Just little things here and there. A few things from home I'd missed...
[ Maruki spent those weeks with tattoos rapidly appearing over every inch of visible skin and then some. The one at his nape is the only one he'll never account for, and he doesn't now, either. ]
I was granting more wishes than I was making. I can't imagine that surprises you.
[ He pauses their walk down the beach, turns to look out over the water, up at the stars. His eyes scan for Vega and Altair even though he knows they aren't there. ]
You really wouldn't change anything about today? Nothing at all?
the balancing board of "this isn't a direct quote Buuuuuuuuuut-"
[It does sound exactly like what Maruki do, and there's a fondness on his face... but it makes his smile a little rueful, too.
I think it would be nice if you had just as many wishes for yourself.
Part of him almost says it. But he doesn't.]]
Maybe it sounds simple, but happy days like today... When I got to experience them back in Tokyo with my friends, those were some of the happiest days I've ever had.
[It's something endlessly precious. It's one of the things that made it so hard to go home, and there's nothing in the world that Akira would trade it for. And that's why now, today...]
Having a day like that with you, too... It's really everything I could want. [A soft laugh slips out of him.] Except for it to be longer, or to have more days like this, maybe.
[There's one thing, perhaps. Maybe even a few, and bigger. But those words rest on the best approximation of tanzaku he could make by his own hand, tucked away in the drawers in his room.]
[ It's a soft reassurance, and an immediate one. ]
As long as we're still here, we'll keep having days like this, right up until we leave. I can promise you that, Kurusu.
[ His eyes stay trained far out on that place where water meets sky as he speaks, his whole heart swelling with how very much he means it.
His skin prickles, and it has nothing to do with the way the wind comes up off the tides to cool off the summer air. ]
I have to admit, though... I wondered if you'd remind me that I still owe you something.
[ Over their heads, as a cloudless day turns to evening, there's the moon, the stars–
And the first rippling waves of an aurora, jewel-toned and familiar.
Maruki finally turns to face Akira, the brightness in his eyes that's been present all day sharpening into something new. The aurora expands, falls in waves around him as Azathoth's presence makes itself known, warm at the base of his skull, just waiting to be called forth. ]
What do you say? Shall we spar?
Edited (naur we're so past the point of honorifics) 2025-07-10 04:45 (UTC)
[-we'll keep having days like this, right up until we leave.
It sticks to his side like the sand had when he'd gone without his shoes - too gentle to be a spike, but too present to ignore. Akira will have more days with him like this, as many as he can keep for himself, tucked close and safe along with every memory of his friends that still has their colors and shine. But no matter how many he's allowed, or how greedy he finds himself to be, one day... their days here will come to an end.
They will leave, and he will fulfill the promise he was meant to fulfill. The one that has become his purpose. Akira knows that this is the conclusion to this journey, and yet...
Wherever you may be, I'll find you.
It's not the only promise he's made, and he must remember that.
The thought is broken by I wondered if you'd remind me that I still owe you something, and the flicker and ebb of color that hadn't been there before. A familiar aurora. He's more than familiar with it now, and if Maruki's words hadn't come first, he'd already be on the alert for danger. But as it is...
It's still danger. It's more dangerous than anything else could be, in fact. But it's the exact kind that Akira welcomes.]
Challenging me now, while my guard is low... [The movements of his body become more sinewy, house cat mannerisms shifting to one far larger and predatory, as he turns to face Maruki fully. He tilts his head to the side with a considering grin, eyes already sparking.] I didn't expect that from you. I'm impressed.
[His eyes glance around. The ground isn't steady beneath them here. It'll almost certainly slow him down, so he'll be at a distinct disadvantage. But it doesn't dissuade him in the slightest.]
But I accept. [He hooks his hand into his own bag, trying to assess how quickly he'll need to drop it.] Right here, or do you have another spot in mind?
[ It would make more sense, in just about every regard, to tell Akira that he has another spot in mind. The training grounds behind the machiya are purpose made for just such a thing – set far away both from town and from the house itself, so as not to disturb a single soul. Cleared of all potential environmental hazards, only a sturdy level playing field for two people to face off.
Here, the silver sand shifts beneath their feet, always has them fighting for balance and purchase. There are no people left on this stretch of beach, but there could be soon enough, dreamers or natives alike. The tide pulls ever higher up along the shore, and there's little natural light left as night falls, only the moonlight reflecting up off the ground.
