As it happens – whatever it is – Maruki can only stare in open, wide-eyed fascination. It isn't an attack. It doesn't seem like a buff, either, not in a way that he's come to recognize so far.
But it gets Akechi up on his feet, and then some.
The blood isn't staunched. Not at all. That's the first thing Maruki catalogues. No healing to be seen, despite the undeniable surge of energy. It makes sense, of course – neither of Akechi's personas seem to have any capacity to heal. Why would they? He's hurt, he hurts, he wants the world to hurt along with him.
Idiot. He's going to get himself killed.
The Tentacle of Healing regenerates with a wave of his hand as Akechi cackles through the mounting power coursing through and around him. Maruki's just about to direct it – if it doesn't knock Akechi out of whatever spell he's put himself under, it can at least take care of that gaping wound – when another attack he hasn't experienced yet hits.
It feels brutal. Dark and heavy, antithetical to everything he feels with Azathoth. A nightmare, sleep paralysis, a demon on his chest. Azathoth can tank the hit fine, as it always does, but the utter newness of the sensation has Maruki dazed for a moment, choking on black smoke.
He straightens, staggers farther back from Akechi, tries to get a good look at him through his frenzy. There's a look in his eye that's almost, almost recognizable. If placid, peaceful emptiness had a twin opposite to it in every way but the one that matters most.
He grabs at his chest, coughs again through a squint before raising his voice. ]
Is that what you tried to do here?
[ To the gelfling they targeted. To whoever else he said he tested a surefire method on. ]
Maybe it only works on someone whose cognition is so susceptible to manipulation.
[ There's no one he saw become enthralled more times than Akechi, after all. ]
I wonder if my ability would work on you too, then. I wonder who you'd become.
[ It's an empty threat, and one said with nothing but seething, sneering compassion. Maruki would never do it. But he's furious with Akechi for hiding so much for so long, and he's too caught up in the battle to bite his words back – it might be a justified end befitting a Detective Prince, being coerced into playing that role and keeping up that perception for the rest of his life.
Healing forgotten for the moment, he focuses all of his energy on taking Akechi down with that same Bless attack again, curious to see what effect it will have on him in this new state. ]
cw brainwashing lmao here we go
As it happens – whatever it is – Maruki can only stare in open, wide-eyed fascination. It isn't an attack. It doesn't seem like a buff, either, not in a way that he's come to recognize so far.
But it gets Akechi up on his feet, and then some.
The blood isn't staunched. Not at all. That's the first thing Maruki catalogues. No healing to be seen, despite the undeniable surge of energy. It makes sense, of course – neither of Akechi's personas seem to have any capacity to heal. Why would they? He's hurt, he hurts, he wants the world to hurt along with him.
Idiot. He's going to get himself killed.
The Tentacle of Healing regenerates with a wave of his hand as Akechi cackles through the mounting power coursing through and around him. Maruki's just about to direct it – if it doesn't knock Akechi out of whatever spell he's put himself under, it can at least take care of that gaping wound – when another attack he hasn't experienced yet hits.
It feels brutal. Dark and heavy, antithetical to everything he feels with Azathoth. A nightmare, sleep paralysis, a demon on his chest. Azathoth can tank the hit fine, as it always does, but the utter newness of the sensation has Maruki dazed for a moment, choking on black smoke.
He straightens, staggers farther back from Akechi, tries to get a good look at him through his frenzy. There's a look in his eye that's almost, almost recognizable. If placid, peaceful emptiness had a twin opposite to it in every way but the one that matters most.
He grabs at his chest, coughs again through a squint before raising his voice. ]
Is that what you tried to do here?
[ To the gelfling they targeted. To whoever else he said he tested a surefire method on. ]
Maybe it only works on someone whose cognition is so susceptible to manipulation.
[ There's no one he saw become enthralled more times than Akechi, after all. ]
I wonder if my ability would work on you too, then. I wonder who you'd become.
[ It's an empty threat, and one said with nothing but seething, sneering compassion. Maruki would never do it. But he's furious with Akechi for hiding so much for so long, and he's too caught up in the battle to bite his words back – it might be a justified end befitting a Detective Prince, being coerced into playing that role and keeping up that perception for the rest of his life.
Healing forgotten for the moment, he focuses all of his energy on taking Akechi down with that same Bless attack again, curious to see what effect it will have on him in this new state. ]