He watches Akechi, and Akira smiles, fragile and fleeting.]
You're right.
[It's a smile that's terribly sad. If Akechi focused enough to look, perhaps he'd see how mournful it is.]
I have been worthless.
[Basking in the warmth of his friends. Smiling and laughing over the hole in his heart.]
If you'd seen me, living my life the days before I got here - I think you'd see it. I think you'd know. You've always been able to see right through me, so you'd see the emptiness I covered with so many masks.
[Akechi is charging, furious as a predator defending itself from harm. Full of defensive vitriol, and Akira doesn't intend to rise to the bait, just as he didn't before.
Except that...]
I've been worthless without you, because no one will ever know me the way you do. Just as I'll know you better than anyone else. Because Kurusu Akira and Akechi Goro will be like this, in every life we ever live. [He's close now. Almost close enough. Akira's entire body tenses, and for the first time - something close to anger twists his face.] I forgot? I'm putting an act? You're smarter than that, so act like it. If you're going to be on the other side of an argument with me, do it with something that isn't complete and total bullshit!
[The moment Akechi's close enough, Akira slips to the side and kicks him where he's injured, hard. He lets the momentum push him back and away; even if he doesn't go down, Akechi should at least be off balance for a few seconds.]
The other Akira knew you better. I envy him for a lot, but that's one of the greatest things of all. [His voice is calm again. Placid.] But you still fight the same way. You're reckless with your body when you're injured.
[He waits this time, to see what Akechi does. If Akira lets him... will he just tear himself apart?]
What does he know? How can he know? How could he think he knows and-
No one will ever know me the way you do and-
noonenoenenoonenoone because he's special Akechi is special he's a mirror to a boy with an unbound heart and no one knows and no one will ever know and-
In every life we live Akechi will be there. Akechi will kill him. Akechi will kill him.
I'll know you better than anyone else.
The ground bleeds when his body slams into it. Akira's strong. This one is strong. His Akira will always be strong and in any reality where they interact they will always be strong. They've fought one on one - Akechi knows better than to underestimate him. Didn't. May have. No longer does now that a wild, vibrant man consumes his vision.
He's up in a second - moves a step back after two. Loki appears with a laevateinn, but not even the smack of that violent blade can muffle the laughter from Akechi's lips.
Of course it's Akira. Of course it's Akira. Of course Akira would say that. Of course. Of course. Of course.
And he'll rip himself apart to prove that undying, otherworldly bond.
And he'll move forward to attack behind Loki's blade with his own risen high as if he's one using laevateinn in its stead.
In that moment, I am thou, thou art I doesn't feel like it belongs to Loki.
It's with Akira. It's between them. Those wild dark eyes are a mirror he wants to shatter. An image he wants to rip. They're the same, so he hates him. They're the same, so he'll understand why Akechi will never stop. He'll destroy that air of calm. He'll free Akira from that mask. He wants to see-
Something that isn't complete
and total bullshit]
And you still do this shit! All this talk, all your delusions about what you think you know - I don't give a damn what you say!
[Call of chaos consumes. Devours. And he wants to consume and devour and he sees Akira before him and thinks nothing about making him easy prey.]
But I'm happy to oblige - I'll rip your body apart until there are no masks left! Allow me to do the dirty work and your corpse will be payment for it!
d**20**???????????? i can't believe akechi goro is freakin dead in february
[ You won't get away from this, Akechi sounds like salvation. A chime of bells outside of Eden and Akira's voice leads the choir enticing him in.
And of course he'll walk through those doors and of course he'll walk along the velvetine carpet and of course he'll look into the eyes of an executioner hiding among lambs and of course he'll lean into the noose and of course-
It rings and rings and rings and beckons and makes him feel something, makes him feel anything, creates a hellfire that explodes through body and mind. He wants more. He wants more.
And even as he watches Akira falter and hopes for his fall because he should fall and Akechi wants to drag him down, all the way down, completely and utterly coated in muck and grime until there's nothing left of Kurusu Akira and there's nothing left of Akechi Goro and there's nothing left for the world to take from either of them.
