You'll never see it comin'~

[mwehehe]

Who: Beat and Futaba
Status: Closed
Where: Around everywhere, because...
What: they have to find that god damn Phantom Thief imposter and by golly they WILL.
Warnings: nah, probably not



[It's probably a very normal day on Plus Ultra Island, nothing out of the ordinary is happening—

Until there is. And it's incredibly serious to Futaba, who had been browsing the network, as she does, as someone who keeps up on information flows (heh) anywhere she goes, and a few words stand out to her. Words that she knows well because they're words she and her friends have said, and this is the worst kind of imposter, again, and she's not going to stand for it.

While Futaba is not someone who is loud by nature around others, but this time there's some some loud(ish) footfalls coming from where her room is, all the way to Beat's room. There's no knock. Just Beat's five-foot-nothing girlfriend bursting into his room like a certain juiceman bursting through a wall, looking as serious as she can. Hope he's not doing anything he'd regret her seeing!!!]

Bones! There's an emergency! You fight, I buff you, we take it down together!

[No, there's no explanation right now. He'll get one... maybe.]

Comments

1/something

[stillarhino]

[Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) for Futaba, the lack of the knock catches Beat by surprise. And in a state of moderate undress. His shirt is barely pulled past his head.

He's just gonna... stare at Futaba. Frozen.




It's so quiet you can hear a pin drop.]

[stillarhino]

[And then--]

BWAAAAA—

[stillarhino]

—AAA—

[stillarhino]

—AAA—

[stillarhino]

—AAA—

[stillarhino]

—AAA—

[stillarhino]

—AAA—

done

[stillarhino]

—AAAH!

[Every single bird on the island has definitely flown away.




Meanwhile, Kuma (now the size of a Great Dane) runs up to Futaba, all three heads happily barking at her, tail wagging excitedly at her arrival.]

[mwehehe]

[Look, she really should have knocked, SORRY BEAT, the accidental thirst trap for your girlfriend was unintentional, and she... will learn her lesson for later... to knock next time.

But his half-undressed scream will get her in turn to scream and... poor Kuma is going to get the door slammed in his face while there's a thud outside the door. Beat, have you accidentally committed a murder here? )No, but that image is most definitely seared into her mind now!)]

S-s-s-s-s-sorry!! I-I-I-I-I should h-h-have knocked!!!

[She's just

gonna take an impromptu nap here for a few minutes.]

[stillarhino]

[Futaba is going to hear scratching against that door as she lies on the floor, faint whining and sniffing coming from the other side. And then stomping as someone approaches the door.

Beat opens it, now clothed, but out of breath and red in the face.]

Shorty?!

[What the— She was just here.




Oh. He's just going to squat down as Kuma sniffs around Futaba.]

Sorry 'bout that— [But he's cut off when Ranma's shoe hits him in the face. He gets mad, but immediately deflates... because, fair. Bringing back his attention to Futaba, he places a hand on her shoulder.] ...You aight?

[mwehehe]

[...okay, once she hears him and feels him kinda. Touching her shoulder, she starts coming back around. The dirt nap wasn't long, but it was enough for the initial wave of "oh shit" to pass.]

Ugh... I... should have knocked... just take me out back and bury me at sea...

[Yeah, she's fine, just being dramatique.]

[stillarhino]

No way I'm doin' that, yo.

[He's gonna laugh at that. But seeing that she's fine, he can't help but tease her a little.]

'Sides, if you wanted to mess 'round, you coulda jus' told me. [HE'S JOKING.]

[mwehehe]

[Beat's going to get a smack from that one from his teasing, BEAT NO!!!!]

Bones, that's uncalled for!!!!

[After that mental image that is going to be stuck with her, curse(? not really) her photographic memory!!!]

[stillarhino]

[Oh, you can bet he's laughing at her reaction even if she does get him, putting his arms up to prevent any more potential hits.]

I'm jus' messin' with ya, Shorty! Can't ya take a joke.

[Then again, he wouldn't have minded if she said otherwise... But more importantly, she did barge into his room for something.]

You said there was some kinda emergency? What kind we talkin' 'bout?

[mwehehe]

I'll joke your face!!! [what does that even MEAN


UGHHHHHHHHH fine, she huffs some and sits up, crossing her legs to get comfy. Why is the floor comfy?? Well, it is Futaba, she doesn't care really.]

Yeah, a big emergency! Some jerk is trying to steal our name! Trying to be a phantom thief! I can't let that happen when they're actually stealing things and hurting people, that's not what we do!

[stillarhino]

[He thinks she looks cute when she gets huffy like that—

But now that they're talking business here, Beat puts his game face on. And by that, we mean confused, considering what she's telling him. Just going to move to sit cross-legged too, mimicking Futaba.]

Hold up. A phantom thief here? And it ain't one of your friends? We gotta catch 'em, yo!

[mwehehe]

Definitely not someone I know. They're taking the Phantom Thief name to do bad things! It sounds like what happens if we mess up and they don't know that's what they're doing.

[...wait did she ever explain that?? Probably not, so:]

If we mess up and accidentally kill someone in their Palace or even in Mementos, not just knock them out and take what's important to them, they die in real life too after going kinda crazy. I don't know if that's exactly what happens here, but it sounds like something similar is happening. I've already been framed for it once, I don't want it happening again!

[stillarhino]

[Oh good, he was just about to ask.]

They die for real? Kinda sounds like what happens in the Game.

[Hearing about messing up in Mementos is hitting a little too close to home right now. Beat frowns, but doesn't explain further for now. He doesn't want to distract Futaba from something like this. Not when it's something this serious.]

Nah, it ain't gonna. You an' me gonna help these folks he's targettin', find this guy, an' stop him from 'causin' shit.

[mwehehe]

Yeah. We saw it happen, even got framed for it once. [That SUCKED.] So hearing that some shitty person is going around saying they're what I am and possibly hurting people? That's like framing me! I can't let that stand!

[Hearing that he's onboard though makes her grin, already looking devious.]

I didn't think you'd let me down, Bones! You punch, I buff! Maybe I can see if Al Azif can still drop some bombs too, as a little treat.

[stillarhino]

'Course, yo! Gotta protect my girl's honor. Even if they don't got no idea there's a phantom thief 'round, we gonna teach 'em not to mess with one!

[Even if they're talking about this in the middle of the hallway for the rest of the crew to hear. Beat returns her smile with a toothy grin of his own.]

Not a bad deal 'cause I get to cash in on that ride ya owe me. [Even if it's from before they got back together, he remembers.] Got any clue where to find this asshole?

[mwehehe]

Not yet, I've only really been info collecting for now, but we might need to do a stakeout. I've seen some places they've been around, so I wanna go look for them there, maybe.

Buuut I may have to figure out how to get Al Azif to be able to fit the both of us. I know I figured it out before, but that was runnin' on dreams instead of whatever this is. [...] It's probably the same, right?

[It's gonna have to be.]

[stillarhino]

Worth a shot, right? But if it don't work, we can hitch a ride wherever we gotta be.

[He can follow Futaba's lead on this one. It's her case, after all.]

You thinkin' 'bout headin' out right now?

[mwehehe]

Yeah, I gotta know what the hell this person is doing and why. My street cred is on the line! [what street cred—

But yeah she's already jumping up to go outside to test if she can summon a Persona large enough to house herself and Beat to easier flying.]

C'mon! Lets' see if I can do this.