It's not a practical place for a fight, and yet– ]
Right here, beneath the stars.
[ Maruki stretches his arms out wide, Azathoth appearing behind him, towering into the sky at its full height with nothing to confine it. ]
[His tone is light, easy, but his mind is already racing with calculations. Azathoth is already here, resplendent but lethal, and Akira must be more careful now than ever to not misstep.
He knows Azathoth is strong, fast, able to handle a skeksis and a doppelganger within only minimal seconds. He knows Maruki is trained under Akechi Goro, likely both as the Detective Prince and the Black Mask, and he's the most dangerous person that Akira knows.
He knows that both of them have no intention of holding back.]
If that's your intention, I'll face you with everything I have. Show me that your soul shines just as bright as mine. [And then, voice dropping than further than it ever has before Maruki, what that celebratory night was only the prelude to-] Come, Arséne.
[A spark, a flicker, a burst of blue flame that swirls at his feet, up and up-
Arséne settles behind him, familiar as a well-worn coat. He doesn't make a move forward yet; part of it is because he knows how poorly such a move went for him the last time he was on the other end of a duel, but the other part is...
Well. It's a curiosity, he supposes.]
It's the first time you've seen him properly, isn't it?
More than a year under Akechi's tutelage hasn't taught him to delay. Act first, act fast, get the upper hand– but as those blue flames lick at Akira's legs, as the manifestation of his own rebellious soul takes shape, all Maruki can do is watch with fascinated, focused intent.
Arséne. Not a god, not like Loki or Azathoth– a gentleman thief, a figure to aspire to when someone makes a name for themselves taking hearts. A fitting representation of a boy whose great crime was throwing his own life down to defend someone weaker.
His eyes scan Arséne for a long while, taking in the horned mask, the massive wings, the ostentatious suit – the clawed hands, the only resemblance it shares with parts of Azathoth that sway peacefully around Maruki.
Is it normal, he wonders, to feel a fondness for the persona of someone he knows well, cares for dearly? It's the first time he's seen Arséne, but it's just like looking at Akira from a new angle. He can't help but love it. ]
It is.
[ He should be crackling with the energy before a proper battle, but Maruki is subdued by that affectionate awe, voice warm as ever. ]
What an incredible sight. He suits you.
if you're sorry and i'm sorry, where is the meteor that hits the beach
[Warmth - that's not what Akira's used to feeling right before a battle, and yet...]
I'd hope so. [The words are quiet, just a little soft.] He's part of me, after all.
[I wish you could've seen me at my full strength. It's a rueful thought, something just a little bittersweet.
He's never tried to wish for Satanael. Has never even had the desire to, not even after he knew a spar with Maruki was in his future. He never expected it from himself, but he's come to like just having Arséne. He likes just being Kurusu Akira. But for the first time since the bitterest winter of his life in a disciplinary cell, he wishes he had that greater part of himself.
He just wishes Maruki could see.]
It's not so different from what I thought when I saw Azathoth for the first time. [Such a powerful Persona. Akira should probably be afraid, and yet-] Reassured. Safe. I knew that you wouldn't let anything hurt me.
[He moves, finally, but slow - only to the side. The slow beginning of a circle.]
I don't have a strength that's equivalent to yours anymore. But by the end of this, I hope you'll know that outside of a field like this... Even if you don't need it, I won't let any harm come to you.
[Even if I don't have him anymore... I'll make sure you see exactly how much I intend to uphold my promise.]
[ Something restless in the depths of Maruki's soul that he can't quite put a finger on settles. Reassured. Safe. It makes sense that Azathoth inspires those feelings in Akira when it's only ever showed up to protect him, when they're more aligned than ever before– yet a prickled nerve smooths out anyway to hear it.
There's an ache at his nape, a stabbing pain. It comes and goes, always has ever since he awoke in this reality, but it comes far more often than it goes these days. ]
I've never doubted that, Kurusu. You're my ally. I trust you– you and Arsène with my life.
[ He watches Akira begin to slowly circle him, and as much as he'd like to continue the conversation, the time for talking is through.