Splintered bone scrapes the inside of his chest when he forces himself back up and-
He can only get an inch, two, three off the ground before his lungs constrict and he gets another inch, two, three off the ground before his skull splits, it must be splitting, it's never felt this agonizing and his own hollow laughter continues through the blood coated spittle covering his lips.
He watches Akira and Akira isn't collapsed on the ground so Akechi must get up.
It feels like
joy.
It feels like
joy.
He thinks he feels joy.
And he chases that high by pushing up, up, up and getting nowhere. He can't get up. His back hits the ground instead of his chest and he can't get up. ]
You really are remarkable. After all this time, I still can't win. Even so-
[ It hurts to speak, so he continues. It's not death. He won't die. Kurusu said as much and that thrill of being alive is foreign. He's grasping at it with every exhausted, wheezing breath. ]
It's never been in my nature to give up. Against you of all people - no, I will never stop!
[ And from the ground, Akechi pulls a gun from his hip. A gift. More fitting than ever. A guiding light in his increasingly desperate attempt to stay focused. His aim is lacking, but all he needs to do is hit a body. It will hurt.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
when nobody else got us, the cws got us (d17)
He watches Akechi, and Akira smiles, fragile and fleeting.]
You're right.
[It's a smile that's terribly sad. If Akechi focused enough to look, perhaps he'd see how mournful it is.]
I have been worthless.
[Basking in the warmth of his friends. Smiling and laughing over the hole in his heart.]
If you'd seen me, living my life the days before I got here - I think you'd see it. I think you'd know. You've always been able to see right through me, so you'd see the emptiness I covered with so many masks.
[Akechi is charging, furious as a predator defending itself from harm. Full of defensive vitriol, and Akira doesn't intend to rise to the bait, just as he didn't before.
Except that...]
I've been worthless without you, because no one will ever know me the way you do. Just as I'll know you better than anyone else. Because Kurusu Akira and Akechi Goro will be like this, in every life we ever live. [He's close now. Almost close enough. Akira's entire body tenses, and for the first time - something close to anger twists his face.] I forgot? I'm putting an act? You're smarter than that, so act like it. If you're going to be on the other side of an argument with me, do it with something that isn't complete and total bullshit!
[The moment Akechi's close enough, Akira slips to the side and kicks him where he's injured, hard. He lets the momentum push him back and away; even if he doesn't go down, Akechi should at least be off balance for a few seconds.]
The other Akira knew you better. I envy him for a lot, but that's one of the greatest things of all. [His voice is calm again. Placid.] But you still fight the same way. You're reckless with your body when you're injured.
[He waits this time, to see what Akechi does. If Akira lets him... will he just tear himself apart?]
OHHHHHHHH THE D2 OF IT ALL cw: continued 4ever
I envy him
So worthless.
You're right.
EmptinessHe's right. Always right. Akira's right.
What does he know? How can he know? How could he think he knows and-
noonenoenenoonenoone because he's special Akechi is special he's a mirror to a boy with an unbound heart and no one knows and no one will ever know and-
In every life we live
Akechi will be there. Akechi will kill him. Akechi will kill him.
The ground bleeds when his body slams into it. Akira's strong. This one is strong. His Akira will always be strong and in any reality where they interact they will always be strong. They've fought one on one - Akechi knows better than to underestimate him. Didn't. May have. No longer does now that a wild, vibrant man consumes his vision.
and total bullshit]
He's up in a second - moves a step back after two. Loki appears with a laevateinn, but not even the smack of that violent blade can muffle the laughter from Akechi's lips.
Of course it's Akira. Of course it's Akira. Of course Akira would say that. Of course. Of course. Of course.
And he'll rip himself apart to prove that undying, otherworldly bond.
And he'll move forward to attack behind Loki's blade with his own risen high as if he's one using laevateinn in its stead.
In that moment, I am thou, thou art I doesn't feel like it belongs to Loki.
