(A/N: Yoooooo guess who tf is backkkkkk I'm finally bringing my chapters back to their usual length. I think the average should be like 2500 words?
(C/C) = Clothing Choice
(W/C) = Weapon of Choice)
I pushed all of my tokens onto the black 8 space, following my gut. I laid back in my chair, folding my hands together. "After this, I'm afraid I should go." I smiled serenely. Starting fights wasn't in my best interests.
"I swear, if you win another cent I'll..." the man two spots to my right growled, throwing his cigarette to the woman beside him. She wrinkled her nose at him, shoving the thing into the trash, following the other two.
"Now, now, Jared, we mustn't lose our temper. I'm sure Lady Luck will be on your side this time." I reassured him, knowing full well that he'd be going home unsatisfied, again.
The ball rolled around and around, skittering over the tiles. The people around me held their breath.
As predicted, it landed squarely on the 8. I collected my total tokens and stood up. "Hm, guess I was wrong about you, friend. Sorry, it doesn't happen often. Me, being wrong." my smile broadened, watching his fist tighten, his beady eyes still trained on the wheel.
Before he could do anything he'd regret, I skipped away to cash in my winnings.
This was routine for me. I wasn't old enough to work for Lala-chan, my guardian (knowing my actual age, she wouldn't let me serve alcohol and wanted me to get a real job), but I looked old enough to do this. The fake ID didn't hurt, though.
Gambling was something I believed I was practically made for. Since birth, I had an insane amount of luck on my side. Things always turned out in my favor. Of course, no one was to know about this unflattering hobby of mine--something Lala-chan enjoyed reminding me of every five seconds. That didn't stop me from making bets with my peers at school.
Unfortunately, my school didn't like what I was doing with other kids. Not to mention I'd won enough to anger most of the student body...
Let's just say I got a nice long visit from the counselor and a boot up my ass that sent me flying to the steps of Shujin.
I stuffed the wad of money into my pocket and set off for home, humming to myself. I should buy her something. I thought, staring at the shops I passed.
I settled on a fan dotted with Sakura blossoms. She did like having new things to talk about and show her customers. I stared down at it in the bag fondly, not looking where I was going. I knocked my head into someone's chest.
"Shit." I mumbled softly, looking up. My eyes met with dark grey ones. The man before me smiled.
"Sorry about that." he grinned disarmingly. He straightened me up and nodded, before walking away. I frowned, turning to watch him go. I shook off the weird feeling I had and continue my walk home.
~le time skip brought to you by a sequined Nicolas Cage pillow~
Break was over, so now I got to attend Shujin. I examined my outfit. These look like pyjamas. The corners of my lips tugged up. Good thing they feel like it too. I nodded at my reflection and headed off, kissing Lala-chan goodbye.
After an easy, short walk, I arrived at the gates. I know it got me kicked out of my last school, but gambling is... What's an acceptable adjective? Therapeutic. I nodded, allowing myself a small smile.
A hand touched my shoulder.
"Ah!" I yelped in surprise, turning around to see the boy I bumped into over break. My hand covered my heart, "Jesus, you scared me."
"Not as much as you scared me." he chuckled. I felt my smile widen a bit. "Never thought I'd see you here, but..." he paused to look me over, "you look good in our uniform."
"Thanks." I grabbed the hand on my shoulder and removed it, shaking it instead. "I'm (Y/N) (L/N). You?"
He grinned, taking a liking to me already. "Akira Kurusu. Pleasure to meet you. Formally, that is."
I nodded, about to let go of his hand, but he held onto it. He answered my unspoken question. "I'll walk you to your first class?"
I smiled. "Sounds good to me." I gave his hand a squeeze and looked at my schedule. "Hmm... Chouno." I said, lifting up my phone to show him. He took it and tapped a couple of things before returning it.
"Looks like we share homeroom with Kawakami and a couple other classes. You'll probably get introduced in all of them... sorry." he explained. I pocketed my phone.
"You seem pretty familiar with that. Did you transfer at a weird time, too?"
He nodded and dragged me to my first class. I relished both in the stares (probably cause how did I snag such a hottie on the first day?!) and the warmth of his hand.
~le time skip brought to you by your touchy-feely uncle who isn't really your uncle~
Akira was right about being introduced constantly, but I was able to meet some friendly people. Lunch came and I had originally planned to find Akira...
But of course a certain something caught my eye.
A group of kids were over in the corner, playing Poker. Looked like real money, too. I bit my lip, torn.
I ultimately found myself asking to play in the sweetest voice I could. The group was all guys and they let me in, promising to go easy on me. I mentally snickered.
