shoots out to accept the revival bead.

Give it, give it.

She doesn't actually need it but...she wants it anyway, apparently?? Okay.]

[jokered]

Just going to revive her from her KO.

[beads in this world, not bottles. you're in a different rpg now, magilou.

either way, he'll put the revival bead in futaba's hand, this is fine.]

[spinatalltale]

[what]

Uho! Now isn't that the best sort of jewelry to give to an adventuring girl.

[she jokes, but wtf. how does a bead revive people. how do bottles revive people though, idk, rpg mechanics!!]

[virtuale]

[Her hand clenches around the revival bead and then she's totally shoving it into her pocket.

Hah. It's hers now.

She sits up abruptly, tilting her head at Magilou. And she wags her finger, mock-scoldingly.]

Nuh-uh, I'm support. The rest of you can fight things and use revival items and things.

[She's got a sweet-ass spaceship and she's not afraid to use it.]

[jokered]

[she's going to have to put that revival bead back in the item pool during the next mementos crawl! but it's fine, akira doesn't seem very fussed about it either way.]

I don't know if you'll need it, but I guess we'll have to outfit you with some stuff.

[if magilou's ever going to fight near them—which he imagines she will because she probably wants to see the phantom thieves in action and experience the metaverse a bit.]

I might be disappointed if you go down enough to need a revival bead, though.

[he's teasing, it's fine.]

[spinatalltale]

[how many times has Styx needed to use a Life Bottle on Magilou b/c her defense is paper thin--]

Please. I may be a witch, and my stat priority may be my attack and arte attack stats, but that doesn't mean I can't take a hit or two.