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[Akechi missed this.
Thrill. Adrenaline. Tit for tat - a tug forward. A trap and olive branch held out with one single comment, waiting for Akechi to grasp it. He needs to be flexible and adapt his approach - they're both feeling one another out, which is telling in its own right, but there was tension between them even before Akechi pressed hot steel against his forehead and
How mysterious.
[AndAkechi
This is a dance. Relaying too little tells more than spewing the truth. Dangle a rope over a drowning man, a piece of meat over a lion's den - he can do it with some exercised caution, feigned unease filtering his tone.]
That could be any number of things, couldn't it? You're an enigmatic man with no shortage of secrets held under the surface. It almost makes me wonder if someone else could have relayed it to him.
[The Detective Prince, who knows about the Phantom Thieves. Akechi, who walked among them with his own will lay bare. Akechi Goro who considered it all meaningless and left a body to rot in a jailcell.]
Bonds can be forged after all.
[Born in fire of injustice. Warped around lies.]
Do you really trust that he knows that about you? Perhaps there's another here willing to put your secrets on display to the world and he took advantage. You had many acquaintances. Friends. We can't ever know how many inhabitants from our Tokyo reside in this reality or have, at one point. A loud mouthed individual may have told stories to another who never knew about our world and it was stated to a curious man with no shortage of free time.
Wouldn't it be interesting if all your trust was because of a mistakenly shared statement?
[A hand raises to his chin in pensive thought, as if the matter only occurred to him with Akira's appearance. As if he's truly vexed by the idea.]
That's only a hypothetical, of course. Something to keep in mind - I've been living with him for some time and have a decent grasp of his behavior and principles.
Thrill. Adrenaline. Tit for tat - a tug forward. A trap and olive branch held out with one single comment, waiting for Akechi to grasp it. He needs to be flexible and adapt his approach - they're both feeling one another out, which is telling in its own right, but there was tension between them even before Akechi pressed hot steel against his forehead and
shot
Without regret, without remorse, without mercy.]How mysterious.
[And
knows everything.
Maruki Takuto knew everything. Knows. Learned over time and with his own intuition. From realities merged and warped to distort their minds.Akira is at a disadvantage.
Akechi wants to keep it that way and-This is a dance. Relaying too little tells more than spewing the truth. Dangle a rope over a drowning man, a piece of meat over a lion's den - he can do it with some exercised caution, feigned unease filtering his tone.]
That could be any number of things, couldn't it? You're an enigmatic man with no shortage of secrets held under the surface. It almost makes me wonder if someone else could have relayed it to him.
[The Detective Prince, who knows about the Phantom Thieves. Akechi, who walked among them with his own will lay bare. Akechi Goro who considered it all meaningless and left a body to rot in a jailcell.]
Bonds can be forged after all.
[Born in fire of injustice. Warped around lies.]
Do you really trust that he knows that about you? Perhaps there's another here willing to put your secrets on display to the world and he took advantage. You had many acquaintances. Friends. We can't ever know how many inhabitants from our Tokyo reside in this reality or have, at one point. A loud mouthed individual may have told stories to another who never knew about our world and it was stated to a curious man with no shortage of free time.
Wouldn't it be interesting if all your trust was because of a mistakenly shared statement?
[A hand raises to his chin in pensive thought, as if the matter only occurred to him with Akira's appearance. As if he's truly vexed by the idea.]
That's only a hypothetical, of course. Something to keep in mind - I've been living with him for some time and have a decent grasp of his behavior and principles.
[ Dazai is, but one would never know it just to look at him. He's young enough, and the bandages cover him are telling of his experiences. Depending on the person, it could range from aesthetics to combat to simply accident prone. But with most people he speaks casually and easily, without a care, as he does now. ]
I can tell.
[ There's none of the smugness or condescension that might accompany those words, though. It's a simple statement of fact. There's no surprise in him being a person who would pick up hobbies for others. ]
It's easier than most people think. The hard part is ensuring that you don't make any mistakes. If you make even one, then your entire strategy will collapse... Hmm, playing against a novice is nice. You're much more motivated than others I've played against.
[ Chess is boring because he always wins. Go is boring because he always wins. All games are boring because he cannot lose. There's only one person who's truly been able to best him. But even winning has a kind of charm when against someone with earnest determination.
But more important than that, it gives him something else to consider - ]
Is that person here? Have you managed to win against them yet?
I can tell.
[ There's none of the smugness or condescension that might accompany those words, though. It's a simple statement of fact. There's no surprise in him being a person who would pick up hobbies for others. ]
It's easier than most people think. The hard part is ensuring that you don't make any mistakes. If you make even one, then your entire strategy will collapse... Hmm, playing against a novice is nice. You're much more motivated than others I've played against.
[ Chess is boring because he always wins. Go is boring because he always wins. All games are boring because he cannot lose. There's only one person who's truly been able to best him. But even winning has a kind of charm when against someone with earnest determination.
But more important than that, it gives him something else to consider - ]
Is that person here? Have you managed to win against them yet?
Edited 2024-11-15 02:09 (UTC)
It's certainly a possibility. [His fingers tap against the table, voice nice and even.] But it's also one I'm not worried about.
[And finally, Akira sits. He sits, because there's no reason to stand anymore. Now, he's certain of it. Now, he knows that he has an advantage.
It wasn't really a surprise, though, even as it makes that empty space inside of him ache. The piece that Akechi needs to confirm any of this is something that he'll never have, because it comes long after his time.]
I trust Maruki-san, because I trust the people who know about what he told me. Even the ones that can be talkative... It isn't something they'd say to others lightly.
[He'd discussed it with the others, but Maruki is the only one he ever spoke about his theory to. Anyone else wouldn't even know that he'd made the connection.
Akira has enough confidence now that he isn't afraid. He can go on the offensive now. He crosses his legs as he gazes at Akechi, assessing his reactions.]
I'm noticing that you have a lot of interesting hypotheticals for someone you happen to be living with. [He tilts his head to the side; his glasses clearly show the sharp brightness of his eyes.] Has something about living with Maruki-san given you a reason to distrust him?
[Is Maruki hiding something? Is Akechi a threat to Maruki? He'll glean these as best as he can.]
[And finally, Akira sits. He sits, because there's no reason to stand anymore. Now, he's certain of it. Now, he knows that he has an advantage.
It wasn't really a surprise, though, even as it makes that empty space inside of him ache. The piece that Akechi needs to confirm any of this is something that he'll never have, because it comes long after his time.]
I trust Maruki-san, because I trust the people who know about what he told me. Even the ones that can be talkative... It isn't something they'd say to others lightly.
[He'd discussed it with the others, but Maruki is the only one he ever spoke about his theory to. Anyone else wouldn't even know that he'd made the connection.
Akira has enough confidence now that he isn't afraid. He can go on the offensive now. He crosses his legs as he gazes at Akechi, assessing his reactions.]
I'm noticing that you have a lot of interesting hypotheticals for someone you happen to be living with. [He tilts his head to the side; his glasses clearly show the sharp brightness of his eyes.] Has something about living with Maruki-san given you a reason to distrust him?