"Alright, so are we using real money?" I asked innocently. They nodded and we started the game.
Didn't take long for me to have a pool of money and them to have a pool of sweat. One of the boys had a triumphant look in his eyes. He slammed his cards down onto the table. "Straight flush! I win!"
I coughed politely and his face dropped. "No... please don't say..."
"Royal flush." I spoke primly, placing the cards neatly on the table.
"Wow. Didn't expect to find you here." a voice spoke from behind me. I felt arms drape over my shoulders and a head rest atop mine.
I grinned, "Yep. Couldn't find you so I figured I'd have some fun."
He patted my shoulder, "Alright, that's enough. Chouno makes her rounds about now, we don't want you getting in trouble on your first day."
"No!" another exclaimed, "I want my money back!"
The senior who sat next to me hushed him, "Calm down. You shouldn't gamble if you're not prepared to lose." he jerked his head and gave me a pointed look. I nodded and grabbed my earnings, not feeling the slightest speck of remorse. That guy was right. You gotta be ready to lose, especially when going against me.
~le time skip brought to you by "Tell them Naegi"~
The week flashed by, and I cozied up to Akira. Guess he was my Most Trusted Friend(™) now.
But now it was the weekend. And with the stress of that workload on me, it was back to therapy I went.
On the usual route, I found another casino in the place of the usual government building. I frowned. How on Earth did I miss that? Did I take a wrong turn? I shrugged and headed inside. It'd be best to avoid the guy from before anyway.
The inside was much more extravagant than my usual one. It had bodyguards behind every pillar, grand staircases, rich people ripe for the swindling, gaudy decorations.. It was magical. I took a couple of steps in, looking like a toddler in a candy shop. The guard closest to me tensed. I rolled my eyes, "I only came to gamble. Can you tell me where I can do that?"
He shuffled on his feet uncomfortably, and pointed up the stairs. I awaited further direction but it never came. I began my ascent. Guess I'll have to ask someone up there. Like these rich twerps'll give me the time of day. I glanced down at my clothing. It was simple: (C/C). Not something that really fit in with the other people here.
I made it to the top and looked around. People, but no gambling. I frowned. I'll have to look a little harder than that. Man, this is such a hassle. I'd have a table and cards by now at my usual place.
I talked to some people, but found that eavesdropping gave me more answers. I ended up following a server through another door. Then more sneaking. It was fun but tedious, and I quickly grew tired of it. Luckily, I eventually found the place.
Before starting anything, I looked around. People were losing--a lot. Much more than usual. The games had to be rigged. My luck would help me win nonetheless, but...
I ignored the thought and hopped onto a machine--readying myself for a good night.
After my seventh win in a row, I expected people to get suspicious, or at least the guards, but nothing happened. I frowned. I'm lucky, but not that lucky. What's going on?
Shadows jumped in the corner of my eye. My head whipped around. I squinted to see someone pressed up against a wall, clad in pitch black. My frown deepened.
I watched the figure jump to another hiding place and then climb up the wall. I blinked. Then I felt the strong urge to follow him.
So I did.
And I found myself deep in a part of the casino that was reminiscent of a storage area. After a while, the figure stopped. He sighed. "I know you're following me. Come out." I froze. Fuck.
I sheepishly stepped out from my hiding place. "Sorry. I was just curious. I'll, uh, I'll leave now?" I spoke as if asking for permission.
He turned around to face me and his eyes widened. "(Y/N)?"
I blinked, "Wait, you know me?" I paused, my face turning white. "Shit. That means you go to Shujin. Please don't say anything. I don't wanna be thrown out. Fuck. Lala's gonna kill me."
"What? No. I... I'm not gonna say anything. What are you doing here? In the Metaverse?"
I cocked a brow, "Huh? The Metaverse? Is that the name of this casino? Then, uh, I came to gamble. Duh. Thanks for keeping your mouth shut. Also, what's with the getup?"
A gruff voice came from down the hall: "I think I heard something." It sounded muffled.
He shook his head, "I'll explain later." He ran over and hoisted me over his shoulder. "We gotta go. Stay quiet."
"Uh?" was all I could get out before he took off in a sprint, me bouncing on his back with each step. He hurried away from something I couldn't clearly see and hopped up and away to some other place. He eventually put me down again and I had to take a second to stop the world from spinning.
"So...uh, you said something about a Metaverse?" I asked, still disoriented.
He proceeded to give me the gist of an entire other world I unknowingly stumbled upon because Pinocchio or whatever wanted me to join his boy band. I blinked. "And you are?"
"Oh. It's me." he pulled up his mask, "Akira."
