So. Quick announcement before I start off the chapter. I'm taking focus off of my work on Fanfic and moving my primary focus to AO3. That doesn't mean I'll stop uploading here, but my primary focus will be on AO3, evident by my new story that I just published there. If you like what I'm doing then I implore you to go check it out over on AO3. Thank you guys for all the support on my story so far and I will by no means stop writing. But I have found a preference for how things are done over on AO3 so I will be shifting my primary focus over there in the future. Do check it out if you're interested. Making an account, leaving a kudos and a subscription is all completely free, and you even get to check out my new fic too! On the topic of my new fic, the latter part of this chapter involves the Thieves getting together for a character creation session for their new Dungeons and Dragons campaign, which so happens to be what my new fic is about. If you're interested, all you have to do is search for The Future After Royal on AO3 and check the Series tab, or just search for Dungeons and Dragons with the Phantom Thieves and you should find it no problem at all. Anyways, enough about all this, and on with the chapter, I hope you all enjoy!
"That will be all for today's class. Please make sure you hand in your assignment by next week or else you'll be marked accordingly… and we'd like to avoid that, wouldn't we? That will be all. Have a good day!"
The professor dismissed them quickly as Akira turned to Miku and shrugged before she too shrugged as she gave him a small smile before they started to pack their things away into their bags, Morgana having to squeeze a little to the side as Akira stuffed his books and stationery back into it. They had just finished their last class of the week and since it was a Thursday, Akira had a long weekend ahead of him to work on his assignment.
"So, Miku. Do you want to meet up tomorrow to get this assignment done? We could head to the diner in Shibuya, if you'd like." Akira suggested, thoughtfully as he pondered for a little longer. "I also live in a cafe, if you'd perhaps prefer somewhere a little quieter. I can tell you for a fact that we have the best coffee, and the best curry!"
"Oh, really? I'll take you up on your offer then! As long as I'm not intruding, of course!"
"It's no bother at all. Are you much of a morning person?"
"Would you believe me if I said I was?"
"Nope."
"Yeah, I didn't think so either."
Akira let out a laugh as Miku giggled lightly, the two of them the last ones to leave the classroom besides the professor as they walked out of the lecture hall together, bags slung over their shoulders as Akira let Morgana out onto his shoulder. Having gotten permission from his professor and the school to be allowed to bring a pet onto campus, Akira started letting Morgana out on his shoulder a lot more, even though he was still to be kept in his bag during lectures as it proved to be a little too distracting for a couple of students. Akira didn't mind, though. At the very least he'd have an excuse to bring Morgana along with him on campus, just like his old high school days.
"We won't have classes until Monday, right?" Miku asked with a smile, brushing some stray strands of hair out of her face. "Would tomorrow work fine for you, Akira-kun? I'm not intruding on any plans, am I?"
"No no, not at all. The sooner we finish this assignment the better, anyways." Akira chuckled as they both walked towards the front gates. "How does lunch sound?"
"I'll be sure to save my stomach until then!"
"Once that curry hits your mouth, you'll never want to get any other curry for the rest of your life."
"Really?! Is it that good?"
"I've had that curry time and time again. Without a doubt."
"I can't wait!"
"Morgana here can vouch for it too, can't you?"
Morgana sighed, nodding his head. He knew that no matter what he wanted to say, he couldn't disagree with that. The Chief's curry was unarguably the best, no doubt about it.
"Oh! Before I forget, where do you live, Akira-kun?" Miku asked eagerly, using her free hand to reach out and pet Morgana as the two of them exited campus grounds.
"I'm staying at Yongen-Jaya. The first right outside the station will take you straight to Cafe Leblanc. The Den-en-toshi line should take you straight there." Akira replied with a smile and a slight wave. "See you tomorrow?"
"Right! Tomorrow then. Goodbye Akira-kun!"
"Take care, Miku."
The two of them parted ways for the day as Akira made his way towards the station, eager to get back home and collapse into a nice plate of curry and a soothing cup of coffee.
Take Your Time
The door to the cafe chimed as Akira stumbled into Leblanc, tired and a little drowsy, having not gotten a lot of sleep the night before. Sojiro only sighed as Futaba gave him a wave before going back to watching something on her laptop with great interest. Akira collapsed at the counter, letting Morgana out of his bag before asking Sojiro for the usual as he only chuckled and sighed, starting the heating up for the curry as usual. Morgana clambered over
"Here you go, Akira." Sojiro said kindly, setting down a cup of coffee on the table as Akira sipped at it quietly. "You didn't stay up too late last night, did you? You seem a little out of it."
"It's just been a long day, Sojiro… I'm not used to being out this late in class…" Akira responded wearily, the boost from the caffeine having not kicked in at the moment. "How's the curry coming along?"
"Just fine. It's almost ready, actually." Sojiro replied, continuing to stir the pot, adding in sprinkles of his secret ingredients that Akira knew all too well. "You should turn in early today, kid. Don't let the days catch up with you."
"That's probably a good call…" Akira agreed as Sojiro set the plate of curry down in front of him. "Itadakimasu."
"Dig in, kid. Enjoy yourself."
Akira began to dig into the flavorful curry, savoring each and every bite, only stopping every once in a while to take a sip of his coffee. The blend that Sojiro had picked out for him went surprisingly well with the curry, much better than anything he had the chance to try out for himself on the shelf. Tempted to ask Sojiro about it, he opened his mouth before hesitating, deciding not to ask about it until a later date.
"Hey, Boss?"
"What is it?"
"I have a friend coming over tomorrow for lunch, we're gonna be working on an assignment."