[Is Maruki hiding something? Is Akechi a threat to Maruki? He'll glean these as best as he can.]
[It's soft, but he laughs a little.]
There's a sort of satisfaction when you win, but it's not the same as having a challenge. The latter is a lot more fun to me. It only drives me to work harder. [The knight clicks against the board; that seems to be the last of Akira's.] But you're right, yes. That person is also here.
[He's here, and yet-
This is one of the most peaceful conversations he's had yet, since arriving in Somnius. No expectations, and no pain except for the reminder of Akechi. He's simply being seen for himself, a player a little too clumsy at the chessboard, and there's something simply refreshing about it.
It's been days, and Akira finally feels like he can breathe.]
He's here, but we haven't had a game yet. There's been... a lot of other things going on that we're working through. [An understatement, but-] I have one against him once, though, when he was least expecting it.
[Akira isn't talking about chess, because he's only gotten close a few times when Akechi didn't count on him pulling certain moves. But Dazai doesn't need to know that.]
There's a sort of satisfaction when you win, but it's not the same as having a challenge. The latter is a lot more fun to me. It only drives me to work harder. [The knight clicks against the board; that seems to be the last of Akira's.] But you're right, yes. That person is also here.
[He's here, and yet-
This is one of the most peaceful conversations he's had yet, since arriving in Somnius. No expectations, and no pain except for the reminder of Akechi. He's simply being seen for himself, a player a little too clumsy at the chessboard, and there's something simply refreshing about it.
It's been days, and Akira finally feels like he can breathe.]
He's here, but we haven't had a game yet. There's been... a lot of other things going on that we're working through. [An understatement, but-] I have one against him once, though, when he was least expecting it.
[Akira isn't talking about chess, because he's only gotten close a few times when Akechi didn't count on him pulling certain moves. But Dazai doesn't need to know that.]
[It once felt too easy to fall in line behind Akira as they stepped across piles of fake bills, the chatter of a casino overwhelming and yet it always came second to Akira's voice.
Akechi doesn't take orders - only feigns that subservience. A plan formed in the corner of a forgotten room, in a dingy foster home, doesn't look that different from one made on the fly in a pristine, untouched apartment. Exploit the exploitable. Follow a leader until a spine can be severed.
But Akira
Their lives didn't mean anything, so what was the harm in stealing a small piece from each of them. They wouldn't be alive for long beyond that point - one person in particular, dead in a cold room. The others-
Likely to follow, if Akechi couldn't enact his plan before then. It wouldn't matter either way. One, two, six more bodies on a pile of them - it's all meaningless.
And so he follows now - Akira sits at a table Akechi has shared with another night after night and after night. The hum of Tokyo's evening news draws him to the bar, the clatter of curry pots ushers him into a seat next to an intruder, and the sight of Joker in a gaze subdued keeps him plastered to the spot.]
That's a difficult question, Kurusu. I should refute one implication of your statement now though - I wouldn't share a space with someone I couldn't handle, trust or not.
[The counter isn't wet, but he can feel the phantom residue of a freshly wiped counter creeping up his elbow. A comfortable, hunched position in a place where Akechi could be himself and here -
Akechi doesn't look away. Doesn't stumble on his words. Kurusu Akira is someone he can handle too.]
But in the matter of Maruki-san-
[Marukidoesn't
You never truly know anyone. Not even a full view of heart, mind and soul can show everything. Intentions are missed, motivations are lost and some matters are meant to be locked up.
[His gaze remains steady against-
Akechihas
In saying that, he's also a man with an unshakeable resolve and holds a genuine desire to understand those around him. [It's pathetic. Akechi's face doesn't show it - only bares a thoughtful neutrality over a man he knows, and will never comprehend.] As an ally in this world, you could hardly do better. He's competent, resourceful and intelligent. [A beat.] You've met some interesting characters in your time in Tokyo - what's one more? I have no doubt you'll come to your own conclusion on the matter.
And when that day comes, I look forward to hearing it.
Akechi doesn't take orders - only feigns that subservience. A plan formed in the corner of a forgotten room, in a dingy foster home, doesn't look that different from one made on the fly in a pristine, untouched apartment. Exploit the exploitable. Follow a leader until a spine can be severed.
But Akira
was always different.
Certainty in the uncertain, confident in false worlds -relentless and unshakeable.
A wild freedom in his eyes that Akechi wanted to rip free for himself - his eyes only, his heart only. He wanted to see how Kurusu Akira operated then, and so he followed to get a taste of that life for himself.Their lives didn't mean anything, so what was the harm in stealing a small piece from each of them. They wouldn't be alive for long beyond that point - one person in particular, dead in a cold room. The others-
Likely to follow, if Akechi couldn't enact his plan before then. It wouldn't matter either way. One, two, six more bodies on a pile of them - it's all meaningless.
And so he follows now - Akira sits at a table Akechi has shared with another night after night and after night. The hum of Tokyo's evening news draws him to the bar, the clatter of curry pots ushers him into a seat next to an intruder, and the sight of Joker in a gaze subdued keeps him plastered to the spot.]
That's a difficult question, Kurusu. I should refute one implication of your statement now though - I wouldn't share a space with someone I couldn't handle, trust or not.
[The counter isn't wet, but he can feel the phantom residue of a freshly wiped counter creeping up his elbow. A comfortable, hunched position in a place where Akechi could be himself and here -
With Maruki Takuto
Whose entire being formed another safe haven for someone who lost theirs long ago. Akechi can't stand him. Hates this place, in this moment, more than he ever has. Hates Akira's legs dangling only an arm's length away, a throat closer than that.Akechi doesn't look away. Doesn't stumble on his words. Kurusu Akira is someone he can handle too.]
But in the matter of Maruki-san-
[Maruki
stop.
He's among the ranks of those who deserve to walk above the rot, and who are destined to be drowned in it under the weight of their own resolve.Like Akira.]
You never truly know anyone. Not even a full view of heart, mind and soul can show everything. Intentions are missed, motivations are lost and some matters are meant to be locked up.
[His gaze remains steady against-
a quaint beige wall illuminated by colorful, vintage lights.
Against wood paneling that looks both worn and brand new.Akechi
to play his part.
Because Akira dons his own mask, and Maruki will too.]In saying that, he's also a man with an unshakeable resolve and holds a genuine desire to understand those around him. [It's pathetic. Akechi's face doesn't show it - only bares a thoughtful neutrality over a man he knows, and will never comprehend.] As an ally in this world, you could hardly do better. He's competent, resourceful and intelligent. [A beat.] You've met some interesting characters in your time in Tokyo - what's one more? I have no doubt you'll come to your own conclusion on the matter.
And when that day comes, I look forward to hearing it.
[Akechi Goro does his research. That is an irrefutable fact. He is above the law, above everyone, and it was a simple feat to learn Kurusu Akira's basic information. Birthday included.
He took him out that day back then - offered to spend time with him, only a week before Akechi would place a bullet into his skull.
They can hardly do that here. This shithole has the amenities of rural peasant town in the 1600s. Dolph's club is the closest thing to Jazz Jin, a place he visits when the music shifts from heart pounding to calming, but-
This is Akira. This isn't his Akira. Akechi acknowledges this Akira, but there's too many missing points between, uncrossed paths, worlds split at the seam where they were once bound.
