#v. haru; tag tbd.

[shadowedresolve]

"You know, Akira..."

Outwardly, Haru is as refined and confident as ever as she speaks up with a smile on her face to Akira. But inside, she can't help but feel a little nervous. He can probably tell - he's always so perceptive with these things, Haru finds, but that won't stop her from saying what she wants to say.

"You've done so much for me, but I feel like I never get the chance to thank you." she starts, placing her hands on her lap as she talks with a wistful kind of smile. It's not like she's never thanked him before, but...

"I'm always relying on you for one thing or another, it seems. You really are quite reliable, you know that? But... I just want you to know, if you ever need anything, I'm here too. I hope you can rely on me as well when you need it."

Having said her piece, Haru suddenly laughs, breaking the atmosphere she's created with her words. "Ahaha... I suppose that was a little much, wasn't it? Forgive me."

@phantomuheist ( starter! )

[shadowedresolve]

"I apologize if I'm overstepping, but I couldn't help but overhear just now... you're working as an actress? I think that's wonderful - I've always been so interested in the idea of theatre, myself."

Haru knows it's none of her business, but she can't help but ask her question to the stranger sitting nearby. Though after a moment, she feels a little flustered, and adds with a shake of the head-

"Ah- of course, if I'm bothering you, then you don't have to answer!"

@quickdeaths ( starter for anzu! )

[shadowedresolve]

"Akechi-kun."

Now that she's here, it's undeniable that this is Akechi. And though she'd spent the past few days already thinking about how she'd feel when she saw him again, now that she's actually face-to-face with him, all her thoughts have flown right out the window.

She... she hasn't forgiven him. So why were her initial thoughts upon hearing of his survival a strange mix of bitterness... and relief? Even seeing him now, she feels some level of anger - and yet it feels like she's not nearly as angry as she should be. It's like she has to keep reminding herself of what he's done, over and over - and that, she finds, is what's easy to hate him for.

"I heard you were alive... I didn't know it was true."

@princemask ( starter! )

[shadowedresolve]

"I... if the topic makes you uncomfortable, please tell me, and we can talk about something else, okay?"

That's the first thing that Haru wants to make clear. She already feels bad enough approaching Futaba about this to begin with, but... she can't help herself. She's been holding these feelings in for too long, and Futaba, she feels, is the only one who might understand.

...But is it cruel to bring up past wounds like this? She's sure the topic must've been on Futaba's mind sometimes, but what if it's something she doesn't want to think about right now? In that case...

"Or we can talk about it later, if you'd prefer." ...That's really all she can do. So, taking a deep breath, Haru steels herself and asks-

"Do you ever think... about Akechi?"

@oraclememehacker ( starter for futaba! )

[shadowedresolve]

"Ah... thank you. That really means so much to me, Takamaki-san."

Haru knows the doubts and desires plaguing her mind won't go away so easily, but even so... just sharing it with Ann makes her feel a little better. And for Ann to be so understanding... she's so lucky to have been blessed with such a wonderful friend.

"You're right. I suppose it all just feels like so much. ...Did I ever tell you about my dream of opening my own cafe? ...I think I'd love that, more than anything else in the world. But when I think about it, sometimes I feel like I should be doing something that helps other people, instead. If I had knew what exactly I could do to help, maybe it would be a little easier..."

It's hard to put into words what she means. She knows she's not obligated to get a job dedicated to other people; and that there are ways to help other people outside of a career, anyway. But even if she doesn't start pursuing it yet, having some kind of plan in mind for how she can give back to the people around her - she feels like it would make her feel better. Even if it's only the start of a plan, and she doesn't pursue it for a long time.

Honestly, she feels glad that Takakura is still in charge of the running of her company for now. She wouldn't even know where to begin with it. ...As she thinks that, she winces a little - shouldn't she be more grateful for the opportunity she has? Many people would give anything to be in her position.

"But thank you. Hearing you say that you'll be with me makes me feel better." Then, she giggles a little. "A superhero and a supervillain... we really make quite the pair, don't we?"

@fatexbound ( continued from here! )

[shadowedresolve]

“Thank you so much, for spending this time with me today, Futaba-chan. I had so much fun!”

Haru is beaming as she puts down the gaming controller she’d been holding and smiles at her younger friend. Not many would’ve guessed that Haru, who struggles with technology so much, could be such a fan of video games, but even if she hadn’t been - she’s sure that anything would be fun, as long as she was doing it with Futaba. The girl just has a way of bringing energy into everything she does, and it’s infectious - at first, Haru had been nervous to spend time with her without any of the other Thieves present, but she’d soon found herself relaxing and having a great time.