"Yeah, I got it. I think I'll take a day off, for once. The shop will be yours."
"Thanks, Sojiro. You sure you don't mind?"
"Nah. It's the least I could do."
"I appreciate it."
Sojiro chuckled as he took Akira's plate which he had wiped clean and his cup of coffee to the sink and started washing the dishes, pausing his routine of closing up shop for the time being. He could tell that Akira was still getting back into the groove of waking up at early hours, and having late evening classes didn't help much with that either.
"Yo, Akira!"
Akira turned around to see Futaba waving at him and patting the seat next to her, inviting him to sit next to her as she beckoned Morgana to join her as well.
"What is it, Taba?"
"Come here! I wanna ask you something. You too, Mona."
Akira turned to Morgana before scooping him up with his hands as he brought him over to the table Futaba was sitting at, taking a quick peek at her laptop screen before she turned it, pouting a little at his attempt.
"Boo, Akira! You're no fun! Let me reveal it to you for dramatic effect!"
Akira snorted. "Right. Where's the harm in a little peek?"
"You seem pretty into it, Futaba. What is it you wanna show us?" Morgana asked curiously, trying to take another peek from her computer screen as she hmph'ed in disapproval, shaking her head.
"Be patient Mona! I was getting there!" Futaba pouted as she turned her screen back to the two of them.
Akira's eyes lit up in excitement. "Futaba… are you going to ask what I think you're going to ask?"
"Yep! Who's down for some DND?!" Futaba shouted excitedly as Sojiro noticeably chuckled from his spot behind the counter.
"What's DND, Akira?" Morgana questioned as he turned to his partner with a puzzled look on his face. "You seem to know about it."
Akira looked towards Futaba who only nodded her head as she let him take the floor. "Well, DND stands for 'Dungeons and Dragons'. It's a tabletop game where a lot of dice is rolled and where people roleplay characters in a fantasy world."
"Yep! It's super cool because many people can play at once and every person has a character that they can create however they like!" Futaba jumped in excitedly, nearly bouncing in her chair. "Each character has their own unique backstory and class, too!"
"Ooh! Do you think there's a class for me?" Morgana yelped excitedly as he too started to get invested. "Oooh oooh maybe we could get everyone else to join in too! I'm sure they'd all love it!"
"Y'know what? That isn't such a bad idea…" Akira agreed, pulling out his phone. "It's been a long time since I've played DND, I definitely wouldn't mind pulling some of my moves out with you guys."
"Then it's settled! Do you think we should all have a character building session? Ooh, maybe we could start on Sunday!"
"Let's see what everyone else has to say. Remember, a unanimous vote is what we agreed on, as Phantom Thieves."
"Monaaaa! We aren't thieves anymore, remember?"
"I know I know! It's just… we don't have to be thieves to keep upholding our old agreements, do we?"
"Fineeee…"
Phantom Thieves Group Chat
FeatherCyanIsInnocent: Yooooooooooooooo, anyone here?
StarvingForArt: What is it, Futaba? Are you bored again?
FeatherCyanIsInnocent: No! No no no! What makes you think that?
StarvingForArt: Well, the past few times you were bored, you messaged us with that exact message. Is it wrong of me to assume that you're bored?
FeatherCyanIsInnocent: Okay you have a point, Inari.
FeatherCyanIsInnocent: But that's not why I'm here.
Runnin'FromCops: Well, what is it then, Futaba?
BurnMyBread: If you need to talk, I'm free for the night!
RollOfFloof: Me too! You need only ask, Futaba-chan!
FeatherCyanIsInnocent: Well… you see…
BeneathTheMask: Futaba wanted to ask you all if you'd be down to play some Dungeons and Dragons on Sunday.
FistOfThePhantomStar: Dungeons and Dragons?
SumiEvergarden: Oh, DND! I've always wanted to play! Kasumi and I were never able to find a Dungeon Master though…
Runnin'FromCops: Oh, right! I've heard of it! It's that tabletop game where everybody roleplays as their created character, right?
FeatherCyanIsInnocent: Yeeap! I just asked Akira about it and we thought it'd be a great idea if we got everyone in on it! We could meet up every Sunday for lunch and play some DND afterwards!
FistOfThePhantomStar: That does sound like a good idea… We won't be meeting as often anymore, with school and college starting for the lot of us. I think Dungeons and Dragons gives us an excellent opportunity.
BurnMyBread: Makoto's right!
RollOfFloof: I think so too! Shall we get together this Sunday?
SumiEvergarden: I'm free! Coach Hiraguchi usually doesn't give me practice on Sundays so I'll be there!
StarvingForArt: Roleplaying, you say? Could I perhaps play as a character pursuing the fine arts?
BeneathTheMask: I'm sure we could find something to your liking, Yusuke.
StarvingForArt: Then count me in. I'd be happy to join you all.
Runnin'FromCops: We're gettin' to play DND on Sunday? Hell yeah!
FeatherCyanIsInnocent: No objections? Then I'm happy to say that our Dungeons and Dragons group has officially begun! Session 0 starts on Sunday, 1 PM, don't be late!
BeneathTheMask: Wait. I just realised. Who's DMing?
SumiEvergarden: I would volunteer but I don't think I'd be a good fit…
FeatherCyanIsInnocent: I could DM! Saves me the trouble of making my own character! Although I'd have to put in a lot of effort into managing this party… It's worth it though! I'll be the best DM you could ever ask for!
BurnMyBread: You go Futaba-chan!
RollofFloof: I'm sure you'll be amazing Futaba-chan!