It's not his Akira, so a sacred spot will remain that way. An offer to take him typed, then deleted. An offer to go to the bathhouse typed, and deleted.
It's his Akira because every Akira is one he wants to unravel and destroy. It doesn't matter if he thinks Akechi needs saved after surviving an attempted murder by him or if he ends up dead in a cellar.
He sends a message - quick and polite.
I left a gift inside your bedroom this morning - oh, I didn't peek around the room, if you're concerned about that. I wanted to make sure the cats didn't get into it. I have business to attend to most of the day, but-
Perhaps tonight we could take a walk.
And inside the room, pressed against the wall to the right of the door is:
A dagger.
A small red notebook made by some shitty gelfling in the town square. Homemade, but durable. A pen rests on top.]
He took him out that day back then - offered to spend time with him, only a week before Akechi would place a bullet into his skull.
They can hardly do that here. This shithole has the amenities of rural peasant town in the 1600s. Dolph's club is the closest thing to Jazz Jin, a place he visits when the music shifts from heart pounding to calming, but-
This is Akira. This isn't his Akira. Akechi acknowledges this Akira, but there's too many missing points between, uncrossed paths, worlds split at the seam where they were once bound.
It's not his Akira, so a sacred spot will remain that way. An offer to take him typed, then deleted. An offer to go to the bathhouse typed, and deleted.
It's his Akira because every Akira is one he wants to unravel and destroy. It doesn't matter if he thinks Akechi needs saved after surviving an attempted murder by him or if he ends up dead in a cellar.
He sends a message - quick and polite.
I left a gift inside your bedroom this morning - oh, I didn't peek around the room, if you're concerned about that. I wanted to make sure the cats didn't get into it. I have business to attend to most of the day, but-
Perhaps tonight we could take a walk.
And inside the room, pressed against the wall to the right of the door is:
A dagger.
A small red notebook made by some shitty gelfling in the town square. Homemade, but durable. A pen rests on top.]
Edited 2024-11-16 21:03 (UTC)
[ There's a thoughtful little hmm at the mention of winning against him. His demeanor doesn't shift in the least, but there's a brief sharpness to his gaze, the sort of knowing look that is exclusive to those who know far more than they should.
Dazai has never lost this sort of game.
It's brief though, there and gone as quickly as lightning strikes, and one might mistake it for having never been there at all. ]
I've never lost this kind of game. There's only one person who's managed to beat me, and it was at poker. Even then, I was able to best him... If you watch me and listen to me, you'll be able to best them in no time.
[ He doesn't pry into what they might be working through, because if nothing else, Dazai does understand that. It's a sore point that one shouldn't carelessly touch upon. Instead he grins and picks up a piece, waving it a little, ]
When you're playing games like this, you don't need to worry about anything else. In fact, if you're just worried about beating someone, if you're thinking about anything else than you've already lost.
[ There's a grin, a briefly smug look that might give a hint as to just how he won that poker game. ]
Dazai has never lost this sort of game.
It's brief though, there and gone as quickly as lightning strikes, and one might mistake it for having never been there at all. ]
I've never lost this kind of game. There's only one person who's managed to beat me, and it was at poker. Even then, I was able to best him... If you watch me and listen to me, you'll be able to best them in no time.
[ He doesn't pry into what they might be working through, because if nothing else, Dazai does understand that. It's a sore point that one shouldn't carelessly touch upon. Instead he grins and picks up a piece, waving it a little, ]
When you're playing games like this, you don't need to worry about anything else. In fact, if you're just worried about beating someone, if you're thinking about anything else than you've already lost.
[ There's a grin, a briefly smug look that might give a hint as to just how he won that poker game. ]
[Akira blinks, slightly brought up short.
It's hard to read all of Akechi's thoughts, his emotions and desires; even if he feels like Akira's match, one mirror in front of another, they simply didn't spend the time together that they needed to know one other like that. As such, he can make calculated, often correct guesses, but ones that still have a little room for error.
He doesn't think that Akechi is one to speak highly of another person like this.
His face is neutral as he speaks, and somehow that's more of a window than if he had that camera-ready smile in place. The idea of them living together, spending time together, is so hard to wrap his mind around. He can't predict what kind of relationship they have. But for Akechi to say something like that...
...What exactly have he and Maruki Takuto been through together?]
You don't speak about him lightly. That's interesting praise. [Praise that's higher than I expected you to say, from how you were talking. He leans back in his seat, mind working quickly.] I'll just have to see for myself what sort of relationship we'll end up having.
[I'll have to wait to see if there's a day that I can look either of you in the eye without choking on my own guilt.
Maruki may very well be hiding something. Akechi always is, regardless of how many memories he's lost. But Akechi doesn't throw around a word like "ally" unless he intends to be one until the appointed time. This is one thing Akira knows.
Maybe it's fine, then, if he places his bets with the both of them.]
It's hard to read all of Akechi's thoughts, his emotions and desires; even if he feels like Akira's match, one mirror in front of another, they simply didn't spend the time together that they needed to know one other like that. As such, he can make calculated, often correct guesses, but ones that still have a little room for error.
He doesn't think that Akechi is one to speak highly of another person like this.
His face is neutral as he speaks, and somehow that's more of a window than if he had that camera-ready smile in place. The idea of them living together, spending time together, is so hard to wrap his mind around. He can't predict what kind of relationship they have. But for Akechi to say something like that...
...What exactly have he and Maruki Takuto been through together?]
You don't speak about him lightly. That's interesting praise. [Praise that's higher than I expected you to say, from how you were talking. He leans back in his seat, mind working quickly.] I'll just have to see for myself what sort of relationship we'll end up having.
[I'll have to wait to see if there's a day that I can look either of you in the eye without choking on my own guilt.
Maruki may very well be hiding something. Akechi always is, regardless of how many memories he's lost. But Akechi doesn't throw around a word like "ally" unless he intends to be one until the appointed time. This is one thing Akira knows.
Maybe it's fine, then, if he places his bets with the both of them.]
You always manage to bring out the best in people and bring them to your side. I won't be surprised when it turns out well.
[The disdain that wraps around his heart doesn't shake his tone in the slightest. It remains steady.
He can't stand it. Knows for a fact that Akira will manage with effortless ease to intertwine himself in the lives surrounding this machiya and beyond. That he'll fill all the gaps in their rotten hearts with something stronger. False affection, feigned bonds. A free heart is unchained and seeking. A bound one wants nothing more than to be strangled.
And Akechi will be there to drag them back down - Maruki Takuto is on his level. He won't relinquish that hold - not now, not ever, not to some attic trash that gets a second chance in a false world. Eren, Aubrey - he can't allow it.
But the gracious, magnanimous leader is here in all his purported glory, settled comfortably and neatly at a table like it's his shitty little cafe. Like he belongs in Akechi's home, instead of an untouched, unmarked grave.
Maybe his parents were notified - Akechi never cared to follow up on the after. Some delinquent going missing doesn't even make the news these days. It was nothing to him to watch blood flow from an open wound on his face, and drip-drip
The stone ground.