It's with Akira. It's between them. Those wild dark eyes are a mirror he wants to shatter. An image he wants to rip. They're the same, so he hates him. They're the same, so he'll understand why Akechi will never stop. He'll destroy that air of calm. He'll free Akira from that mask. He wants to see-
Something that isn't complete
[Call of chaos consumes. Devours. And he wants to consume and devour and he sees Akira before him and thinks nothing about making him easy prey.]
But I'm happy to oblige - I'll rip your body apart until there are no masks left! Allow me to do the dirty work and your corpse will be payment for it!
d**20**???????????? i can't believe akechi goro is freakin dead in february
and he knows
Akira looks
and he knows
He's seen this happen before. He knows what it looks like, when that look is in Akechi's eyes.
It's what he looked like in the belly of a ship that had its course charted to hell, full of life before he had none left.
Akira doesn't run this time. Won't. Can't. He charges straight forward, into the rampage heading his way.
Because I've already decided...]
If you're going to rip me apart, til there are no masks left- then so be it.
[He forces his body to roll one last time, past Loki, Arséne hot on his heels-
Weaponsn are parried. It hurts. It burns. It bleeds, even through that makeshift bandage. But Akira doesn't back down, and neither does Arséne.]
You're the only one I can let do that.
[They can't hold this forever, not against the might of both Akechi and Loki, but if Akira can buy just enough time...]
But there's still one thing I can't allow.
[I've already decided the reason I was able to wake up here, and nothing anyone in this reality says will ever change it.]
I can't afford to be killed by you yet. [A smile dropped, a voice as serious as a blade.] And I won't let you be killed, either.
[Akira still has the most important thing left to do. He will not die here.]
...Arséne.
[It's a risk - but nothing that Akira does in a fight is without it. He'll only have mere moments.
Arséne shoves away from Loki, even though it leaves Akira's back exposed. It would only take seconds for Akechi or Persona to tear Akira apart.
But that's the bait he's counting on.]
You won't get away from this, Akechi.
[At Arséne's hands, Riot Gun will form, and hit everything in a cone before him.
The recoil of a Gun attack will incapacitate Akira almost completely.
And unless he thinks of something... Akechi should finally fall.]
D3 stands for D(3)AD cw: gun!
And of course he'll walk through those doors and of course he'll walk along the velvetine carpet and of course he'll look into the eyes of an executioner hiding among lambs and of course he'll lean into the noose and of course-
It rings and rings and rings and beckons and makes him feel something, makes him feel anything, creates a hellfire that explodes through body and mind. He wants more. He wants more.
And even as he watches Akira falter and hopes for his fall because he should fall and Akechi wants to drag him down, all the way down, completely and utterly coated in muck and grime until there's nothing left of Kurusu Akira and there's nothing left of Akechi Goro and there's nothing left for the world to take from either of them.
Splintered bone scrapes the inside of his chest when he forces himself back up and-
He can only get an inch, two, three off the ground before his lungs constrict and he gets another inch, two, three off the ground before his skull splits, it must be splitting, it's never felt this agonizing and his own hollow laughter continues through the blood coated spittle covering his lips.
He watches Akira and Akira isn't collapsed on the ground so Akechi must get up.
It feels like
joy.
It feels likejoy.
He thinks he feels joy.And he chases that high by pushing up, up, up and getting nowhere. He can't get up. His back hits the ground instead of his chest and he can't get up. ]
You really are remarkable. After all this time, I still can't win. Even so-
[ It hurts to speak, so he continues. It's not death. He won't die. Kurusu said as much and that thrill of being alive is foreign. He's grasping at it with every exhausted, wheezing breath. ]
It's never been in my nature to give up. Against you of all people - no, I will never stop!
[ And from the ground, Akechi pulls a gun from his hip. A gift. More fitting than ever. A guiding light in his increasingly desperate attempt to stay focused. His aim is lacking, but all he needs to do is hit a body. It will hurt.
Akira will feel alive.
Among the wolves.
And Akira will hurt.
Akechi wants him to hurt. ]
Why can't you just stay dead!!
[ And he shoots. ]