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Goro had never been a people person.
He wore a modest, charming visage as a show for the public to see, but it was just a pretense to make people let down their guard and fall for his Detective Prince guise. The truth was, he could count the individuals he genuinely didn’t mind being around on the fingers of one single hand. Other people, he could barely tolerate their existence.
Animals were slightly better than humans, Goro supposed. At least around them he didn’t have to bother keeping up the appearance. Still, he never comprehended the appeal of keeping house pets. They required high maintenance with low reward, as dogs demanded constant attention from his owner, while cats’ supercilious, condescending attitude pissed him off. His conclusion: It simply wasn’t worth the trouble to keep one.
That was, until he met Akira Kurusu.
Akira was quite an intriguing character, to say the least. He didn’t swoon over or butter up Goro like his admirers did, nor did he give Goro dirty looks like those who felt threatened by his intellect and fame. Akira didn’t talk much, yet when he opened his mouth he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, his remarks concise and to-the-point, even mixed with charming wit that caught you off guard. Akira was calm and reserved, but he dared to challenge Goro at every given opportunity and was willing to take risks when the situation so required. Akira was low-key and unpretentious, seamlessly blending in with the crowd when he wanted to go unnoticed. Still, there were times when he would emanate this unfathomable aura, instantly drawing your attention and making his presence and the glimmer behind his glasses impossible to be overlooked.
And most important of all, regardless of an assault record and a wrongdoer label, Akira didn’t get dragged down by his past. He was his own person and as reluctant as Goro was to admit, he admired Akira for that, even a little envious if he was honest with himself. For that alone, Akira was worthy of being his rival, his equal.
Goro was well aware that Akira was a multifaceted person. Much like himself. A few months after he befriended Akira and became a regular at Café LeBlanc, he’d thought that he had the other mostly figured out, that he’d learned everything there was to learn about his rival. But as time went on, another unanticipated side of the frizzy-haired teenager began to surface.
Namely, his feline inclination.
Akira’s go-to food was Sojiro’s curry, yet his secret comfort food was fatty tuna. Akira enjoyed taking naps, particularly in warm, sunny spots. Akira spaced out when he was at ease, staring into nothing as if seeing things nobody but he could. Akira’s glasses were fakes, as he had 20/20 vision and could saw well in the dark like a nocturnal animal. And beneath that blended coffee and curry aroma, there was always a faint scent not unlike a cat’s belly (and he would never tell a living soul how he learned this). Akira was quiet and unassuming in real life, but in the cognitive world his craftiness and cockiness were magnified as if he’d transformed into a cat.
Goro couldn’t decide whether these traits were the result of Morgana rubbing off on his owner or just because Akira was inherently catlike. Regardless, Goro found them rather…riveting.
That wasn’t to say he was now a cat person, though; he was still firmly against the notion of keeping one as a pet. That bratty, chatty cat of Akira’s was a perfect embodiment of everything he disliked about the species. It was just that maybe not all cats were as disagreeable as Goro had assumed. If some were interesting like Akira, he might not mind being around one on an occasional basis.
There were times when Goro had the urge to point all these feline attributes out to Akira just to see his reactions. But that would also mean he had to admit how closely he had been scrutinizing his rival, which was utterly out of the question. So he resolved to continue his silent observation, cataloguing every single detail he detected into his mind, and the list just kept growing. Two of the latest additions: Akira liked high places and shiny things.
They were first brought to his attention back when he temporarily teamed up with the Phantom Thieves to tackle Sae’s Palace. Now, two months later inside Maruki’s Palace, he was once again reminded of the leader’s quirks.
“Hold on,” Akira held up a hand, stopping Goro and Sumire in their tracks amid a Palace raid.
“What do you see, Joker-senpai?” Sumire asked, slightly tilting her head.
Gleaming with curiosity, Akira’s eyes were trained up on a ledge at least five storeys off the ground on the other side of the hall. “There’s a treasure chest over there. Let me go grab it first.”
“Joker,” Goro warned.
“Yes, Crow?”
“In case you are unaware, we aren’t here for a treasure hunt.”
Akira shrugged. “It might be useful. Who knows, it could even be a lightsaber tailor made for you.”
He narrowed his eyes. “What’s wrong with the one I possess?”
“Nothing. But it won’t hurt if there’s an upgrade, right?”
Goro sighed, disgruntled. There was no changing the other’s mind when he had his eyes set on something. “Make it quick then. Don’t forget we’re working under the constraints of a time limit.”
“Be careful, Joker-senpai,” Sumire put in. “It looks awfully high.”
Akira gave them a wicked grin, almost like the Chesire Cat. “Worry not, I’m swift and smooth like a cat.”