Akechi blinks and peels his eyes away from a floor he doesn't remember turning towards. Smiles and folds his hands on the counter, one gloved palm over the other.]
What's your plan now? I know it must be overwhelming to contend with this false world and I'm sure he's offered you a place to stay. [He can't stand it.] If I may confirm - we have plenty of space here and it would be beneficial for us to stick together for the time being. Of course, I know it will be an adjustment. [He can't stand it.] You can always leave when you get more acquainted with this reality if you so choose, but until then-
Well, what do you say, Kurusu?
[The disdain that wraps around his heart doesn't shake his tone in the slightest. It remains steady.
He can't stand it. Knows for a fact that Akira will manage with effortless ease to intertwine himself in the lives surrounding this machiya and beyond. That he'll fill all the gaps in their rotten hearts with something stronger. False affection, feigned bonds. A free heart is unchained and seeking. A bound one wants nothing more than to be strangled.
And Akechi will be there to drag them back down - Maruki Takuto is on his level. He won't relinquish that hold - not now, not ever, not to some attic trash that gets a second chance in a false world. Eren, Aubrey - he can't allow it.
But the gracious, magnanimous leader is here in all his purported glory, settled comfortably and neatly at a table like it's his shitty little cafe. Like he belongs in Akechi's home, instead of an untouched, unmarked grave.
Maybe his parents were notified - Akechi never cared to follow up on the after. Some delinquent going missing doesn't even make the news these days. It was nothing to him to watch blood flow from an open wound on his face, and drip-
drip
To the wooden ground-The stone ground.
Akechi blinks and peels his eyes away from a floor he doesn't remember turning towards. Smiles and folds his hands on the counter, one gloved palm over the other.]
What's your plan now? I know it must be overwhelming to contend with this false world and I'm sure he's offered you a place to stay. [He can't stand it.] If I may confirm - we have plenty of space here and it would be beneficial for us to stick together for the time being. Of course, I know it will be an adjustment. [He can't stand it.] You can always leave when you get more acquainted with this reality if you so choose, but until then-
Well, what do you say, Kurusu?
[There's one thing that's for certain. Akira is here, settled comfortably and neatly, and he is watching. He is listening.
He ingests every word Akechi says.
And he watches every move that Akechi makes.
What was he thinking about, dropping his gaze like that? It's hard to say, because he doesn't know what's missing from him. He could simply be thinking of his own relationship with Maruki... or maybe it's one of Akira's bonds with someone else.
It couldn't be Akira's bond with Akechi himself... could it?]
Maruki-san offered me a place here, yes. [He starts out slow, not mentioning a bit of what he's thinking. He's back to the usual game of theirs; cards held close to the chest, not talking about things they actually mean. Like always, though, it's still a little bit of multitasking, because this is something that they need to discuss as well.] I told him I was still waiting to decide, because I wanted your input first.
[It would be beneficial for us to stick together for the time being.
Whatever Akechi remembers, it's clear to Akira that he's still operating the same way. He's either doing his best to play nice, or he actually does want Akira here for the sake of keeping an eye on him. Maybe it's even both.]
Even if we know each other, it's a lot to impose on someone to live together. If you want your privacy or otherwise, I don't mind staying somewhere else that's nearby.
[It's a lie, but Akira is good at those.
He's always been good at hiding it all. His wants, his likes, his feelings. It's easier to be what people need you to be if you don't let anything messy spill out. Expression perfectly impassive and calm as always. It's just as easy to hide that the loneliness of staying away would drown him alive, just as it's easy to not let on to the fact that living here would crack apart his heart every single day.
Focus turned away from himself. Questions asked to the other party. He knows what to do, same as always, even if the weight of the circumstances is more leaden than usual.]
It's a kind offer. I'd be happy to stay here, but I want to be sure. Is that what you want, too?
He ingests every word Akechi says.
And he watches every move that Akechi makes.
What was he thinking about, dropping his gaze like that? It's hard to say, because he doesn't know what's missing from him. He could simply be thinking of his own relationship with Maruki... or maybe it's one of Akira's bonds with someone else.
It couldn't be Akira's bond with Akechi himself... could it?]
Maruki-san offered me a place here, yes. [He starts out slow, not mentioning a bit of what he's thinking. He's back to the usual game of theirs; cards held close to the chest, not talking about things they actually mean. Like always, though, it's still a little bit of multitasking, because this is something that they need to discuss as well.] I told him I was still waiting to decide, because I wanted your input first.
[It would be beneficial for us to stick together for the time being.
Whatever Akechi remembers, it's clear to Akira that he's still operating the same way. He's either doing his best to play nice, or he actually does want Akira here for the sake of keeping an eye on him. Maybe it's even both.]
Even if we know each other, it's a lot to impose on someone to live together. If you want your privacy or otherwise, I don't mind staying somewhere else that's nearby.
[It's a lie, but Akira is good at those.
He's always been good at hiding it all. His wants, his likes, his feelings. It's easier to be what people need you to be if you don't let anything messy spill out. Expression perfectly impassive and calm as always. It's just as easy to hide that the loneliness of staying away would drown him alive, just as it's easy to not let on to the fact that living here would crack apart his heart every single day.
Focus turned away from himself. Questions asked to the other party. He knows what to do, same as always, even if the weight of the circumstances is more leaden than usual.]
It's a kind offer. I'd be happy to stay here, but I want to be sure. Is that what you want, too?
[Akira doesn't think much of it at first. It's not unusual that Maruki is cooking; he wouldn't be surprised if it's second nature for him, having lived with Akechi for some time. He's a counselor, and the adult in the house besides. Akira hasn't really offered to cook much yet, because it feels... wrong to intrude on such a normalcy like that. So when he's asked to sit, he doesn't question it.
Until he hears the words that follow.
His entire body locks up, stunned like he's been zapped with a Zio. He can't remember the last time anyone said that to him. Akira never told Sojiro or the Phantom Thieves. So then...]
I- No, but- [He doesn't know how to handle being at a total loss for words. Akira sometimes chooses not to talk, but he doesn't get thrown in that particular way very often. Maruki seems to be accomplishing that a lot, however.] ...How did you find out my birthday?
[Maruki knows his birthday. He never even told Morgana his birthday.
He doesn't remember how he spent his 17th birthday, what he did that day or who he talked to. Most likely he spent it the same way he did all of those days leading up to his arrest - adrenaline thrumming through his veins at the thought of his access, or nausea twisting his gut at the thought that very soon he would be dead.]
Until he hears the words that follow.
His entire body locks up, stunned like he's been zapped with a Zio. He can't remember the last time anyone said that to him. Akira never told Sojiro or the Phantom Thieves. So then...]
I- No, but- [He doesn't know how to handle being at a total loss for words. Akira sometimes chooses not to talk, but he doesn't get thrown in that particular way very often. Maruki seems to be accomplishing that a lot, however.] ...How did you find out my birthday?
[Maruki knows his birthday. He never even told Morgana his birthday.