FistOfThePhantomStar: I just looked it up and it seems like there are a couple of things we might need for our sessions. We'll need a set of dice each, a copy of the Player Handbook, and some blank character sheets for us to make our characters. I can bring a set of character sheets for us to use. Would you mind settling the dice and the Handbook, Futaba?
FeatherCyanIsInnocent: Got it!
FeatherCyanIsInnocent sent
FeatherCyanIsInnocent: Here's the Handbook! I'll make sure to get a physical copy too but I'd recommend reading up on the character building and gameplay! Trust me, it's really fun!
BeneathTheMask: I never would've thought that my Phantom Thieves would pick up DND in a million years.
SumiEvergarden: I can't wait to get to play with you all! It'll be my first time!
Runnin'FromCops: Same here! It really does feel like we're all back together again! For real this time!
BurnMyBread: Right?! We're finally all going to do something together! It's been ages since we've met up for anything fun, besides Sumire's birthday of course!
RollOfFloof: Well, we did meet up that one time… Although we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into! Akira-kun really surprised us!
StarvingForArt: Most definitely. It's still a pleasure to have you all back. I can't say I didn't miss the days where we would meet in Cafe Leblanc for Phantom Thief meetings.
BeneathTheMask: Yeah. I'm glad to be back.
Akira looked up from his phone as Futaba shook her head towards him as he responded with a puzzled expression before shrugging and looking back at his phone.
FeatherCyanIsInnocent: Woah, woah! Don't get too sappy! DND on Sunday, remember? Don't be late! We're gonna have fun!
SumiEvergarden: I can't wait!
Akira set down his phone for now, giving Morgana a few pets before heading upstairs with a brief wave to both Futaba and Sojiro. He quickly changed into his pyjamas and collapsed into his bed, eager to get some rest for the day. Akira soon fell asleep, dozing off into a comfortable rest, not even noticing Morgana pounce onto his stomach as he too got comfortable atop his torso. Neither of them noticed, however, that a familiar number happened to be calling Akira's phone in the late hours of the evening…
Take Your Time
Akira awoke sometime later into the morning hours, not having gotten much sleep after being woken up in the middle of the night. Checking his phone, he realised that it was already 11:30, and that Miku would soon be over for their arranged study group.
"Shit…" Akira cursed under his breath as he sat upright, stretching his body a little as he looked around for Morgana. "Morgana? Are you here?"
A wave of silence answered him back, giving him the information he needed to know. Morgana had probably gone to Sojiro's while he had still been asleep. Akira shrugged as he changed out of his sleeping clothes and headed downstairs, yawning as he took out the curry pot and looked in the fridge for some leftover ingredients. To his surprise there was a completely fresh batch of new ingredients, instead of the usual leftovers with a note attached to them, presumably from Sojiro.
You seeing this, kid?
I'd assume so, because these ingredients are for you. You got a friend coming over for an assignment, right? By the time you'll be reading this I'll probably be out with Futaba. If the cat decides to find us in the morning we'll bring him out too. You don't need to worry about a thing. I've got it all covered. The cafe is yours.
Sojiro
Akira chuckled to himself, making a mental note to thank Sojiro later as he started preparing the ingredients. He soon found himself humming along to bits of Simple and Clean, with time seeming to fly by as he added the ingredients to the curry little by little, each ingredient giving a flavorful taste to the dish. Akira smiled as he taste tested the curry, the recipe that Sojiro gave him a year back still fresh in his mind, not noticing the buzzing on his phone yet again. Not long after the curry finished cooking, he found himself brewing a cup of coffee, the beans on the shelf having just been restocked a couple of days ago. Taking a sip, he sighed in content as he heard a knock on the door outside. Turning to the entrance to the cafe, he saw a familiar face peeking inside as she soon smiled and waved, having seen Akira at the counter.
"The door's unlocked, Miku!" Akira shouted from within the cozy comforts of the cafe, taking another sip of his morning coffee.
The door swung open, the little bell attached to it giving a little ring, announcing her entrance to the empty cafe. The delicious smell of curry greeted Miku's nose as her smile morphed into one of curiosity and excitement as she set her bag in a booth and took a seat at the counter.
"That curry smells delicious, Akira-kun!" Miku beamed, an infectious smile spreading across her face as she peered over the counter at the steaming pot of curry. "Did you make it yourself?"
"Yeah. I mean, do you see anyone else here?" Akira chuckled, scooping out some curry along with a portion of rice and plating it neatly. "Do you want a normal portion, or-?"
"The normal portion is perfect, thank you!" Miku stared at the curry, her eyes widening as the plate was set in front of her. "This looks delicious! I didn't know you could cook, Akira-kun! Do you own this cafe too?"
"How I wish I did. I wouldn't be in university if I had a cafe to run." Akira joked, pouring a cup of coffee out for her too. "Do you want some coffee? It goes along great with the curry."
"Yes, please! A touch of sugar and a touch of milk!"
"Please, dig in. The curry is best when it's hot."
"Itadakimasu!"
Miku took a spoonful of curry and rice into her mouth and was immediately assaulted by the complex flavor of Sojiro's curry. The recipe had been perfected by the late Wakaba Isshiki, and Sojiro had kept it ever since, proclaiming that her additions only made the curry even better than what he originally started with.
"You weren't kidding, Akira-kun! This curry really is the best I've ever had!" Miku dug into her curry quickly as she continued to savor the taste. "Did you come up with this recipe yourself?"
"The owner of this cafe did. I should introduce you sometime. He's essentially my guardian. It's thanks to him that I get to live upstairs," Akira replied, setting down the cup of coffee next to her space at the counter. "Although since we have the cafe to ourselves, we'll save my room for another time."
"It wouldn't hurt if I had a little peek, would it?"