Goro arched an eyebrow. So he was conscious of his own feline behaviors.
Akira whirled around, shot off his grappling hook to a bulge on the ceiling before swinging his lithe frame up and landed on the ledge with a graceful flourish. If he was performing a gymnastic routine in a contest, that move would likely had scored him a perfect ten. Sumire did a couple of little springs with admiration. Goro crossed his arms over his chest impassively, albeit impressed at heart. The two continued to watch from afar as Akira crouched down and worked on the lock. It was barely half a minute later when the leader stood back up with something glittering in his hand. The guy was indeed a dab hand at lock picking, Goro would give him that.
Looking satisfied, Akira shoved the object into his coat’s inner pocket. He then flung his grappling hook at the ceiling, and as soon as it was in place, hopped down the ledge. Once again trusting the device to carry his full weight.
But then the hook’s cable snapped into half.
Sumire gasped beside Goro, whose eyes widened in horror as they witnessed Akira lost his lifeline mid-air, his body plummeting towards the ground and then out of sight behind a large pillar blocking their view.
“That idiot!” Goro was already on the move to where Akira had supposedly crashed land in, Sumire right behind him. Judging from the height and the angle Akira fell down, Goro surmised there was a high possibility he would be badly injured, or worse, unconscious, meaning they had to get to him before any Shadow did or it wouldn’t end well for the leader.
He sprinted around the corner and came to a halt, expecting to find Akira lying on the floor, but what came into sight were the scattered pieces of the hook and cable. Not a trace of the leader. For a terrifying moment, Goro thought they were too late and Shadows had got to him before they did.
“Up here.”
He snapped his head up to where the sound had come from. Ten feet off the ground was Akira, dangling from his dagger wedged in a cleft on the pillar, his coat tails flapping freely in the air.
“Joker-senpai!” Sumire covered her mouth with both hands. “We thought you were…Are you hurt?”
Akira stepped a foot on the adjacent wall as leverage to pull the dagger out before flipping down nimbly and landed on both feet. “I’m fine, Violet.” He gave Sumire a reassuring smile while dusting off his vest and coat, his demeanor carefree and effortless.
Sumire might find this devil-may-care attitude charming, but it just got on Goro’s nerves. “You reckless moron! Do you not know how to be cautious!?” He said scathingly.
“I was being cautious, otherwise I would’ve gone after the other treasure chest I spotted up there as well.”
Goro groaned.
“Aww, Crow, were you scared for me too?” Akira teased, that catlike mischief once again dancing at the edges of his lips.
Goro scowled. “Only because your fucking power is needed to tackle this place.” Forget what he said about growing on cats; they were the absolute worst. “But next time curiosity failed to kill you, I would make sure to finish the task myself!”
Akira seemed to have sensed the murderous aura emanating off from Goro, as his smug expression sobered before shifting into abashment. “…Er, sorry, for making you guys worry.” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
That calmed Goro’s vexation, even if only marginally.
“It’s alright, senpai! We’re just glad you’re okay,” Sumire said, then wilted a bit as her attention turned to the broken pieces on the floor. “Your grappling hook is broken though…”
“Ah, don’t worry about it,” Akira said. “It’ll mend itself next time we return. Besides, I already got what I wanted.”
That piqued Goro’s interest. “Care to share what you found?”
“No lightsaber unfortunately…” Akira pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it at Goro, who caught it instinctively with one hand. “But it’s still perfect for you, Crow.”
Opening his hand revealed a Nirvana Ring, an accessory that could greatly reduce Bless magic’s damage inflicted to the wearer. It was in fact ideal for Goro since Loki was particularly susceptible to Bless attacks.
“This…” There was a warm sensation creeping from his stomach to his chest. Unfamiliar, yet strangely pleasant. “I--I appreciate it, Joker.”
“You’re very welcome.” Akira stuffed his hands into his pant pockets. His smile was gentle, unlike the cocky grin Joker usually wore.
The warmth in Goro’s chest intensified. He hastily put the ring on, feigning ignorant of the soft, cheerful squeak Sumire let out behind her. He cleared his throat and turned his back on the other two. “Well then, what’re we waiting for? Humanity isn’t going to save themselves.”
“Alright,” Akira adjusted his gloves, his smile turned confident again. He walked past Sumire and Goro to face the uncharted territory ahead. “Let’s get going, Crow, Violet.”
Watching the back of his rival’s and glancing down at his newly acquired accessory, Goro’s mind had a sudden association of a cat bringing their human gifts to show affection and appreciation.
Huh.
Maybe keeping a cat as a pet wasn’t that bad of an idea.