He doesn't remember how he spent his 17th birthday, what he did that day or who he talked to. Most likely he spent it the same way he did all of those days leading up to his arrest - adrenaline thrumming through his veins at the thought of his access, or nausea twisting his gut at the thought that very soon he would be dead.]
[ The stumble over his words makes Maruki look over his shoulder. The sight of Akira, still and stunned, makes him fully turn around.
And the question makes an apologetic frown immediately break out over his face. ]
Oh, no– I didn't realize...
[ Truly, he didn't. He was so focused on being able to do something kind for Akira, he didn't stop for a second to think of how it would feel for someone he doesn't remember to know small, intimate details about his life. Rushing headlong into chaos, as ever...
Maruki rubs at the back of his neck, looks askance. ]
It was in your student file.
[ He's already decided that he won't lie to Akira about anything, won't obfuscate the truth even a bit. It would be too difficult to keep up any masks when Akechi already knows every bitter truth about him, and in some sad way, it's atonement. This Akira deserves better than how he treated his own. ]
We weren't able to celebrate it back in my reality, we were both too busy. I thought it might be a nice bit of normalcy for you here, but I see now how strange it must be. I apologize, Kurusu-kun.
And the question makes an apologetic frown immediately break out over his face. ]
Oh, no– I didn't realize...
[ Truly, he didn't. He was so focused on being able to do something kind for Akira, he didn't stop for a second to think of how it would feel for someone he doesn't remember to know small, intimate details about his life. Rushing headlong into chaos, as ever...
Maruki rubs at the back of his neck, looks askance. ]
It was in your student file.
[ He's already decided that he won't lie to Akira about anything, won't obfuscate the truth even a bit. It would be too difficult to keep up any masks when Akechi already knows every bitter truth about him, and in some sad way, it's atonement. This Akira deserves better than how he treated his own. ]
We weren't able to celebrate it back in my reality, we were both too busy. I thought it might be a nice bit of normalcy for you here, but I see now how strange it must be. I apologize, Kurusu-kun.
[Akechi watches with the same singular fixed gaze Akira now has on him. Had. Has never lacked in this entire discussion.
Isthat wants?
A person that allowed Akechi in his world, once. Gave opportunities for Akechi to kill him with a turned back, cups of coffee pushed into his hand, insight into his life beyond his criminal enterprise.
It's his turn to repay the favor.]
I want you to stay. We're allies, aren't we? Friends, perhaps? Though I would hate to put words in your mouth.
[In the coming days, Akechi will turn his back to a once 'friend.' Press cups of coffee into Akira's hand. Wait for the night Joker slinks in through an unlocked door to press a barrel against Akechi's skull as revenge. As retaliation. As a rival. He wants it more than ever. Missed it, more than anything.
He holds out a hand - gloved, pristine. He wants to feel Akira - alive, so alive, completely alive. Warm and alive. Breathing and alive Akira.]
It sounds like we've come to an agreement. Let's shake on it. It's customary to do so and I find the symbolism of it important.
Is
what
heMore than anything. More than ever.
An enemy only two walls away. One one train ride away. Only one Metaverse overlap away.A person that allowed Akechi in his world, once. Gave opportunities for Akechi to kill him with a turned back, cups of coffee pushed into his hand, insight into his life beyond his criminal enterprise.
It's his turn to repay the favor.]
I want you to stay. We're allies, aren't we? Friends, perhaps? Though I would hate to put words in your mouth.
[In the coming days, Akechi will turn his back to a once 'friend.' Press cups of coffee into Akira's hand. Wait for the night Joker slinks in through an unlocked door to press a barrel against Akechi's skull as revenge. As retaliation. As a rival. He wants it more than ever. Missed it, more than anything.
He holds out a hand - gloved, pristine. He wants to feel Akira - alive, so alive, completely alive. Warm and alive. Breathing and alive Akira.]
It sounds like we've come to an agreement. Let's shake on it. It's customary to do so and I find the symbolism of it important.
[It's been... a strange day. An unprecedented one. Akira doesn't quite know what to do with the weight of the feelings in his chest and their impossibility. Even before any of his arrests, he can't remember the last time he's spent a birthday the way he had with Maruki early. He'd thought that would be the end of it, but there's someone in this house he should never, ever underestimate.
The lull of having him alive again makes Akira forget, sometimes.
A message wrapped around a request. A notebook to fill his thoughts with, when speaking any of them is something he's simply unable to do. A dagger, real and sharp and with a heft that sets his heart beating faster even as it reassures.
He doesn't know what to make of it all. But it doesn't change Akira's response.]
Let's go. I'll meet you outside of the machiya when you get home.
[Two people who shouldn't know his birthday have asked for his time today. Maruki at least owned up to why he knew the date, but Akechi... Akechi shouldn't know it at all. Akira never told anyone else, and Akechi has no student file to glean, so it has to be...
A coincidence, which Akira doesn't believe in the slightest. Everything Akechi Goro does is for a reason. Because Maruki told him, which Akira is inclined to believe the most. It would make sense, especially if he wanted to make Akira's day enjoyable. But the third option...
A wedge of possibility. Of doubt. He doesn't know what Akechi's forgotten... but what he might remember is something far more daunting.
Akira doesn't linger on it. Can't, because a familiar figure approaches and his time has run out. His mind must be clear, calm, and-
Welcome home. [Those words- He can't let it sit like that on its own, because it's too close-] Did you need anything from inside?
[His voice is calm, easy. The dagger is tucked into his pocket. Akira's got this.]
The lull of having him alive again makes Akira forget, sometimes.
A message wrapped around a request. A notebook to fill his thoughts with, when speaking any of them is something he's simply unable to do. A dagger, real and sharp and with a heft that sets his heart beating faster even as it reassures.
He doesn't know what to make of it all. But it doesn't change Akira's response.]
Let's go. I'll meet you outside of the machiya when you get home.
[Two people who shouldn't know his birthday have asked for his time today. Maruki at least owned up to why he knew the date, but Akechi... Akechi shouldn't know it at all. Akira never told anyone else, and Akechi has no student file to glean, so it has to be...
A coincidence, which Akira doesn't believe in the slightest. Everything Akechi Goro does is for a reason. Because Maruki told him, which Akira is inclined to believe the most. It would make sense, especially if he wanted to make Akira's day enjoyable. But the third option...
A wedge of possibility. Of doubt. He doesn't know what Akechi's forgotten... but what he might remember is something far more daunting.
Akira doesn't linger on it. Can't, because a familiar figure approaches and his time has run out. His mind must be clear, calm, and-
No matter what way he means it, Akira cannot fail again.]
Welcome home. [Those words- He can't let it sit like that on its own, because it's too close-] Did you need anything from inside?
[His voice is calm, easy. The dagger is tucked into his pocket. Akira's got this.]
You're back awfully late - is what I would like to say, but I suppose it's my turn to be the tardy one this time. No, I don't need anything at all.
[It doesn't get easier. Every interaction is a test of his all too worn patience, every thrown out allusion to a past interaction hardening a resolve encased in the same steel that shot through Akira's goddamn skull.