"Well… No? But there's nothing much up there either, so it isn't my fault if you're upset."
"Aww… No idol posters? No nothing?"
"Nope. Although I do have one poster given to me by a friend… I haven't put it up yet though."
"Can I-?"
"Save it, Miku."
"Aww, you're no fun…"
Akira soon sat down next to her with his own plate of curry and began to dig in hungrily into his own plate of curry, sipping at his coffee on occasion. Not long after, both their plates were clean and Akira took the dishes to the sink, preparing them to be cleaned later for reuse.
"How was it, Miku?"
"Well… it could've been better…" Miku expressed thoughtfully as she watched Akira raise an eyebrow before bursting into laughter. "I'm only joking, Akira-kun. It was the best curry I've ever had! You weren't kidding when you told me that I wouldn't want any other again!"
Akira let out a chuckle. "I'm glad to hear it. Just give me a second to wash up and we can start on that assignment."
"Oh, that reminds me! Do I owe you anything?"
"What?"
"For the curry! This is a cafe, right?"
"Don't worry about it. Curry and coffee are on the house."
"What?! But-"
"No buts. My treat."
"Fancy you for being such a gentleman. I never took you for the type, Akira-kun."
"Sheesh. A thank you would've been nice…"
"I'm kidding, Akira-kun. Thank you very much for the food! It was absolutely delicious."
"Glad to hear it. I'm sure Boss will be too."
Akira started to wash up the dishes as Miku hopped off the chair at the counter and went towards her seat in the booth, preparing her materials and her notebook for the research they'd have to do for their assignment. Akira soon joined her as she was pulling out her laptop, breathing a quick but unnoticed sigh of relief, as he didn't have one of his own, besides the one he had used to access Tanaka's Shady Commodities, although that seemed to be its only function. He should really get Futaba to look at it some day…
"Akira-kun? Are you okay?" Miku waved a hand in front of him, a slight look of concern appearing on her face for a brief second before it vanished. "You seemed a little distracted…"
"Sorry… I don't think I slept well last night…" Akira shrugged it off before smiling back at Miku. "It's nothing major, though. Don't worry about it."
"Are you sure? I could come back tomorrow if you'd like! You could get some rest for today!"
"I'm fine, Miku. Besides, I'd rather get this assignment over and done with. It shouldn't take us too long anyways."
"Alright then… Let's get it done quick so you can take a break!"
"Right you are. So… the topic was cognitive psychology…"
Take Your Time
It was nearly 4 in the afternoon by the time they had completed their assignments, ready to be handed in come Monday morning. The combination of Miku's knowledge and Akira's own experience with the cognitive world, as well as the internet coming in handy proved enough to answer every question thrown at them by their professor. Luckily for Akira, the topic didn't venture nearly far enough to the extent he knew of, as they were only covering some of the basics at this early stage in the syllabus, but he was thankful all the same.
"So in regards to how different people learn… I think that does it!" Miku sighed as she scribbled another sentence of words into the third page of her notebook. "How's yours coming along, Akira-kun?"
"Almost… done…" Akira replied, his pen on his paper as he continued to finish sentence after sentence in his own notebook, finally ending on his fourth page of continuous writing. "Y'know, when I first heard that we needed at least a 3 page essay, I was full of dread. But now after having done it…"
"It feels like it wasn't really 4 pages at all, right?" Miku finished as Akira nodded in agreement as they both slammed their notebooks shut. "I guess that's that! Now we can have a stress free weekend!"
"Thanks for being here, Miku. Who knows if I'd have done this assignment if I were left to my own devices…" Akira shook his head jokingly.
"I never took you for the type, Akira-kun!" Miku responded playfully as she slid her laptop and notebook back into her backpack. "In any case, I'm sure Morgana would continue pestering you like he always seems to."
"Yeah, you've got a point…"
Miku slid out of the booth and slung her bag over her shoulder, bowing towards Akira as the hoodie she had flipped up at some point during their research fell off, letting out her long brown hair as she thanked Akira again. "Thank you for inviting me here Akira-kun! It was fun working on this assignment with you!"
"The feeling's mutual, Miku." Akira smiled back at her as she stopped right before the door, gazing at the Sayuri for a couple of moments before shaking her head. "I guess you're heading home now?"
"Yeah! My mom will probably be worried if I'm out too late, especially if I'm off school today…" Miku looked a little downtrodden as she shook it off and the bright smile Akira was familiar with returned to her face. "I know she means well, but I guess she isn't used to me having a friend yet…"
"Ah, right…" Akira trailed off as he noticed her hesitate again, taking a quick glance at the Sayuri one more time as she opened the door. "You need me to walk you to the station?"
"Oh, no thank you! I'll be okay, don't worry!" Miku declined his offer politely as she bowed again. "Goodbye Akira-kun! See you on Monday!"
Akira nodded and waved goodbye as the bell rang once again, presumably for the last time for a while as the door swung shut. Taking his bag upstairs, he set it down near his bed as he began to look for a box that he had left here last year, before he had gone back to his hometown. Without much effort, he found the box exactly where he'd left and and pulled it out from the back of the shelf, opening it up to find the souvenirs he had received from his many friends two years back.
"I should really start putting these back up. It might liven up the room a little at the very least…"
Akira set to work on redecorating his room, putting up the idol poster alongside many of the other things he had received as gifts from his friends here in Tokyo onto his decoration shelf.
Take Your Time
It took surprisingly longer than expected as Akira wiped the small beads of sweat forming on his face. It was already nearly 6 in the evening when he stopped, satisfied with his work that he had managed to get done, only going downstairs once he was finished and collapsing into a chair at the counter.
