Dull concrete walls surrounded him in all directions, empty of any fanciful decorations nor explicit graffiti. The cell only had a grilled window that stood high in a corner of the over four meter wall. It was the only source of sunlight that gave him a hint of the estimated time and weather outside.
The place was seriously cramped, furnished with a single bed, cupboard, table and a stool, and yet there was barely even any space left to move without walking into something. An additional cubicle that was cut into the wall provided the combined facilities of a restroom and shower, separated with a dull translucent plastic curtain serving as a cover.
The cell had been specially prepared for him, a parting gift left behind by the supporters of Masayoshi Shido that had illicitly influenced the High Court from under the table. The presiding judge of the court had passed a sentence specifying that the defendant would be confined inside an isolated cell, alone. And as though to rub salt into the wound, it was supplemented with an extra clause that highlighted the orders that he would be deprived of his rights to take a single step out of cell, unless permission to do so was approved.
It was at this point that Sae had nearly exploded from the farce before her, barely containing her outrage at the depth of corruption that had seeped into society. He was barely in time to stop Sae from making an objection that she would definitely not succeed in. The judge lazily droned on about the details that ensured he would be treated as humanely as possible and that his necessities would be provided for. Justifying that minimizing his contact with other people was meant to protect the other guards and inmates within the facility, underlining that they are susceptible to his unorthodox methods at changing people's hearts. It was only later when would he find out that the paranoia of the authorities eventually led to an informal order for him to be handcuffed and gagged, forcefully if needed, if he was ever required to leave his cell.
But life stuck inside his cell wasn't exactly too bad. If it meant that he couldn't take a single step outside, it also held true that no one else could come in either. It might have been rude that he stereotyped every other inmate to be troublemakers, but his entire time in Tokyo had attracted way too many problems than he was comfortable with, and he didn't exactly feel inclined at dealing with any more.
There wasn't any enforcers within his cell to strong-arm him into obliging the timetable that was enforced upon the normal inmates. This gave him complete freedom on how to spend his twenty-four hours every day. His bath, meals, daily activities and anything else were all within his own discretion.
The only visitor that visited was the public prosecutor and older sister of one of his fellow thieves, Sae Nijima. She had been checking-in recently to give him a general update on Shido's case and pass on any messages from the team, which consisted mostly of the their protests that he had turned himself in without consulting any of them. She had enforced a restriction upon the thieves that she would be left in-charge of the visits, insisting that they go about their own businesses and laying low for time being. It would be disastrous if the authorities were to now issue an arrest warrant for them. He appreciated that Sae had been diligently following up on his status, even though they had been enemies on opposite sides until recently. But she wasn't exactly one could describe to be a 'fun-person' to chit-chat with when compared to the friends around his age. He dearly missed the clamour that always accompanied the rest of the thieves, except Ryuji.
Akira slumped onto the chair, stretching his aching body after being constantly pulled and shoved around by the accompanying officer during his return from the visitor's room. It didn't help that he was carrying a bag full of books while restrained in cuffs. Sae had checked-in earlier for her visit, dropping off a second batch of school textbooks and novels that was left Leblanc. Even now she was still being insistent that he should not waste his time and continue with his own personal studies, even in confinement. Deciding to postpone the self-study session, he stacked the books neatly on the table and kept the bag inside his cupboard, making a mental note to return it to her during her next visit.
Life in the cell was starting to stabilize ever since being confined here for a week or so. It felt as quiet as his initial nights at Leblanc when Morgana had not crashed at his place yet. The days were comparably slower than the time he was juggling with school and Phantom Thief business. His time in juvie so far had passed quickly as he went through most of this waking hours neck-deep into his studies, easily completing the remainder of his second-year syllabus and had begun scratching the surface of third-year content.
But today was not the day, he sluggishly laid himself on the budget steel-framed bed that creaked under his weight. Searching through his pockets and retrieving the familiar double bookmark that he had received as a gift, smiling stupidly at it as he recalled the enjoyable time that he had with both the Twins; Caroline and Justine, and Lavenza herself. The bookmark design remained faithful towards the traits of both its previous owners. One side of the bookmark was adorned with same Crest the Twin's eyepatch had; the Velvet Room's crest decorated in gold, and the other side portrayed a silhouette art of a young woman holding up a beast that resembled a lion. The card was mostly coloured with the blue and black colours that matched their attires. Justine had once explained to him that the art was meant to symbolize the Strength Arcana, which represented the bonds between them. Closing his eyes while reminiscing about his time here in Tokyo, Akira soon fell into a deep slumber as the memories of the people he cherish flashed through his mind.