Maruki doesn't fight physically. Can't, really. Any time it comes down to that against Akechi, it means he's on the back foot being pushed toward a cliff's edge. If Akira lunges for him with whatever weapons are on his person, he can't fight back in kind–
So, perhaps it's playing dirty to try to take that option out at the top, but Maruki didn't learn to fight fair. ]
That doesn't mean I'll go easy on you tonight, though.
[ He braces himself, adrenaline surging as all at once, several tentacles rise up around Akira as if from the sand itself, clawed hands making a grab for him to restrain him as best they can. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[ Maruki spent those weeks with tattoos rapidly appearing over every inch of visible skin and then some. The one at his nape is the only one he'll never account for, and he doesn't now, either. ]
I was granting more wishes than I was making. I can't imagine that surprises you.
[ He pauses their walk down the beach, turns to look out over the water, up at the stars. His eyes scan for Vega and Altair even though he knows they aren't there. ]
You really wouldn't change anything about today? Nothing at all?
the balancing board of "this isn't a direct quote Buuuuuuuuuut-"
I think it would be nice if you had just as many wishes for yourself.
Part of him almost says it. But he doesn't.]]
Maybe it sounds simple, but happy days like today... When I got to experience them back in Tokyo with my friends, those were some of the happiest days I've ever had.
[It's something endlessly precious. It's one of the things that made it so hard to go home, and there's nothing in the world that Akira would trade it for. And that's why now, today...]
Having a day like that with you, too... It's really everything I could want. [A soft laugh slips out of him.] Except for it to be longer, or to have more days like this, maybe.
[There's one thing, perhaps. Maybe even a few, and bigger. But those words rest on the best approximation of tanzaku he could make by his own hand, tucked away in the drawers in his room.]
you're still sick and deranged for this
[ It's a soft reassurance, and an immediate one. ]
As long as we're still here, we'll keep having days like this, right up until we leave. I can promise you that, Kurusu.
[ His eyes stay trained far out on that place where water meets sky as he speaks, his whole heart swelling with how very much he means it.
His skin prickles, and it has nothing to do with the way the wind comes up off the tides to cool off the summer air. ]
I have to admit, though... I wondered if you'd remind me that I still owe you something.
[ Over their heads, as a cloudless day turns to evening, there's the moon, the stars–
And the first rippling waves of an aurora, jewel-toned and familiar.
Maruki finally turns to face Akira, the brightness in his eyes that's been present all day sharpening into something new. The aurora expands, falls in waves around him as Azathoth's presence makes itself known, warm at the base of his skull, just waiting to be called forth. ]
What do you say? Shall we spar?
well. yes but that's not new.
It sticks to his side like the sand had when he'd gone without his shoes - too gentle to be a spike, but too present to ignore. Akira will have more days with him like this, as many as he can keep for himself, tucked close and safe along with every memory of his friends that still has their colors and shine. But no matter how many he's allowed, or how greedy he finds himself to be, one day... their days here will come to an end.
They will leave, and he will fulfill the promise he was meant to fulfill. The one that has become his purpose. Akira knows that this is the conclusion to this journey, and yet...
Wherever you may be, I'll find you.
It's not the only promise he's made, and he must remember that.
The thought is broken by I wondered if you'd remind me that I still owe you something, and the flicker and ebb of color that hadn't been there before. A familiar aurora. He's more than familiar with it now, and if Maruki's words hadn't come first, he'd already be on the alert for danger. But as it is...
It's still danger. It's more dangerous than anything else could be, in fact. But it's the exact kind that Akira welcomes.]
Challenging me now, while my guard is low... [The movements of his body become more sinewy, house cat mannerisms shifting to one far larger and predatory, as he turns to face Maruki fully. He tilts his head to the side with a considering grin, eyes already sparking.] I didn't expect that from you. I'm impressed.
[His eyes glance around. The ground isn't steady beneath them here. It'll almost certainly slow him down, so he'll be at a distinct disadvantage. But it doesn't dissuade him in the slightest.]
But I accept. [He hooks his hand into his own bag, trying to assess how quickly he'll need to drop it.] Right here, or do you have another spot in mind?
sorry about this
Here, the silver sand shifts beneath their feet, always has them fighting for balance and purchase. There are no people left on this stretch of beach, but there could be soon enough, dreamers or natives alike. The tide pulls ever higher up along the shore, and there's little natural light left as night falls, only the moonlight reflecting up off the ground.