The door soon opened as he saw Sojiro walk in carrying Morgana as Futaba stood next to him, rocking back and forth excitedly.
"How did your assignment go, kid?" Sojiro asked inquisitively as he set down a couple of plastic bags onto the countertop next to him. "I take it that it went well?"
"My best written research paper to date!" Akira responded proudly as Morgana and Futaba both snorted. "What? Did I say something wrong?"
"It's only your first paper, of course it'd be your best!" Futaba giggled as Morgana shook his head in disapproval. "Anyways, are you guys ready for DND on Sunday?"
"Of course! Although I'll probably be helping Sojiro out tomorrow at the cafe," Akira answered thoughtfully. "As thanks for the fresh ingredients you left for me, Boss."
"Ha! Well if you're offering, I'll be making you work twice as hard tomorrow." Sojiro guffawed. "Make sure you're ready to help each and every customer, got it?"
"Well it won't be much work then, will it?" Akira chuckled as he saw Sojiro's face morph into one of exasperation.
"I really do seem to think that every time I see you, only your mouth ever grows…"
Take Your Time
His Saturday was spent in Cafe Leblanc helping Sojiro out with the extra work and managing the coffee and curry whenever Sojiro went to take an order. Business was quiet, thankfully, as Akira was still a little tired and weary, his nightly rests not going as well as he had hoped, but he continued to work hard, much to Sojiro's surprise.
The two of them had a relatively uneventful afternoon, the only excitement being Futaba coming back from school and taking a booth all to herself, collapsing in a chair as the only regulars at the time, being the kind old lady and her husband laughing politely and giving their greetings to her. Futaba knew to keep to herself so she quietly sat in the booth alongside Morgana as she finished up her homework as Akira continued to work with Sojiro until the last customer left for the day.
Sojiro sighed as he walked over to the now empty booth and picked up the plate and the cash, passing the plate to Akira as he made his way over to the register. "Kid, help me out with this plate, I'll start getting ready to close up for today."
"Already on it, Sojiro." Akira replied, a little dead-panned as he took the dishes from Sojiro's hand before he brought them to the sink and turned on the tap. "Hey, Taba? Are you ready for tomorrow? We've got the team coming over~!"
"Yep! Did you think I'd forget? I've been waiting for this moment my whole life!" Futaba proudly exclaimed as she turned to see Sojiro holding back a snort. "Well, maybe not my whole life, but at least for the past couple of days!"
"This'll be fun!" Morgana chimed in as he snuggled up onto a chair at the counter. "Don't go too hard on us, okay Futaba? A lot of us have never played before…"
"Don't worry, Mona! You guys will love it! Trust me!"
"Famous last words…"
"Shut it, Akira!"
Akira and Morgana chuckled to each other as Sojiro poured himself a cup of coffee. "I assume you kids will be upstairs, right? I don't need to close up shop for the second time in a week, do I?"
"Yep! We got it all covered, Sojiro!" Futaba proclaimed as she went through a series of keystrokes on her laptop. "Oh, before I forget, you guys, I have your dice ready today if you want them~!"
"Save it for tomorrow, Taba." Akira sighed as he set the last dish on the rack to dry. "We can all get them at once. I'd rather not be the partial favorite."
"But… but!" Morgana protested as he looked towards Akira and shook his head. "Awww, fine… I guess I can wait till tomorrow…"
"Good kitty!" Futaba teased as Morgana glared, giving her the thousand yard stare while she only stuck out her tongue in return. "Tomorrow it is! I can't wait!"
"Oh, before we forget... Boss?" Akira called out towards the counter as Sojiro was counting his profits for the day. "Do you have a spare table like the one upstairs? We might need a little more space for our session tomorrow."
"I should have one back at the house, but if you want it here by the afternoon, you're gonna need to help me move it in before I open up shop in the morning."
"Aren't you strong enough, Sojiro? Why do I have to help you carry it?"
"Because you're the ones that want this table. Unless you've changed your mind?"
"Fine…"
"I thought so."
Now it was Futaba's turn to giggle as Sojiro merely shook his head. "Tomorrow then, you two! Make sure you have everything ready for us!"
"Yeah yeah, Futaba. We got it!" Morgana replied, eager to usher them out of the cafe for the night. "You should sleep early too! We've got a lot to do tomorrow, you especially!"
"I got it, I got it! I'm leaving, okay?" Futaba pouted as she motioned for Sojiro to follow. "I'll be out of your hair in no time flat!"
"Right. I'll see you tomorrow, kid."
"Night, Boss."
The bell chimed yet again for the last time that night as Morgana followed Akira upstairs, the sounds of excited meows and purrs echoing from the room as the two of them reminisced of memories and the changes Akira had made to his new room. The voice and the meowing soon fell quieter and quieter until there were barely any sounds left as the two of them drifted off to sleep, preparing themselves for the next day.
Take Your Time
Akira awoke under the shine of the morning sun as he sat up in his bed once again, his body not moving quite as he wanted it to. His arms and shoulders felt stiff as he attempted to sit upright, shifting Morgana off of his stomach and onto the bed in his attempt to stretch his limbs out. Morgana, having been woken up by Akira shifting him over, yawned and rolled over onto the floor, causing him to yelp in pain as Akira only chuckled and continued to stretch.
"Good morning, Morgana." Akira yawned as he got off the bed with a spring in his step. "You didn't hurt yourself too bad with that fall, did you?"
"Nope!" Morgana answered spryly before turning away and mouthing an 'ow' that Akira decided not to question while chuckling silently to himself. "So, we're all meeting back here today! I can't wait to see the gang again!"
