The briefing with Ikutsuki to introduce them to SEES goes almost exactly how he foresaw it. The initial explanation of the Dark Hour seems unsurprising to the twins, and he has an inkling that they experienced it for some time, but the most fascinating aspect of the exchange comes from the strangeness of the siblings themselves.
Akihiko can't say he ever met twins before that day, and the amount of unspoken communication passing between them confuses him. It's like they speak a silent language nobody can decipher, yet they are so different in appearance and body language that the fact they are so closely related is jarring. A single glance from one to the other seems to a whole conversation.
Minato he can sort of get right off the bat: serious, stoic, he's a man that gets to the point with very little words. He looks like the kind of person to move forward slowly, and the grass will part to give him way because he slides through it like an unseen ghost. Probably a studious, calm and polite person too. Akihiko has no doubt they will get along quite well; he's not one for winded conversations and foolishness.
His sister on the other hand, you cannot help but notice as she enters any room: she is alive in every sense of the word. Her brother is all cool colors and calculated motions, while she sparks like fire. From the gleam of red in her auburn air, her devilish irises sparkling under lamp light, her bright smile, and almost giddy steps, she almost vibrates with energy.
He has no idea what to expect from that firebrand, but he has seen her mettle in battle and gauged her accordingly, it's that part that counts. Akihiko catches himself smirking with amusement as he explains what exactly the Dark Hour brings to the table for SEES.
"We call them "Shadows". They only appear during the Dark Hour, and attack anyone not in a coffin. It's our job to defeat them… Sounds exciting, huh?"
He cracks his knuckles as he speaks, just thinking about punching some enemies makes him anticipate his return in the field. He catches himself before his foot starts taping on the carpet and awards him a stern glance from the executioner in the room.
Mitsuru has no tolerance for excitement.
The blue-eyed Arisato turns his sea-gray eye toward him with an unreadable glint and flickers back to his sister's gaze, and it seems like a world of unsaid passes between them both in mere seconds. Minako smiles, eyes sparkling and eyebrows expressive, then turns back towards him with a grin.
"Do go on!"
Mitsuru huffs at him, visibly exasperated.
"Akihiko! Why are you always like that? You just got hurt the other day!"
Interrupting her, Ikutsuki intervenes to calm the play.
"Now, now. He does his work well."
Minako looks back at him and they share a grin with each other. A spark of hard blue turns immediately to him, instantly spotting the shared excitement with his sister, and it seems almost like a reprimand. The whole exchange lasts two breaths before the twins return to neutral listening façade, attentive to Ikutsuki's explanations.
Feisty, this one.
It seems to Akihiko that she already made her mind about joining, or perhaps they both did; it's hard to say for her brother quite yet. If his guess is correct, she will not judge him for his tendencies and might just be as reckless as him so they should get along quite well. They barely know each other, but it feels like they are kindred souls, she displayed a protective streak like his own on the roof.
That train of thought bring a pang of longing with it, reminding him of a small girl with silvery hair and large shiny eyes for a second and he blinks thrice to blanket the hurt. There is something in Minako's demeanor that reminded him of his sister, but he can't quite put the finger on what. A tinge of regret creeps up on him when he thinks about the twins' bond as brother and sister. He knows how precious that is and hopes they have the will to keep each other safe.
From the outside, Akihiko looks stoic, but inside the pain stings at some vague feeling of loss. It could have been him and Miki standing together, but it came crashing down in a rain of smoking debris. It's not some laundry to air during the meeting and it concerns only himself, so he smothers it down, jaw clenched.
The past is the past, I just need to make sure it doesn't repeat itself.
He breathes calmly, in and out, as Mitsuru continues her sales pitch, ending with a request for the siblings to lend their strength to the cause. Minato barely nods, then gets up in perfect sync with his twin as they both grab their evokers from the case. Once again, no hesitation, just a glance between each other before they bob their head again. The pact is sealed.
"Alright, we accept!"
She speaks for them both with quiet determination. Her brother grunts in agreement, so low it's barely a sound.
Takeba, silent and fidgeting since the start of the meeting, hangs her head with a sigh of relief.
"I was afraid you'd say no… Welcome aboard you two!"
A few more words and the meeting conclude. As they file out of the room, Akihiko spies the twins standing in the room, standing close and conferring among themselves in silence and sharing loaded glances.
There is a visible intimacy between these two that makes him realize twins are a different breed entirely and the sum of them might be a tough nut to crack. He doesn't know if they are all like this, or if this synergy comes from previous hardships, but it should prove useful in the field to have such a capable duo in synchrony.