Akira opened his eyes, finding himself waking up at the familiar cell within the Velvet Room. He found it amusing that he still hasn't gotten used to the sensation of waking up at a different place he fell asleep at. A quick check of his attire body revealed that he was still dressed in his casuals, instead of the usual prison wear and shackles. Feeling that he probably shouldn't keep the residents waiting any longer, Akira lazily got up and stifled a yawn as he walked out of the now-open cell. Igor chuckled and began clapping the moment he stepped into the centre hall.
"Hehehe, magnificent." Igor praised excitedly as he sized up his visitor, deeply impressed at the progress of his 'rehabilitation'. Lavenza affectionately smiled at him as she respectfully stood by her Master.
"While this might not be the most favourable turn of events, but still… it will do. You chose the correct path with your own volition, holding true to your beliefs for personal gain to the very end." Lavenza praised him with a sincere smile that he had missed dearly ever since he last saw her on Christmas Eve.
She opened her compendium and drew out a glowing blue orb, it gently departed from her hands and landed into his hands. The orb glowed in strength as it materialised into an Arcana card that was similar to those he had seen before.
"The last Arcana you have taken hold of is 'The World'." Lavenza explained in place of her Master. "It represents the willpower to stand up in this world on your own feet, unswayed by no one. That will become the basis of hope toward a future with your friends who share the same belief." She closed her compendium gracefully and proceeded towards the trickster.
"Now that you've gained that power, you are no longer an existence that wanders alone…" Lavenza stood beside him and smiled, motioning for him to accept the gift from her master. Akira grasped the card with his hands and it burst into blueish flames, penetrating deep into his soul.
"My own duties end here as well…" Igor closed his eyes in exhaustion. "…You were truly a remarkable guest." A broad grin playfully appeared on the old Master's face as he began to fade away with the room.
"Lavenza." Igor called out to his assistant. "The march of time never stops, and the journey must be travelled. Only with strength can one endure suffering and torment." He glanced a look at Akira, causing him to wonder if he was being addressed as well. "Go forth and follow in your siblings' footsteps, and observe the answers that they have come across." A cryptic advice given by her master, it was probably his attempt at advising the girl about her future actions.
She curtsied with her free hand and bowed her head in reverence at her Master's departure. Igor flashed his signature grin before completely disappearing, leaving behind fading particles that dimmed off in time. Akira kept a moment of silence in respect for the Master of the Velvet Room, grateful for his assistance from the time when he had to confront Yaldabaoth. Lavenza giggled at an unusually solemn Akira and quietly interlocked her fingers with his, causing him to freeze up at the sudden contact.
"*Sigh* Guess I'll catch you later?" Akira scratched his neck shyly and bid goodbye to the resident as the entire Velvet Room began to dissolve within the growing light. The girl only replied with silence and tightened her grip on his hands, looking down at her feet in contemplation. Akira wistfully took in the sights of the Velvet Room that he may never step foot into again, since the Master of the room is now gone and all. The last thing that crossed his mind before everything faded into the light was whether he would be able to see Lavenza ever again.
Akira woke up again, now finding himself back in the isolation cell. But the main difference since he fell asleep was that a girl with platinum blonde hair dressed in a Victorian blue dress was now sitting at his bedside, smiling warmly at him.
"..." Akira paused for a moment. Yup, I'm officially nuts. Speculating that he may not be as mentally sound as he assumed to be. Maybe Tae can do something about this, I'm starting to see things.
"...Must have returned to the wrong world. Good night." Akira positioned his elbow over his eyes and acted as though he was going back to sleep.
"What? Hey Trickster! What are you talking about?" The girl was immediately flustered at his jest and shook him by the shoulders. Vision, Checked. Hearing, Checked. Touch, Checked. This just might be reality. Akira resigned himself to his impromptu reality check and opened his eyes to reconfirm whether she was really here, although his vision was now blurred by Lavenza's thorough shaking.
"Just kidding." Akira laughed as he sat up and got off the bed. Looking up to only notice the absence of sunlight that was shining in before he slept. Turning to check the small alarm clock at his table. "Half past seven…" He sighed in exhaustion as he took the already-cold dinner tray that had been slid through the door slot. He returned and placed the tray onto the table, before shifting the chair so that he could sit directly in front of Lavenza who was still seated on the bed, eyeing his actions curiously. "So… what's this all about?" Akira questioned as he got comfortable on the hard wooden stool.