Akira has his knife. Akechi doesn't need to see it on his person to know that gift was accepted. He's still Joker and-
Akechi has his own weapons and persona at his disposal. A fight isn't on his current agenda, but standing by Akira's side posing as an old friend instead of recent foe is-
Exciting.
Annoying.
Makes him want to puke and throttle every forgotten memory out of his body. Strangled gasps would recall a bathhouse, slamming his head into wall would dislodge forgotten cafe memories. The urge to beat him until everything returns -
Is strong. He waves it off, like an irritating pest flying near his face.]
I won't keep you long. I thought it might be nice - while you may not remember, we did this often and it worked to clear both our heads. You've gone through a lot the past few days, after all.
[It doesn't get easier. Every interaction is a test of his all too worn patience, every thrown out allusion to a past interaction hardening a resolve encased in the same steel that shot through Akira's goddamn skull.
Akira has his knife. Akechi doesn't need to see it on his person to know that gift was accepted. He's still Joker and-
Akechi has his own weapons and persona at his disposal. A fight isn't on his current agenda, but standing by Akira's side posing as an old friend instead of recent foe is-
Exciting.
Annoying.
Makes him want to puke and throttle every forgotten memory out of his body. Strangled gasps would recall a bathhouse, slamming his head into wall would dislodge forgotten cafe memories. The urge to beat him until everything returns -
Is strong. He waves it off, like an irritating pest flying near his face.]
I won't keep you long. I thought it might be nice - while you may not remember, we did this often and it worked to clear both our heads. You've gone through a lot the past few days, after all.
[Friends.
Are they friends?
Akechi said he didn't need friends.
Didn't he wish that he'd met Akira sooner?
Friends is a loaded word, one that fills his stomach with weights and puts a coppery tang of guilt in his mouth. Allies is safer. Indicative, as well, even if Akechi hadn't meant to give away that he's likely from a time that's after he blackmailed the Phantom Thieves. He's almost certain Akechi wouldn't have called them friends before that, with the yawning gap of distance between them, but Akira's surprised that he'd even use the word now.
It's not a word that Akira ever deserves to have applied to Akechi Goro.
Akechi, who understood how his mind worked better than even his most trusted friends, that wore masks in such a familiar way that it felt like a reflection of Akira's own self. Akechi, who betrayed him and dealt the worst kind of pain, even if Akira had expected it from the beginning of their arrangement. Akechi, who was a regular guest star in all of Akira's reoccurring nightmares, drenched up to his arms in blood and worse as he tried to staunch the flow from a bullet wound he couldn't stop.
The nightmares have never ended, but at least they're less than they were right after it happened. Sometimes he wonders what it means, to hope that he'll have nightmares that exaggerate everything that happened in the interrogation room - enough of the truth serum injected into his veins to make them burn, hallucinations dancing across his eyes, every limb dislocated and useless as he's beaten within in an inch of his life... to hope for that instead of seeing Akechi's death, when Akechi is the one who put him there, surely must mean there's something wrong with him.
He'd almost forgotten. He'd almost learned how to breathe around the emptiness in his chest. He'd almost been able to pretend that he was a happy person.
And now he can face it, all of it, all over again.
It's an alliance that Akira again has to accept, because it's too precarious to refuse. The guilt of it will scald him, and that's alright, because it's just an extension of what he still has to live with every day.
Maybe it's simply that his penance has finally come to collect.]
They aren't words that I hate. [Because it's true.] I'm glad you think of us that way. [Because it's what Akira would wish for, if anyone would answer his prayers bent at the glass of a Tokyo toy store.] Let's make it official, then.
[It's a forgotten key clicked back into place, the pages of an old well-loved book crinkling through his soul. It's the whisper of a bond, of a red string of fate snapped in half but stitched back together. It's the threads of wants and wishes and likes, masks and La Justice and regret, gossamer silk wrapped around his heart and wrists and throat.
It's Metatron humming in his chest, impossible to reach or to feel more than the ghost sensation of, because all must return to zero before it reaches the end.]
Rather than just an agreement... Let's make a deal.
[A ghost of words Akira wasn't the one to say, because he'll be haunted until the day he dies.]
For as long as I'm here, I'm an ally to both you and Maruki-san.
[He takes Akechi's hand in his to shake, firm and nostalgic.
For as long as I'm here, I'll bleed myself dry if that's what it takes to do what I should have.
In a world where the impossible is meant to make sense... maybe he can claw and fight his way to steal Akechi's life back with his own two hands.]
Akira wishes they were friends.
Akechi said he didn't need friends.
If only they'd been friends earlier, then maybe...
Friends is a loaded word, one that fills his stomach with weights and puts a coppery tang of guilt in his mouth. Allies is safer. Indicative, as well, even if Akechi hadn't meant to give away that he's likely from a time that's after he blackmailed the Phantom Thieves. He's almost certain Akechi wouldn't have called them friends before that, with the yawning gap of distance between them, but Akira's surprised that he'd even use the word now.
It's not a word that Akira ever deserves to have applied to Akechi Goro.
Akechi, who understood how his mind worked better than even his most trusted friends, that wore masks in such a familiar way that it felt like a reflection of Akira's own self. Akechi, who betrayed him and dealt the worst kind of pain, even if Akira had expected it from the beginning of their arrangement. Akechi, who was a regular guest star in all of Akira's reoccurring nightmares, drenched up to his arms in blood and worse as he tried to staunch the flow from a bullet wound he couldn't stop.
The nightmares have never ended, but at least they're less than they were right after it happened. Sometimes he wonders what it means, to hope that he'll have nightmares that exaggerate everything that happened in the interrogation room - enough of the truth serum injected into his veins to make them burn, hallucinations dancing across his eyes, every limb dislocated and useless as he's beaten within in an inch of his life... to hope for that instead of seeing Akechi's death, when Akechi is the one who put him there, surely must mean there's something wrong with him.
He'd almost forgotten. He'd almost learned how to breathe around the emptiness in his chest. He'd almost been able to pretend that he was a happy person.
It's an alliance that Akira again has to accept, because it's too precarious to refuse. The guilt of it will scald him, and that's alright, because it's just an extension of what he still has to live with every day.
Maybe it's simply that his penance has finally come to collect.]
They aren't words that I hate. [Because it's true.] I'm glad you think of us that way. [Because it's what Akira would wish for, if anyone would answer his prayers bent at the glass of a Tokyo toy store.] Let's make it official, then.
[It's a forgotten key clicked back into place, the pages of an old well-loved book crinkling through his soul. It's the whisper of a bond, of a red string of fate snapped in half but stitched back together. It's the threads of wants and wishes and likes, masks and La Justice and regret, gossamer silk wrapped around his heart and wrists and throat.
It's Metatron humming in his chest, impossible to reach or to feel more than the ghost sensation of, because all must return to zero before it reaches the end.]
Rather than just an agreement... Let's make a deal.
[A ghost of words Akira wasn't the one to say, because he'll be haunted until the day he dies.]
For as long as I'm here, I'm an ally to both you and Maruki-san.
[He takes Akechi's hand in his to shake, firm and nostalgic.
In a world where the impossible is meant to make sense... maybe he can claw and fight his way to steal Akechi's life back with his own two hands.]
['They aren't words that I hate.'