I blinked, then smiled. "You look good in uniform. If you could even call it that. Does your boy band have matching suits?"
He chuckled good-naturedly, "Unfortunately, no. My 'boy band' consists of many other styles." He dropped his mask down again. "Anyway, we should probably get you back to the real world. Can I trust you not to say anything-"
I cut him off, "No. You can't just expect me to leave after that. I'll help out. I'd say I know enough about gambling to be at least a little helpful." I hoped. Suddenly my brain felt the strong urge to empty itself.
He gave me a sly smile. "I kinda wanted an excuse to keep you, anyway." Akira held out a gloved hand and I grasped it firmly. Off we went to regroup with his team.
"Joker? Who's she?" a rough voice called out. The man had a skull mask and an overall threatening demeanor. I frowned.
"Relax. This is the new girl at Shujin."
"And that's supposed to comfort us how?" a higher voice quipped an I looked over to see a woman clad in red.
I felt him squeeze my hand. "I trust her. And she figured out who I was. If she made her way into the Metaverse alone, maybe she's meant to be here."
A woman with spiked shoulder pads stepped forward and looked me over. She thrust out her hand authoritatively. "Nice to meet you." she said. I shook my head, feeling insanely uncomfortable. She pushed up her mask and I recognized the student council president. The others followed suit but I only vaguely recognized them, to my dismay. The president stepped back and introduced them via their nicknames, then turned to me again. "So, what's your plan?"
~le time skip brought to you by Rebel Wilson's American accent~
I was partnered up with Joker. We searched north to find wherever the odds on the games were changed. I followed behind him as we avoided Shadows and made out with walls. I sighed, wishing I could be of more help.
He abruptly stopped and I lightly bumped into him. "What'd you see?"
"There." he pointed over to a room with a Shadow in it. We waited for it to leave. It wouldn't move. Joker sighed, "I'm gonna have to take it on if we wanna get anywhere with this."
I frowned, "But can you?" He looked back at me and grinned, before bounding away to attack it. "Joker!" I whisper-yelled. He ignored me. "Shit." I mumbled, tiptoeing after him. I doubt I'll be able to do anything but I'd rather be closer.
I watched him jump atop the Shadow and rip its face off. I blinked. Oh wow okay this is happening now. I watched them begin battling but the odds weren't in Joker's favor. It was a powerful Shadow that soon revealed that it relied heavily on brainwashing.
Joker ended up healing the enemy and increasing its attack. I winced as he got pummelled. I have to do something. This isn't fair.
Hm... I've waited far too long...
What the- I suddenly felt a piercing pain in my head. I crumpled to the ground, my hands flying to my temples. My fingernails scraped at my skull to try and stop the pain.
This is truly an unjust game... Your chances of winning are almost none. What's the matter...? Are you simply going to watch? Are you forsaking him to save yourself? Death awaits him if you do nothing. Will you let the odds turn against you? Are you not in control of all consequence?
I frowned. Of course I am.
"(Y/N)?" Joker's voice wavered, letting worry seep through.
Very well... I have heeded your resolve. Vow to me. I am thou, thou art I... Thou who art willing to twist the hands of fate for thine own gain! Know the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell itself!
"Lady Luck!" I shouted, not completely aware of myself. I only had one goal in mind--to save Joker. I jumped forward and attacked the Shadow.
The battle ended in a matter of seconds and I collapsed in exhaustion shortly after. Joker's giddy face appeared above me. "Welcome to the Phantom Thieves!" he chirped.
I blacked out.
~le time skip brought to you by a gentle caress of the inner thigh~
Adapting to the constant exercise was no easy task, but I managed. Not to mention how revealing my outfit was. I kind of bonded with Ann over that and caught some glances from Joker throughout the Palace. (Not to mention I'd found his number in my phone labelled, "Daddy" but we'll disregard that for now.)
Now here we all were. In front of Makoto's sister. She hit hard. Didn't take long for me to recognize the rigging she had on the wheel. There was no way we'd be able to win this way. I raced forward and attacked her, flipping backwards to avoid any counterattack. The wheel began to spin again. I frowned, looking over at Joker. "The croupier is always in control in a game. Nobody thinks of strategizing against them because they're not involved in the game." I paused. "We're gonna have to change the game to have her become a player like us." I cocked my head at the wheel and gestured to myself. He seemed to understand and nodded, returning his focus to Sae. I grinned to myself and flipped back away from the group and out of her sight.
