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LABY - IC INBOX
[ TEXT - AUDIO - VIDEO - ACTION ]
[ TEXT - AUDIO - VIDEO - ACTION ]
[Baffling. Maddening. Infuriating.
Akechi shuffles under the too comfortable blankets, his hand hitting the dorayaki wrapper.
He once asked Maruki what drove him, requesting an answer for a reason Akechi couldn't voice at the time, but-
There was an understanding. Words appearing on a screen that Akechi has reread multiple times since that day - after intense arguments while a bowl of soup cools outside of a doorway, after extra mushrooms started appearing unprompted in his meals, Maruki conveniently reading on the couch during nights Akechi wanders home later than normal.
It's surreal. It gets less intelligible every single time he pulls up the screen capture- words jumbling together, meaning lost. He can't decipher it. It makes less sense the more experiences shared between them.
If Akechi were to pull out his phone now and read those saved words, he's sure every single one of them will look like a foreign language, scrambled and twisted.]
I won't apologize - ever. I don't regret anything I've done.
[Eyes shut. A soft, distant murmur under his breath. A bleary sort of numbness overtaking his mind and body.]
To you or anyone else.
[Friend. Foe. Stranger. It doesn't matter at all when a monster's at the helm.
Akechi mumbles something else - unintelligible from the way his face is pressed into plush blanket and-
It's nighty night peanut time. Akechi Goro finally shuts the fuck up.]
Akechi shuffles under the too comfortable blankets, his hand hitting the dorayaki wrapper.
He once asked Maruki what drove him, requesting an answer for a reason Akechi couldn't voice at the time, but-
There was an understanding. Words appearing on a screen that Akechi has reread multiple times since that day - after intense arguments while a bowl of soup cools outside of a doorway, after extra mushrooms started appearing unprompted in his meals, Maruki conveniently reading on the couch during nights Akechi wanders home later than normal.
It's surreal. It gets less intelligible every single time he pulls up the screen capture- words jumbling together, meaning lost. He can't decipher it. It makes less sense the more experiences shared between them.
If Akechi were to pull out his phone now and read those saved words, he's sure every single one of them will look like a foreign language, scrambled and twisted.]
I won't apologize - ever. I don't regret anything I've done.
[Eyes shut. A soft, distant murmur under his breath. A bleary sort of numbness overtaking his mind and body.]
To you or anyone else.
[Friend. Foe. Stranger. It doesn't matter at all when a monster's at the helm.
Akechi mumbles something else - unintelligible from the way his face is pressed into plush blanket and-
It's nighty night peanut time. Akechi Goro finally shuts the fuck up.]
Edited 2024-07-31 20:50 (UTC)
[ In Tokyo, his bedroom is always half-illuminated.
He could get heavier curtains to block out some of the perpetual night life glow, but he's used to it. He didn't spend his whole life in the largest city in the world without developing the ability to fall asleep under any circumstances – noisy, brightly lit, facedown on a lecture hall desk, standing in a crowded train, half-slumped on an office couch.
He can't get used to this. The way nighttime in Somnius is pitch black, the way they can see all the stars even from the comparatively populated housing or business areas. The inky darkness of his room every night.
Maruki stares off into it now. Even with his eyes adjusted, he can't make anything out in the room. Not even the shape of Akechi beneath the blankets on the floor only a few feet away. He blinks. He can still feel shards of glass that don't exist embedded in his eyes. Can still feel blood that's already been staunched wiped away bandaged over, can still sense the copper tang when he inhales, can still taste it on his tongue. Can still feel hands ripping his flesh apart like a clawed beast. Can still feel a hard object striking his throat again and again and again andagainandagainandagain until his breathing sounded like a death rattle to his own ears.
Can still feel what it was like for the darkness to close in, swift and quiet and peaceful, even as he fought.
He draws a breath. Deep, even. No blood and bile pooling in the base of his throat to choke him if the collapsed obstruction didn't first. He's safe.
Akechi is falling asleep nearby, and he says he isn't sorry despite all the care he's shown tonight alone, to say nothing of the rest of their time together, and Maruki is safe. ]
I wouldn't expect you to, Akechi. Good night.
He could get heavier curtains to block out some of the perpetual night life glow, but he's used to it. He didn't spend his whole life in the largest city in the world without developing the ability to fall asleep under any circumstances – noisy, brightly lit, facedown on a lecture hall desk, standing in a crowded train, half-slumped on an office couch.
He can't get used to this. The way nighttime in Somnius is pitch black, the way they can see all the stars even from the comparatively populated housing or business areas. The inky darkness of his room every night.
Maruki stares off into it now. Even with his eyes adjusted, he can't make anything out in the room. Not even the shape of Akechi beneath the blankets on the floor only a few feet away. He blinks. He can still feel shards of glass that don't exist embedded in his eyes. Can still feel blood that's already been staunched wiped away bandaged over, can still sense the copper tang when he inhales, can still taste it on his tongue. Can still feel hands ripping his flesh apart like a clawed beast. Can still feel a hard object striking his throat again and again and again andagainandagainandagain until his breathing sounded like a death rattle to his own ears.
Can still feel what it was like for the darkness to close in, swift and quiet and peaceful, even as he fought.
He draws a breath. Deep, even. No blood and bile pooling in the base of his throat to choke him if the collapsed obstruction didn't first. He's safe.