"Master has granted me the privilege of freedom, just as he had done for my siblings." She stated as-a-matter-of-factly. Akira raised his eyebrows at the mention of her siblings, not being able to recall meeting anyone else other than Igor and her 'Twin' selves in the Velvet Room. "…thus, I have decided that I would like to walk this path together with you." While Akira was flattered that she was willing to accompany him in the days to come, he wasn't so naïve to simply accept it and simply say 'Okay, glad to have you.' just because he was feeling a little lonely in this cell. Heck, it IS the very reason why he felt that he shouldn't just accept her offer, he could at least do so once he regained his freedom.
"While I'm glad to finally have some company in this god-forsaken place, there's no need for you to go through this as well." He looked straight into her eyes, trying to dissuade her while figuring out her thoughts and emotions from her eyes. Akira considered that having the thieves give her shelter for the moment would be a way better choice than restraining her here with him. For what it's worth, he just didn't feel it was right to make her pointlessly suffer.
Lavenza giggled as she observed Akira furrowing his brows deep in thought. She was glad he was still the same caring young gentleman he had always been, even before she had regained her true form. She leaned forward and touched Akira's cheeks, causing him to jerk in surprise as he was being distracted by his internal struggles.
"There is no need to worry." Stroking his cheek affectionately, hoping that the contact would help appease his concerns for the time being. Akira closed his eyed and meekly accepted her touch. "Time spent with you is simply all I ask for." She reiterated, making sure her trickster understand that her determination would not be deterred by something as trifle as discomfort. Akira smiled in appreciation and pulled her into an embrace, thankful for her everlasting support and continued presence in his life. Lavenza giggled quietly as she ran her fingers through his frizzy hair and immersed herself within his arms, thankful to also have a cherished partner just as her siblings do.
"Trickster, I-" Lavenza was about to say something when Akira interrupted her by whispering teasingly into her ears.
"Akira." He insisted. Preferring to hear her call his name, rather than a title or nickname. In fact, he preferred Joker even more than Trickster, especially since he was already accustomed to that form of address.
"Yes? That is your name, right?" Lavenza asked, not entirely sure where he was coming from.
"Say it, not 'trickster'." Lavenza could practically feel his breath on her ears, she squirmed every time his breath tickled against her ears.
"I… I." She hesitated, feeling unknowingly shy at the thought of calling his name. "A- Akira." She stuttered at the start, but managed to pull through successfully at her second try.
"Hahaha, good job." He laughed in satisfaction as he broke off the embrace. Giving her head a pat before turning around to retrieve the dinner tray he had set aside earlier. He opened the cutlery packet and removed the plastic cover, revealing the plain dinner served that consisted of rice, veggies, meat and a small jelly dessert. "Itadakimasu." Akira said his thanks for the food before starting on his meal, he was a few bites into his dinner when he realised that Lavenza was just quietly observing him as he ate.
"Erm… Do you… want some?" Akira was faced with the suddenly realisation that there was someone else present in the cell as well. He was totally accustomed with eating his meal alone.
Lavenza couldn't help but laugh at his clumsiness for a good whole minute. He might be the suave and valiant trickster that she had always loved, but his rare clumsy side was a stark contrast to how he carried himself when around the thieves.
"Yes please, if I may." She bowed politely at him as she answered. Akira chuckled at her usually-polite mannerisms and scooped a spoonful of rice and meat for her.
"Aah-" Akira cooed teasingly at her. Trying his very best to not burst out laughing if she did respond correctly.
"?" But to his slight disappointment, Lavenza only curiously tilted her head sideways as she wondered what he was trying to do, or say.
"Say 'Aah'." Akira repeated with the spoon still hanging mid-air. Patience… Patience! Clearly getting overly excited at the chance to feed a girl. The guys would be so jealous of me! Akira thought of the bachelors among the thieves as the girl in front of him acknowledged his instructions.
"Aah-" Lavenza obediently listened to his instructions and did so. Akira carefully guided the spoon into her mouth, before she realised what he was up to. The rest of the bite was instinctive to her as she realised she had been led to give him a chance to feed her. She pouted and stomped her feet in mock displeasure at being tricked. Akira laughed and took a bite of the dinner himself, wishing that he would soon get to eat Sojiro's otherworldly curry again.
A/N : Now, to do Akira some justice, I had to do an arc that involved his life inside juvie. There was a good whole in-game time of 1-2 months that was just skipped all the way till 13 Feb, and the time skip simply downplayed the suffering that he would have to go through while inside. Just FYI that I may not be the clearest on how the judical system or juvie hall treats their inmates, but this is how I imagined it to be if you actually wanted to lock up someone with 'powers' that can easily change the hearts of people. I mean, people usually shun those that are different from them, and all.