'Let's make a deal.' All Akira has to do is join him. Turn his back on his friends.
Akechi Goro can't breathe, so Akechi does. Akechi Goro can't smile, so Akechi does. Akechi Goro can't fathom the bright, burning warmth that surges through his chest - not joy, not grief. It's entirely new, a sensation that's only for Kurusu Akira.
Akechi lets go so Akechi Goro can breath. Akechi stands up so Akechi Goro can think and Akechi-
Motions to the rest of the room like the actor he was born to be.]
Well then - let me be the first to say it. Welcome home, Kurusu.
He should.
Akira is fool - freed and tied down by a desire for bonds. A rope around a throat that tightens and tightens until he's dragged into a room to die alone. He doesn't even fight it. Walks into looped trap each and every time.
Akechi can do this again and again.
He shouldn't.
Akira is a fool - he can do this. It's the same as ever.
Akechi's always one step ahead, smarter, ready to place blade into back, gun to head. There won't ever be a point when Kurusu Akira-
Plays him for a fool again. In this reality or the next - Akechi's ready. Prepared. Akira's up to something now - was then.
A flicker of Joker is always in his poised responses, languid movements, confident words. Akechi can't stand him.
Become allies. Become friends.
Akira doesn't confirm their relationship - smart as ever, careful as always. Claims to be allies now. Will stay allies now.
In Akira's distorted mind, Joker is planning to have the last laugh. Is trying to lay the groundwork for it now. It won't happen. Won't ever happen.
Akechi's stronger. Smarter. A planner and exploiter.
Akira's better. A healer. Tactician. Uses empathy to exploit, willpower to turn that into gain.
Give up his ideals for good.
It's grounding in the worst possible way - a confirmation of the dire reality of this disgusting world, this horrible situation. A dead man walks, touches him, fingers over his, palm to palm - he's alive. No specks of crimson on his skin. He's alive with no putrid smell stinging his nose.Akechi Goro can't breathe, so Akechi does. Akechi Goro can't smile, so Akechi does. Akechi Goro can't fathom the bright, burning warmth that surges through his chest - not joy, not grief. It's entirely new, a sensation that's only for Kurusu Akira.
Akechi lets go so Akechi Goro can breath. Akechi stands up so Akechi Goro can think and Akechi-
Motions to the rest of the room like the actor he was born to be.]
Well then - let me be the first to say it. Welcome home, Kurusu.
[Akira's fingers find one of his own pieces, a knight that he rocks from side to side ever so slightly.
There's only one person that's ever looked at him with such a penetrating gaze. He wonders how much Dazai can see of what's locked up in his heart. Akira didn't mind it back then, and he doesn't mind it now.
It's always a nice thing, to finally be seen.]
Keep your mind clear, play the game for the game itself... [He weighs the piece in one hand, Dazai's grin in the other. It feels telling.] You speak like it's from experience.
[He laughs a little, but it's directed inwards. He can't win if he thinks about Akechi or Dazai or anyone else, huh?
Maybe that's a little familiar, in its own way, but that's too bitter of a thought for such a nice afternoon.]
I should learn from you, then. Should I be calling you "Dazai-senpai" instead?
[It's said a little jokingly, but it's genuine in its way, too. He hasn't called anyone "senpai" since before he got close to Makoto and Haru.]
There's only one person that's ever looked at him with such a penetrating gaze. He wonders how much Dazai can see of what's locked up in his heart. Akira didn't mind it back then, and he doesn't mind it now.
It's always a nice thing, to finally be seen.]
Keep your mind clear, play the game for the game itself... [He weighs the piece in one hand, Dazai's grin in the other. It feels telling.] You speak like it's from experience.
[He laughs a little, but it's directed inwards. He can't win if he thinks about Akechi or Dazai or anyone else, huh?
Maybe that's a little familiar, in its own way, but that's too bitter of a thought for such a nice afternoon.]
I should learn from you, then. Should I be calling you "Dazai-senpai" instead?
[It's said a little jokingly, but it's genuine in its way, too. He hasn't called anyone "senpai" since before he got close to Makoto and Haru.]
[His throat feels tight, but that's because Akira is overwhelmed. He doesn't know how to feel. He doesn't know what to do with this great expansion in his chest, incomprehensible and all-encompassing.
He can't remember the last time anyone besides his parents knew his birthday. Can't remember the last time anyone did anything special for it, either. He doesn't even know Maruki, not the way that he knows Akira, and yet...
And yet. He still did all of this for him. Still thought of him, still cooked for him, still wanted to do something nice for him - for someone that didn't even know his name til he woke up here.
I haven't earned this, sneaks through his brain like a creeping vine, but he has to push it down right now. Maruki worked too hard for him to squander it.]
You- [No. Too unsteady. Try again. He doesn't like how this keeps happening around Maruki.] You don't have to apologize. It's just a surprise. [Almost unconsciously, his hand goes up to tug at his hair.] I'm sure Kawakami-sensei and the other teachers had access to it to, too, but she never said anything.
[None of them did. Even Kawakami, who he can finally think of as a friend. Maybe their relationship was still too transactional; maybe she felt too much guilt to contact a student, even after everything she had told him, yet still because of it. Only Maruki, the person fate decided he didn't get to have, was the one in that school who cared enough to look and think to do something, too.
It burns even as it soothes.]
If things weren't that different, I'm sure it was a busy time for me. [The phantom guillotine hanging over his head as every day brought them closer to the infiltration, excitement and nausea swirling together in his gut with every breath.] It's alright. We can make up for it now.
[Maruki has nothing to make up for, compared to all the things that Akira can't. But to turn him away for the sake of his guilt would be the worst cruelty of all, so he relaxes in his seat and fiddles with a napkin.]
What are you making?
He can't remember the last time anyone besides his parents knew his birthday. Can't remember the last time anyone did anything special for it, either. He doesn't even know Maruki, not the way that he knows Akira, and yet...
And yet. He still did all of this for him. Still thought of him, still cooked for him, still wanted to do something nice for him - for someone that didn't even know his name til he woke up here.
I haven't earned this, sneaks through his brain like a creeping vine, but he has to push it down right now. Maruki worked too hard for him to squander it.]
You- [No. Too unsteady. Try again. He doesn't like how this keeps happening around Maruki.] You don't have to apologize. It's just a surprise. [Almost unconsciously, his hand goes up to tug at his hair.] I'm sure Kawakami-sensei and the other teachers had access to it to, too, but she never said anything.
[None of them did. Even Kawakami, who he can finally think of as a friend. Maybe their relationship was still too transactional; maybe she felt too much guilt to contact a student, even after everything she had told him, yet still because of it. Only Maruki, the person fate decided he didn't get to have, was the one in that school who cared enough to look and think to do something, too.
It burns even as it soothes.]
If things weren't that different, I'm sure it was a busy time for me. [The phantom guillotine hanging over his head as every day brought them closer to the infiltration, excitement and nausea swirling together in his gut with every breath.] It's alright. We can make up for it now.
[Maruki has nothing to make up for, compared to all the things that Akira can't. But to turn him away for the sake of his guilt would be the worst cruelty of all, so he relaxes in his seat and fiddles with a napkin.]