After a moment, she finds herself musing aloud.

“I never would’ve thought I could make so many great friends... my younger self would be shocked to see me now. ...Ah! I’m sorry if that was a little much!”

@oraclememehacker​ ( starter! )

[shadowedresolve]

Mmm! These crêpes! They’re delicious!”

Haru’s joy and wonder is written all over her face as she enjoys her food, Ann by her side. She’s always had a great love for treats like this, and she can tell that the person who made them put  a lot of love into it.

But being here with Ann makes it taste even better. As she takes another bite, Haru looks over at her and smiles warmly.

“Thank you for inviting me out here today. I had a wonderful time.” she starts, polite as always, though it’s obvious she means every word she says. But then...

“I know I said I had something I wanted to talk to you about, but... it might sound a little selfish.”

@fatexbound​ ( starter for ann! )

[shadowedresolve]

Haru smiles, warmth in her expression as she sits across the table from her friend. Right now, she couldn’t be happier. Just spending time with people she loves, who love her back for her - it’s something she never could’ve imagined for herself just a few years ago. Mako-chan is such a kind person, and Haru always enjoys the time they spend together, so much so that it feels like it always goes by in a flash. 

But today, there’s something on her mind. So, hesitantly, she decides to ask- with a wistful but gentle look on her face.

“Mako-chan... Do you ever miss being a Phantom Thief?”

@trio-of-tr0uble​ ( starter for makoto! )

[shadowedresolve]

"Wow, that girl really admired you, didn't she, Takamaki-san?"

Haru smiles, looking off at the girl who's now running off happily into the distance before turning back to Ann. Haru's known for quite a long time that Ann is a model, of course, but she never really saw that side of her friend's life much in the past, and it's not something she thinks about often.

But today, a stranger had approached Ann who seemed to have recognized her from some magazine or another. Honestly, Haru isn't sure whether that's a common occurrence or something extremely irregular, but she has to admit that it's sparked her curiosity.

"She talked a lot about dreams... it made me a little curious. Do you have any dreams for the future? I've never really had the chance to ask!"

@paenseo ( starter! )

[shadowedresolve]

"Ahaha... you caught me. It has been on my mind."

Maybe it's no surprise. It was thrilling - every heist made her feel alive in a way that nothing else ever could. And the knowledge that she was doing good in the world - making a difference, fighting for the sake of bringing justice to the victims of society... maybe that's what she misses the most.

But she's happy now, too. The friends she's made are irreplaceable, and every moment with them brings her joy. It's just something she thinks about sometimes.

"You know, if it weren't for those days, I wouldn't have met you and everyone else. So I'm very grateful for them." Part of her wants to take it further, and talk about the way she misses fighting as a Phantom Thief some more, but she doesn't know what exactly to say. So instead, she takes the chance to reminisce.

"You're quite the fighter, really. I was always impressed at how well you handled yourself against the Shadows!"

@epitomees ( continued from here! )

[shadowedresolve]

Yusuke is... an odd boy, but one that Haru finds herself very fond of.

His eccentricities were a little intimidating at first, if she’s honest. Then again, all of the Phantom Thieves had made her nervous - she’d never made any proper friends before, after all, and though she’d gone from being disappointed in them to admiring them quickly, it had taken a while for her to truly feel like she was part of the team.

Now, though, she feels peaceful in his presence. Even when there’s silence in the room, it’s a comfortable silence that doesn’t bother her - and she’s especially grateful for his presence... on a day like today.

It’s difficult. As of today, it’s been exactly a year since her father passed, and she still misses him more than anything. Maybe it’s strange, to miss someone who was so distant to her. So cold. Haru isn’t stupid - she knows that her father has hurt her, and acted inexcusably, both as a man and a father. But... she always thinks of what could’ve been, and it feels like her heart is being tightly squeezed, as if in a vice.

“Thank you for keeping company with me today. I really appreciate it.” She’d been happy to get the opportunity to see some of Yusuke’s art, as well - it’s always so impressive. But...

“I... apologize, if I’ve been a little out of sorts. I may not have been good company today.” Then, she smiles. “But it means a lot that you would spend time with me like this, Kitagawa-kun.”

@musaeon​ ( starter for yusuke! )