"Dungeons and Dragons. I never would've thought I'd be playing this with you all. I'm sure we'll all love it."
Akira quickly ran downstairs and found out that Sojiro hadn't started business yet for the day, much to his relief as he ran over to the Sakura residence and rang the doorbell, waiting a little impatiently for the door to open. He heard a couple of running footsteps before a shout and a grunt echoed from inside the house.
The door swung open to reveal a mess of orange hair as a grinning Futaba greeted him at the door, surprising both Akira and Morgana. "Mornin'! You two are looking good."
"You know it." Akira responded suavely, ruffling her hair a little as she pouted. "Where's Sojiro?"
"Oh, he's upstairs. Said he just woke up so he'll be down here in a few." Futaba shook his hand off of her hair as she ruffled it a little herself, trying to set it right but failing miserably. "Can you believe he told me, me of all people, to get the door? It's like he forgot how I used to be!"
Akira chuckled. "That quick, huh? I like this new you though, Futaba. I'm sure Sojiro's much happier now too. How'd your outing go?"
"I had so much fun! Sojiro took me to Akihabara and we went to get sushi afterwards! I tried not to eat too much this time but…"
"You still whaled on at least 3 plates of sushi, Futaba! I saw it!"
"Hey, Mona! Don't sell me out like that!"
Some audible footsteps were heard from behind Futaba as Sojiro walked down the stairs, looking towards the door and motioning further inwards with a smile on his face.
"Yo, Akira. Table's in the back. Come in and help me, will ya?"
"On it, Boss."
With a little bit of hard work, the two of them managed to carry the table all the way to Cafe Leblanc and, with difficulty, managed to heave it upstairs with a lot of effort.
"Man…" Sojiro panted as he set the table down in the middle of the room. "I guess the years are starting to add onto me… I'm not as strong as I used to be."
"Are the years starting to catch up to you, old man?"
"Hey! I'm not that old! Well… yet."
"Whatever you say, Sojiro."
Akira chuckled as Sojiro went back downstairs, shaking his head in disappointment as he started setting everything up, getting ready to open up shop for the day. Futaba and Morgana soon joined him upstairs before being called down by Sojiro for breakfast, the three of them eager and excited for their friends to join them later in the afternoon.
Take Your Time
One by one, everyone slowly trickled into Cafe Leblanc with Ryuji and Ann arriving first on the scene, with Makoto and Haru following suit. Sumire and Yusuke both came upstairs last, feeling a little sheepish at being late but the two of them were quickly reassured by the group. Sojiro soon came upstairs with a simple order of fried chicken as the Thieves quickly thanked him and dug into their lunch. Not long after, Akira brought the empty box of fried chicken downstairs as the rest of them cleaned the tables, readying it for the session ahead of them.
"I can't wait to start!" Sumire cheered excitedly as she saw Akira finally coming back up the stairs after what felt like forever. "Futaba, are you sure you'll be able to manage 8 of us at once? I know being a Dungeon Master can be pretty tough…"
"Not to worry! I have everything prepared for today!" Futaba dug into her backpack that she had brought with her before heaving out a stack of many books and papers and letting it slam onto the table with a loud noise. "I have it all right here! I'm not as good as some other experienced people, but I'll do my best!"
Akira chuckled and took a seat next to his girlfriend that she had reserved for him alongside everyone else as they all dug into Futaba's stack to find the Player's Handbook. Once it was opened, they discussed the many unique classes and races that they found within and began to slowly piece their characters together.
"Hell yeah! Barbarians sound sick!" Came Ryuji's voice from one side of the table as he gazed over the abilities and stats. "It sounds perfect for me!"
"You'd probably want to be a Goliath, or maybe a half-orc if you're looking to choose Barbarian, Ryuji." Akira's voice echoed a reply. "You'd usually want to choose a race that would be helpful to your class, since each race gives you different boosts in stats, depending on what race you choose."
"I've made my decision." Makoto's voice rang out as the Thieves all turned to her in shock. "I actually have my character sheet right here."
"Lemme see!" Futaba extended her hand out towards Makoto, nearly snatching the sheet out of her hands before reading it over, seemingly growing more and more impressed as she finished. "You've done your research, Makoto! I'm impressed!"
Makoto flustered a little, a slight tinge of red appearing on her cheeks from embarrassment before it quickly faded. "U-Um… Yeah! I was doing some research and... I guess I got a little carried away…"
"Don't worry about it, Makoto." Akira chuckled. "Welcome to Dungeons and Dragons."
As Makoto watched the others go over the many classes, she leaned over and started to give out some advice as Akira and Futaba gave out their own from time to time.
"I'd like to try being a Wizard, Akira. What do you think?" Sumire asked curiously, hoping to get a second opinion as she looked over the spells and class information. "Casting spells to deal damage sounds cool! It's like using our personas in battle!"
"That's one way to look at it, Sumire!" Makoto chimed in eagerly as she winked towards Akira, who took the hint and leaned back in his chair, giving her the go ahead. Makoto took this happily and offered a suggestion garnering a curious look from both Futaba and Akira. "You could try being a Bladesinger if you choose to be an Elf. It's a pretty interesting class that I read up on last night."
"Ooh! That's a recommendation if I've ever heard one, Makoto!" Akira sat up as he guided Sumire to a different book, Tasha's Cauldron of Everything and quickly found the page, before showing her the perks of the class. "Here, it's on this page. I think that actually suits you quite a bit, don't you?"
Sumire read about the bladesingers before gasping in awe and thanking the two of them. "Oh my gosh! This is perfect! How did you know, Makoto?"