Maneuvering around the group was a little more difficult than I imagined, but I made it over. I crouched behind the wheel and glanced up at the prosecutor. She was purely focused on the three before her. My grin widened and I slid the glass out from over the tiles. I glimpsed the control panel over to the left and crept over. My eyes swept over the controls, briefly speculating over which ones did what. My thought process was interrupted by a loud shout and a thud. My head perked up to look over and see Ryuji collapse to the ground. The grin on my face turned to a grimace and I returned to my work with a renewed urgency.
"Taking down that one... there was another one of you, wasn't there?" her cold voice slithered down my spine. I gulped and quickly turned some knobs and flipped a switch, hoping that was enough. I stood up from my hiding place as her gaze swept across my teammates. I lifted my (W/C) over my head and took a running start. My toes pushed off the ground and launched me into the air, bringing my weapon whistling through the air and through her body. She wouldn't be able to withstand much more, especially with the odds in our favor. I smirked and flipped over her crippled form back to my spot next to our leader. I winked at him and he smiled.
Haru cast a healing spell on Ryuji and I watched him stand up in a daze. "Sorry," he muttered and she just nodded with a soft smile.
Sae recovered not long after, straightening up and pinning her glare onto me. "You." she hissed.
I smirked, "Me?"
The Shadow scowled and brought her hands up into the air, forcing the wheel to spin around once more. I waited with bated breath for the outcome, defending out of habit.
My tensed and achy muscles relaxed and I looked up in mild surprise. Sae seemed surprised too. "What?" she frowned. I smiled.
"What, scared you'll lose now that it's all fair?" Ryuji laughed happily.
Her frown deepened. Leave it to Ryuji to provoke the enemy. "Like I need that to win against some teenagers." The wheel began to spin again. It was another HP thing.
This time, we weren't as fortunate. Everyone's HP got knocked down to 1. Except mine, of course. I hadn't been severely incapacitated the entire time I'd been a Phantom Thief. I quickly used a strong healing spell on everyone.
~le time skip brought to you by whatever the fuck IHOB is~
It'd been a while since that battle. And since Joker got captured. Well, "captured." In my worrying for him, I spent more time in my personal therapy. For the life of me I couldn't figure out why I worried about him so damn much. I was sure he'd be fine--Hell, he'd gotten out of much worse positions before (the others enjoyed telling me stories to fill me in). I hadn't known Akechi that well either, but he genuinely seemed like a nice guy. It was weird to think of him as part of the "bad guys."
I shook away the thoughts and pushed one token onto a red 3. "What's wrong, not too confident this time?" one of the women I was playing with smiled toothily.
I shrugged nonchalantly, "Got a weird feeling. Always best to trust your gut." She snorted and pushed all of her tokens onto the 3. She'd been copying my moves for a while, not that I blamed her.
The ball rolled around and around and around and slowed over the 3. I blinked, mildly interested in where it would land. It skipped over the 3 and landed on the black 4. The woman before me screeched. I tuned her out and focused on the wheel. It honestly should've landed on 3, unless...
I smiled, recognizing the move.
"Miss me?" breath tickled my ear. I felt excitement bubble up within me and I whipped around to see Akira's lightly bruised but satisfied face. A grin pulled at my lips. I jumped out of my chair and threw my arms around him.
"Unreasonably so." I chuckled, loving how good it felt to hold him.
He slowly pulled away from me and smiled, not meeting my eyes. I frowned, reaching out and gently touching the splotches of purple on his face. He winced and I immediately pulled back. "Are you okay?" I asked.
He gave a husky laugh. "Yeah, but being in that place wasn't the best thing in the world. It took awhile for everything to come back to me. Actually..." he paused, glancing into my concerned eyes, "nevermind. Wanna go meet the others? I haven't seen them yet." He began to turn away.
I pulled his face back. "Akira, what's wrong?"
He gave me a weak smile, "This is gonna sound stupid, but the entire time... I latched onto this mental image of your face to kind of will the other memories to come back." he paused to laugh, "I was right, that did sound stupid."
I sighed, "Y'know what else is stupid?" He cocked a brow in response. I continued, "That I barely know you--not even a fraction as well as the others do and I still..." I closed my eyes and gave a breathy laugh, "nevermind."
I felt a soft pressure on my lips and my eyes snapped open in surprise. Akira pulled away with a slight blush, "Sorry, is that not what you meant?" His arms loosened around me.
I giggled, feeling like a little kid. "That's what I meant." I kissed him this time, having completely forgotten about my game.
The woman behind me stealthily slid around to my side of the table and went to slide my tokens into her purse. Her eyes caught the croupier's and he shook his head silently. She pouted and stalked away.
Ey, finally got something done. I'm gonna push myself to write more, promise!（*'▽｀*）