It's not a practical place for a fight, and yet– ]
Right here, beneath the stars.
[ Maruki stretches his arms out wide, Azathoth appearing behind him, towering into the sky at its full height with nothing to confine it. ]
Let's begin.
no, I'm sorry about This
[His tone is light, easy, but his mind is already racing with calculations. Azathoth is already here, resplendent but lethal, and Akira must be more careful now than ever to not misstep.
He knows Azathoth is strong, fast, able to handle a skeksis and a doppelganger within only minimal seconds. He knows Maruki is trained under Akechi Goro, likely both as the Detective Prince and the Black Mask, and he's the most dangerous person that Akira knows.
He knows that both of them have no intention of holding back.]
If that's your intention, I'll face you with everything I have. Show me that your soul shines just as bright as mine. [And then, voice dropping than further than it ever has before Maruki, what that celebratory night was only the prelude to-] Come, Arséne.
[A spark, a flicker, a burst of blue flame that swirls at his feet, up and up-
Arséne settles behind him, familiar as a well-worn coat. He doesn't make a move forward yet; part of it is because he knows how poorly such a move went for him the last time he was on the other end of a duel, but the other part is...
Well. It's a curiosity, he supposes.]
It's the first time you've seen him properly, isn't it?
no no, I'M sorry,,,,,,
More than a year under Akechi's tutelage hasn't taught him to delay. Act first, act fast, get the upper hand– but as those blue flames lick at Akira's legs, as the manifestation of his own rebellious soul takes shape, all Maruki can do is watch with fascinated, focused intent.
Arséne. Not a god, not like Loki or Azathoth– a gentleman thief, a figure to aspire to when someone makes a name for themselves taking hearts. A fitting representation of a boy whose great crime was throwing his own life down to defend someone weaker.
His eyes scan Arséne for a long while, taking in the horned mask, the massive wings, the ostentatious suit – the clawed hands, the only resemblance it shares with parts of Azathoth that sway peacefully around Maruki.
Is it normal, he wonders, to feel a fondness for the persona of someone he knows well, cares for dearly? It's the first time he's seen Arséne, but it's just like looking at Akira from a new angle. He can't help but love it. ]
It is.
[ He should be crackling with the energy before a proper battle, but Maruki is subdued by that affectionate awe, voice warm as ever. ]
What an incredible sight. He suits you.
if you're sorry and i'm sorry, where is the meteor that hits the beach
I'd hope so. [The words are quiet, just a little soft.] He's part of me, after all.
[I wish you could've seen me at my full strength. It's a rueful thought, something just a little bittersweet.
He's never tried to wish for Satanael. Has never even had the desire to, not even after he knew a spar with Maruki was in his future. He never expected it from himself, but he's come to like just having Arséne. He likes just being Kurusu Akira. But for the first time since the bitterest winter of his life in a disciplinary cell, he wishes he had that greater part of himself.
He just wishes Maruki could see.]
It's not so different from what I thought when I saw Azathoth for the first time. [Such a powerful Persona. Akira should probably be afraid, and yet-] Reassured. Safe. I knew that you wouldn't let anything hurt me.
[He moves, finally, but slow - only to the side. The slow beginning of a circle.]
I don't have a strength that's equivalent to yours anymore. But by the end of this, I hope you'll know that outside of a field like this... Even if you don't need it, I won't let any harm come to you.
[Even if I don't have him anymore... I'll make sure you see exactly how much I intend to uphold my promise.]
no subject
There's an ache at his nape, a stabbing pain. It comes and goes, always has ever since he awoke in this reality, but it comes far more often than it goes these days. ]
I've never doubted that, Kurusu. You're my ally. I trust you– you and Arsène with my life.
[ He watches Akira begin to slowly circle him, and as much as he'd like to continue the conversation, the time for talking is through.
Maruki doesn't fight physically. Can't, really. Any time it comes down to that against Akechi, it means he's on the back foot being pushed toward a cliff's edge. If Akira lunges for him with whatever weapons are on his person, he can't fight back in kind–
So, perhaps it's playing dirty to try to take that option out at the top, but Maruki didn't learn to fight fair. ]
That doesn't mean I'll go easy on you tonight, though.
[ He braces himself, adrenaline surging as all at once, several tentacles rise up around Akira as if from the sand itself, clawed hands making a grab for him to restrain him as best they can. ]