Makoto shrugged as another blush appeared on her face. "Well, I wasn't kidding when I said I did a lot of reading…" She soon turned her attention towards the other three of the group, before gravitating towards Haru, who was a little lost on the many choices she had. "Hello, Haru. Need help?"
"Thank you Mako-chan!" Haru turned to Makoto with a slightly indecisive look as she continued to look at the many classes and races. "I'm not quite sure which one to pick…"
"It's your character, Haru. I can only give you advice." Makoto shrugged as she pointed out something that she thought Haru would like. "How about a Firbolg, Haru?"
"A Firbolg?" Haru piqued up before looking at the page Makoto was pointing at. "Oh my! They're so adorable! They can even talk to plants!"
"We have a pretty diverse party if I do say so myself!" Futaba jumped in as she looked at the characters that were created so far. "Not bad for a couple of first timers! You guys are finding your groove pretty quick!"
"I never knew Makoto here was such an expert on the matter." Akira teased as she tried to shrink back into her chair. "I'm kidding. I'm happy to see someone take so much passion into Dungeons and Dragons. You remind me of myself when I was younger."
Makoto only tried to slink further back into her chair as she went to help Haru with choosing a class while Futaba and Akira turned their attention towards their artist friend, who seemed to be a little more than upset while going through the classes.
"Didn't someone mention a character being able to pursue the fine arts? I see no other artistic class here than the Bard, yet my singing skills leave much to be desired…" Yusuke muttered to himself as Akira patted him on the back.
"Bards are awesome, Inari!" Futaba exclaimed as she slammed the table a little harder than she would like. "They're super artistic and are super fun to play! Or so I've seen…"
"If you ask me, Yusuke, I think Bards are a fine class." Akira tried to cheer him up as he pointed out the page for Bards in the Player's Handbook. "They have one of the best skills for supporting the main damage dealers, and you could choose to be an entertainer if you'd like."
"I suppose that will do…" Yusuke sighed in defeat before perking up slightly as he continued to read more about his class. "The entertainer background… Perfect."
Akira chuckled to himself, knowing that his blue haired friend had already made up his mind and found himself drawn to Ann when Morgana too went over to check up on her.
"So, Lady Ann, have you made up your mind yet?" Morgana peered over her shoulder as Ann gave him a few pats on his head. "I'm having a hard time choosing myself…"
"The Tiefling seems pretty good from here!" Ann responded chirpily as she flipped through the classes section of the Handbook. "As for my class… I think I'll go for something I'm familiar with, and since we already have a Wizard," She nodded towards Sumire with a wink. "I think I'll go for a Sorcerer!"
"An excellent choice, Lady Ann!" Morgana assured her as he clambered back over to Akira, who was currently flipping through his own copy of the Player's Handbook before something caught his eye a few pages back. "Wait, Akira? Go back three pages."
"Something caught your eye, Morgana?" Akira asked with a smirk as he flipped back, knowing exactly what his furry partner saw. "Oh, Rogues? I used to play a Rogue, funnily enough. I can teach you how to play it if you'd like."
"This is my kind of class too! It's perfect!" Morgana meowed with joy as he continued to read down the page for Rogues. "I'm not sure exactly how I'll be able to roll dice, but I'll try!"
As everyone eventually managed to decide on their class and race, Futaba presented them with their individual dice sets which consisted of a standard d20 alongside a d12, two d10's, a d8, a d6 and a d4. "Alright! So now that you're all done choosing characters and races, you guys have the option of rolling for your stats, or using the point buy system. I've also given you 4 sets of dice as a start so you don't have to roll and do math in your head. There's also a preset, but where's the fun in that?"
"Um… Futaba-chan? What do these 'stats' do?" Haru asked, a little unsure of what they were doing as Futaba proudly puffed up her chest, readying her explanation.
"These stats determine everything about your character! There are 6 main stats: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma!" Futaba explained as she flipped her own copy of the handbook to the page and set it down onto the table at an angle where everyone could see it.
"So what are these stats for, exactly?" Ann asked, curiously.
"Strength is being able to crush a tomato. Dexterity is being able to dodge a thrown tomato." Akira explained, "Constitution determines if you're able to eat a bad tomato. Intelligence is knowing that a Tomato is a fruit-"
"Wait, tomatoes are fruits?!" Ryuji exclaimed in surprise as Akira paused, trying not to laugh. "I always thought it was a vegetable…"
"That's okay, Ryuji!" Haru answered cheerfully as she patted him on the back in an attempt to comfort him. "You're not the first person I've seen that had to be corrected on that matter!"
"That… doesn't make me feel much better, but thank you Haru…" Ryuji slumped back into his chair as Akira continued on.
"Wisdom is knowing not to put a tomato into a fruit salad, and finally, Charisma is being able to sell a tomato based fruit salad." Akira finished as Futaba looked at him, quite impressed.
"Not bad, Akira! That sums it up pretty nicely!"
"I've had to explain this many times before. You kinda just get used to it."
"So, now you know what stats are for what, you can either choose to point buy, the Handbook will show you how, or you can choose to roll!" Futaba said dramatically as she rubbed her hands together excitedly. "I can't wait~!"
The room was pretty evenly split, as Haru, Ryuji, Ann and Yusuke decided to roll while Makoto, Morgana, Akira and Sumire didn't want to take the risk and stuck with the usual point buy.
"So for the four of you that are rolling, what I like to do is to roll four d6's, that's the 6 sided die, 4 times, and get rid of the lowest number. That sum of that number will be what you get." Futaba told them as they all nodded and began rolling. "You don't have to do it in order, so whichever roll is highest can go to the stat you need most."