Akechi is falling asleep nearby, and he says he isn't sorry despite all the care he's shown tonight alone, to say nothing of the rest of their time together, and Maruki is safe. ]
I wouldn't expect you to, Akechi. Good night.
Edited 2024-07-31 22:27 (UTC)
[It was a blast of curse energy - typed out, deleted.
It was a power called Debilitate - figure it out - typed out, deleted.]
I wasn't sure which ability you were referring to. Loki has an assortment.
I suppose you're referring to 'Call of Chaos' - it does what you expect from that name and what you have likely inferred from experience.
It was a power called Debilitate - figure it out - typed out, deleted.]
I wasn't sure which ability you were referring to. Loki has an assortment.
I suppose you're referring to 'Call of Chaos' - it does what you expect from that name and what you have likely inferred from experience.
Yes, I gathered that. I look forward to witnessing them under different circumstances, hopefully in the near future.
[ But there it is, exactly what he wanted to know. Call of Chaos. Maruki won't forget that for a second. ]
Can you only use it on yourself?
[ But there it is, exactly what he wanted to know. Call of Chaos. Maruki won't forget that for a second. ]
Can you only use it on yourself?
[Wow. Well - he did attempt to kill him in the backyard. He gets One Dig.]
No. The 'ruthless, rampaging murder machine' effect is somewhat limited to me.
You heard about the psychotic breaks in our reality, I'm sure. The result varies depending on the person. The chains of the heart are broken and even the most pathetic nobody can gain tremendous power because of it.
No. The 'ruthless, rampaging murder machine' effect is somewhat limited to me.
You heard about the psychotic breaks in our reality, I'm sure. The result varies depending on the person. The chains of the heart are broken and even the most pathetic nobody can gain tremendous power because of it.
[ That's a confession Maruki half-suspected but never truly expected to have confirmed.
It takes a couple minutes longer than normal for his response. Just enough time to stare into the void and begin putting some more pieces definitively together. ]
Chains of the heart being broken, huh...
Taken at face value, it makes it sound like a good thing. But then again, so does a change of heart.
It's funny. I included both in the full research paper that I wrote back in our true reality. I should have asked you to peer review it for accuracy.
It takes a couple minutes longer than normal for his response. Just enough time to stare into the void and begin putting some more pieces definitively together. ]
Chains of the heart being broken, huh...
Taken at face value, it makes it sound like a good thing. But then again, so does a change of heart.
It's funny. I included both in the full research paper that I wrote back in our true reality. I should have asked you to peer review it for accuracy.
Any manipulation of someone's cognition is a morally gray area.
It often leads to this. I said as much in my media interviews over the matter.
[The final comment is -
Well, of course he would have easily connected the dots. The relation to cognitive psience is obvious.]
You'll have a brief window when we return to see if I'll indulge you.
I have to admit, I'm curious what you figured out without ever stepping foot into that world.
It often leads to this. I said as much in my media interviews over the matter.
[The final comment is -
Well, of course he would have easily connected the dots. The relation to cognitive psience is obvious.]
You'll have a brief window when we return to see if I'll indulge you.
I have to admit, I'm curious what you figured out without ever stepping foot into that world.
It gives you time to review the areas where you were deeply incorrect. That's likely a blessing in disguise.
[He ignores the second comment. Crimes manufactured, people exploited and Shido propelled into power by rotten sycophants getting their comeuppance. If an ant was sacrificed in the process, oh well.]
[He ignores the second comment. Crimes manufactured, people exploited and Shido propelled into power by rotten sycophants getting their comeuppance. If an ant was sacrificed in the process, oh well.]
[ That's a yes. What a joke. The Detective Prince image was already a false one to uphold, of course, but to the extent that even the foundational basics are lies–
A split psyche indeed. ]
Maybe. I don't know.
You told me many times Robin Hood has been powered down by this place - I believe you. Is it the same with Loki?
A split psyche indeed. ]
Maybe. I don't know.
You told me many times Robin Hood has been powered down by this place - I believe you. Is it the same with Loki?
Yes.
The power of the Loki's retained skills reflect their true ability, but it's missing some.
Including the innate power of evading bless skills. Your little attack wouldn't have hit so much if I had it.
Robin Hood gained an ability that was initially Loki's in our true reality - the almighty explosion.
Though I'll let you in a secret - it's Robin Hood that's missing instant kill attacks. The healing tentacle would go down in a single hit with either one at my disposal. I wonder when those will be returned to me.
The power of the Loki's retained skills reflect their true ability, but it's missing some.
Including the innate power of evading bless skills. Your little attack wouldn't have hit so much if I had it.
Robin Hood gained an ability that was initially Loki's in our true reality - the almighty explosion.
Though I'll let you in a secret - it's Robin Hood that's missing instant kill attacks. The healing tentacle would go down in a single hit with either one at my disposal. I wonder when those will be returned to me.
[Oh, it pleases Akechi - it's the best entertainment he gets around here.]
It's somewhat poetic, isn't it? A great asset and an Achilles Heel all at once.
You're lucky it isn't a lynchpin to your persona's power overall or you would be easy to defeat. You could be demolished by a weak shadow with a low level bless skill.
It's quite funny to imagine.
It's somewhat poetic, isn't it? A great asset and an Achilles Heel all at once.
You're lucky it isn't a lynchpin to your persona's power overall or you would be easy to defeat. You could be demolished by a weak shadow with a low level bless skill.
It's quite funny to imagine.
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