What are you making?
[ The casual mention of Kawakami rattles something inside Maruki; for all he and Akechi have discussed about Tokyo, there are simply some connections that couldn't ever come up. Having Akira here, even if he doesn't remember Maruki, means things like this will happen now – hearing a fellow staff member's name brought up in passing.
But she didn't do anything for his birthday. None of the teachers did.
He's not surprised. Every reminder of that school leaves a bitter coating over his tongue.
He swallows it down, smiles as turns to put the soup stock on the stove to simmer. ]
Tempura udon. I hope you like it.
[ It isn't worth telling him that it was the last meal they shared together on that final day. Maruki doesn't want to put any more undue weight on this afternoon than he already has.
He glances over his shoulder as he fiddles with the temperature of the stove. ]
I know it hasn't been long, but are you settling in alright? Has anyone given you any trouble? I include Akechi-kun in that!
But she didn't do anything for his birthday. None of the teachers did.
He's not surprised. Every reminder of that school leaves a bitter coating over his tongue.
He swallows it down, smiles as turns to put the soup stock on the stove to simmer. ]
Tempura udon. I hope you like it.
[ It isn't worth telling him that it was the last meal they shared together on that final day. Maruki doesn't want to put any more undue weight on this afternoon than he already has.
He glances over his shoulder as he fiddles with the temperature of the stove. ]
I know it hasn't been long, but are you settling in alright? Has anyone given you any trouble? I include Akechi-kun in that!
[ "Dazai-senpai..." He doesn't think that anyone's ever called him that before, but then, he can't remember ever going to school. He's not sure about it. ]
That's right! You have to! You're not allowed to call me anything else from now on!
[ It's just a joke, of course; Dazai-kun suits him just fine. He takes a moment to loop back around to Akira's first statement, ]
You're right that I have experience. I've only found one person who could beat me at Poker. It was really annoying to keep losing, you know?
[ Though Dazai has a bright expression, that of someone reminiscing on a particularly pleasant time in life, ]
I was able to beat him in the end by distracting him. I'm the only one who's managed to do that.
That's right! You have to! You're not allowed to call me anything else from now on!
[ It's just a joke, of course; Dazai-kun suits him just fine. He takes a moment to loop back around to Akira's first statement, ]
You're right that I have experience. I've only found one person who could beat me at Poker. It was really annoying to keep losing, you know?
[ Though Dazai has a bright expression, that of someone reminiscing on a particularly pleasant time in life, ]
I was able to beat him in the end by distracting him. I'm the only one who's managed to do that.
[It sneaks a laugh out of him, bright and a little more genuine than what he intended.]
Dazai-senpai it is, then. I'll be off to a bad start if I'm deliberately disobedient from the get-go.
[It's interesting, the way he lingers on this, though. It's a loss, but it's full of fondness, like it's something to look back on and be satisfied with.
To Akira, it's a familiar feeling.]
That example was about you, then. He must've been quite the opponent, to put that sort of look in your eyes. What did he say when you finally won?
Dazai-senpai it is, then. I'll be off to a bad start if I'm deliberately disobedient from the get-go.
[It's interesting, the way he lingers on this, though. It's a loss, but it's full of fondness, like it's something to look back on and be satisfied with.
To Akira, it's a familiar feeling.]
That example was about you, then. He must've been quite the opponent, to put that sort of look in your eyes. What did he say when you finally won?
"Even if you flip a card a thousand times, and a thousand times it come out as you expected, there is no guarantee that it will come out right the 1001th time."
[ And that very response is part of why Dazai had come to care so much. Odasaku was his 1000th time. He was something that he couldn't predict, a person who would say such strange things that he couldn't predict it.
That's why there's just the faintest of fondness here now, too. It's completely different, but it's been a long time since he's had someone who would so earnestly challenge him. If they play a thousand times, then perhaps the next one will be a victory.
Dazai prefers people who think in that way. He believes this is someone who can maintain it is as rare as it is fine.
Dazai-senpai... He doesn't dislike it. ]
... If you play chess with me 1000 times, then you might beat me on the 1000th time. If you do that, hm... What will we do? There have to be some stakes.
[ And that very response is part of why Dazai had come to care so much. Odasaku was his 1000th time. He was something that he couldn't predict, a person who would say such strange things that he couldn't predict it.
That's why there's just the faintest of fondness here now, too. It's completely different, but it's been a long time since he's had someone who would so earnestly challenge him. If they play a thousand times, then perhaps the next one will be a victory.
Dazai prefers people who think in that way. He believes this is someone who can maintain it is as rare as it is fine.
Dazai-senpai... He doesn't dislike it. ]
... If you play chess with me 1000 times, then you might beat me on the 1000th time. If you do that, hm... What will we do? There have to be some stakes.
[The words slip between his ribs, unguarded, like a chilled blade.
It seems- odd for Akechi to put so much emphasis on the time that they've spent together. Calling him friend was one thing, a way to appeal, but this is another entirely. The seed of doubt sprouts in his chest, and its leaves curl over a dulled sense of alarm.
If you didn't meet a whole entire person, what else could've changed?
He's not Maruki's Akira... but he may not be Akechi's, either. The thought has never left him since he arrived, but now it presses in on all sides. He's cornered by it, because it feels so very possible and real.]
Seems like I'm receiving a lot of kind gestures from you, today. [Akira pushes his glasses up before pushing away from the wall, back still just a little bit bowed. Casual. Relaxed. Ways he should always appear to Akechi, regardless of their placement in time.] You said we did this often?
[Remember, his brain whispers, or were the memories never there to forget?]
It seems- odd for Akechi to put so much emphasis on the time that they've spent together. Calling him friend was one thing, a way to appeal, but this is another entirely. The seed of doubt sprouts in his chest, and its leaves curl over a dulled sense of alarm.
If you didn't meet a whole entire person, what else could've changed?
He's not Maruki's Akira... but he may not be Akechi's, either. The thought has never left him since he arrived, but now it presses in on all sides. He's cornered by it, because it feels so very possible and real.]
Seems like I'm receiving a lot of kind gestures from you, today. [Akira pushes his glasses up before pushing away from the wall, back still just a little bit bowed. Casual. Relaxed. Ways he should always appear to Akechi, regardless of their placement in time.] You said we did this often?
[Remember, his brain whispers, or were the memories never there to forget?]
[ BB doesn't know where he is for the time being, and BB would like to keep it this way for now. The gap between Master and Servant would have to close eventually, but for now, she wanted to keep her mysteriousness over him.
The sound of her voice echoes through his head; it feels like an subconcious voice speaking to him - but it is clearly not his own and is BB's, coming from elsewhere, far away. ]
Ne, ne... Master. Don't be alarmed, it's BB-chan she wants to talk briefly. If that is alright with you? I can't see where you are, I can only communicate with you this way... So don't go being stupid on me, okay ~ ♡?
The sound of her voice echoes through his head; it feels like an subconcious voice speaking to him - but it is clearly not his own and is BB's, coming from elsewhere, far away. ]
Edited 2024-12-12 00:27 (UTC)
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