"Right. Each class wants different stats. Wizards are usually high on Intelligence and Wisdom while a class like Barbarians would want to prioritize Strength and Constitution." Akira reminded them as he leaned over to Ryuji to watch him roll.
"Oh, sweet! I rolled a 17!" Ryuji remarked a little loudly as Futaba jumped up in her chair and ran over to check.
"What?! There's no way you rolled that legit!"
"See for yourself, man! I ain't lying!"
"How did you manage to roll two 6's and a 5?!"
"I dunno! I guess I'm just lucky?"
Akira chuckled as he watched Ryuji continue to roll the remainder of his dice, laughing at him silently as he got a little bit upset at the total of 6 that he rolled for his last stat but eventually accepted it as Futaba told him that it was karma for his high roll earlier.
"Ah… it appears that this is the fate I'm set for…"
The Thieves turned around as they heard a murmur from Yusuke's end of the table only for Akira to peer into Yusuke's dice and slightly cringe from the ungodly and cursed sight within.
"Yusuke… how did you manage this?"
"I… I'm not quite sure myself, Akira…"
Everyone else crowded around Yusuke's dice tray before going silent, be it from cringe or laughter as Futaba was the first one to speak up. "Inari… Even I wouldn't make you keep those…"
"Fate is a cruel mistress, Futaba. I will do what I must."
"Inari… save us the talk of fate and just re-roll your four 1's, okay?"
"If you insist…"
After everyone's stats were set, Futaba had them all create their characters in a visual sense so they were able to describe what they looked like, and how they acted. It took a while for everybody to decide but eventually after some time, their characters were almost done.
"Now that you guys have made your characters, it's time for the magic users to pick your spells! That goes for Ann, Sumire, Inari and Akira!" Futaba cheered as they started flipping through the pages to find their cantrips and first level spells. "Everyone else can set HP and choose your equipment! Some of it might be important, so choose wisely!"
"If anybody needs help with hit dice and equipment," Makoto offered as she went to Ryuji and helped guide him to the equipment page. "I'm free to help."
"Um… Futaba? It says here that Wizards can have a familiar, right?" Sumire asked a little nervously as she pointed to the page in the Handbook detailing first level spells. "If I pick it I would be able to summon a familiar, right?"
"Right! You have the free choice of anything in that book and can ritual cast it to change it anytime you want!" Futaba explained, before giving her a suspicious look. "Are you taking it?"
"...Can I have an owl?"
"An owl? Why?"
"..."
"I mean, sure I guess. Do you have a name for it? Y'know, for sentimental reasons?"
"Violet." Sumire stated confidently to some surprise from Futaba as she turned to her with a look that could only express 'Really?'. "I know it's my codename and all, but it just seems right."
"Violet's a great name!" Futaba encouraged as she noticed Sumire's doubt starting to creep in. "I can pull up the stats for you now if you'd like! Have you chosen your other spells yet?"
"I'm all ready, Futaba-chan!" Sumire eagerly snapped her copy of the Player's Handbook shut as she turned over to her boyfriend and gave him a peck on the cheek. "How about you, Akira? Taking your time on this one? And here I thought you were the expert…"
"Unlike you, Miss Fancy Wizard, I'm playing a Cleric." Akira huffed at his girlfriend playfully. "I actually have to take care of the party and with the way you're treating me right now, I don't know if I'd want to spare my first level slots on Cure Wounds."
"Boo, you're no fun Senpai…" Sumire fake pouted as she giggled. "Is that everything, Futaba?"
"I think so! I don't think we have time for an actual session though…" Futaba moaned in disappointment, her mood quickly changing as she remembered something. "We mighta spent a bit too long making characters, but that's fine! It'll give me more to work with next week when I can finally manage to finish this book!"
The gang stopped in awe as Futaba slammed a book onto the table, one familiar to Akira as he looked at her in shock.
"You're… going with Eberron first?" Akira raised his eyebrow, impressed. "Even my old DM didn't have the balls to start with Eberron. I can't wait to see how you'll do, Futaba."
"Trust me, I got this!" Futaba assured him as he chuckled. "Get ready for next week, everyone! I can send in a PDF of the book over our group chat too if anyone's interested in it!"
"Guess that's that, Akira…" Sumire sighed, turning away to talk to her boyfriend so nobody else could hear, a tinge of disappointment showing on her face. "I really wanted to get to play today too…"
"Trust me, love. When Futaba wants to take her time, it'll be good. Probably even better than it would've been right now. We can be patient, right?"
"Yeah… I just really wanted to play this week…"
"That just means we'll give it our all next week, alright love?"
"Right!"
As the team disbanded after their successful gathering in Leblanc they all went their separate ways, with Sumire being the last to leave, wanting to stay with her boyfriend a little longer. Eventually though, she too went home, needing to catch up on homework as Akira stayed in the cafe, helping Sojiro out. Collapsing on his bed later in the evening, Akira and Morgana soon quickly fell asleep, awaiting the joy of their newly founded weekly Dungeons and Dragons gatherings in the next coming weeks.
I'm sorry this took so long! This has been a rough month with exams and all and it probably won't get much easier until November, but here's another chapter! I managed to use this chapter as a starting point for my new fic and to develop Miku's character a little more which is always nice. I'll hopefully be posting a little more frequently, although I ask that you take my words with a grain of salt. I really hope you guys enjoyed and I hope to see you guys again soon with another update! Big thanks again to my proofers Light (Light1108) and Death (Deathmanstratos), I really appreciate you guys putting in the work to proof for me, and you guys should check them out too! They write some great fics on AO3 and I'm sure if you like what I do, you'll love what they have.