[ Maruki listens so, so intently to every word Akechi says – part diligent pupil in the professor's office hours, part inherently skeptical researcher. It all aligns with what he pieced together by closely watching the Phantom Thieves over the course of his tenure at Shujin.
Irreconcilably warped – that's something that has been a significant part of his own research. Could changing someone's cognition be undone? What risks are inherent to a person's new perception not aligning with the rest of the world around them?
The mental shutdowns and psychotic breaks are different, of course. There's no recovering from that. It stands to reason that if one direction of warped cognition is infallible, so is the other, but–
He wonders, sometimes. With the time and space that now separates him from Christmas Eve, he does have to wonder if it really would have been that simple.
But the explanation of the palace is new information. He ascertained that access to the cognitive world was both feasible and the method being employed by the Phantom Thieves; he hadn't considered that every cognitive world would be individually tailored based on the target's own distorted thoughts and feelings.
He thinks of Kamoshida, the horror stories told to him both by staff members and students in his office. Madarame, everything Kitagawa said to him in quiet confidence. A criminal as deeply corrupt as Kaneshiro – as Shido. How horrific their cognitive worlds must have been, how dangerous, even beyond the threat of shadows that Akechi has explained to him before.
And then– ]
Ah, you went exactly where my mind was going.
[ He's taken a pen out from his shirt pocket, jotted down a few notes as Akechi's spoken, and now he taps it idly against the half-filled page. ]
It's tempting to think of Somnius that way. Or Seven, the realm Finnick told me about. And it does tie back to my theories on the collective unconscious being used and manipulated by the powers that be here.
[ A consideration of the hand that's always held completely flush against his chest. If he were to tip it now, just slightly–
He looks from the page to Akechi again. ]
Within the palace, can only the ruler's cognition be changed? Or can those "real" people who enter have theirs affected as well? What about the cognitive versions of others that only exist there?
[ It's all asked with the same intellectual curiosity, but he does punctuate it with a somewhat self-conscious laugh. ]
Sorry, it's okay if you don't know, of course. My mind is running away with a new concept as usual.
[Akechi is only obligated to tell this man about palaces - he did. Made good on a promise from many weeks ago and there is nothing else that needs to be said.
Deviate back to the original topic. Move away from palaces, changes of heart, psychotic breaks and-
The gap between their knowledge has dwindled to a metaphorical sliver. Maruki knows almost everything he does at this point and only half of it can be attributed to the man's needling questions.
Akechi has willfully shared more than he ever thought - trains of thought difficult to stop when a wall is waving it forward, when the brakes don't work quite right, when-]
I wonder.
[Important questions - logical ones. Confirmations found in Wakaba's research, more than likely, but Akechi's own short lived experience working with others in Metaverse, in his own years learning on the fly, have given him some insight.
More spaghetti, despite his churning stomach. It's good. He hates it.]
It makes me hesitate to state 'only' anything. Even if I had experience or a full comprehension of the cognitive world, could anyone truly claim to completely and utterly understand a human heart? No, I think not. Those words would be foolish, even from a god.
[Legs cross and uncross, chopsticks set beside the plate and he turns to stare at Maruki in full.]
A palace ruler is the person in question - that is the focus. That is the goal. To go into another cognitive world, to trap or deal with someone beyond them-
[A beat. A phone placed in his hand in a desolate hallway before they were stained with red, red, red.
He goes dead silent.
Wheels churning. It doesn't matter. A lost boy's corpse in desolate cellar and that bizarre sensation, that jump in his chest, was nerves before the end.
A hand is waved - apologetic.]
My mind wandered - it tends to do that. You asked an interesting question, is all. To be frank, anything is possible - or so it seems. Could you change a heart inside the heart of another? Can you change someone else's perception of the world in a palace? Would they even know? Could a version of yourself be killed, if someone who knew you was prepared to end your life? It's all quite fascinating and should be researched more thoroughly.
[ Could anyone truly claim to completely and utterly understand a human heart?
It's funny. It's so genuinely funny that Maruki can't stop himself from smiling at it.
Well, that's his life's work, regardless of how he ends up going about it. One day he'll be able to prove Akechi wrong.
Until then– ]
I agree, it should be researched more thoroughly. I look forward to the work I'll be able to do after the New Year.
[ He's abandoned the spaghetti and turned toward Akechi almost fully on the stool. One elbow rests on the bar, arm hanging down to clasp his hands together as his thoughts take on a shape of their own.
They really ought to be talking about everything brought up by Finnick, but. ]
More importantly, though– Akechi, let's follow the line of thinking that we are inside of a palace. That Somnius is the cognitive world of whatever ultimate ruler there is.
[ A little shrug. ]
We don't know that to be true. Circumstantial evidence of cognitive manipulations and thoughts, dreams and wishes manifested consciously, subconsciously or unconsciously both provide a good basis. But in my mind, it's still only a hypothesis.
[ A thoughtful pause. This is all theoretical, of course, but– ]
Hypotheses ought to be tested. If we're in a cognitive world, which is the only place where – as far as everything you've told me and what I've observed back in Tokyo goes – cognitions can be changed... That wouldn't be possible in a "real" world, would it?
[ It would. He knows it would. He could do this no matter what reality they were in. ]
Seeking the ruler would be our ultimate goal. But it would be a shame if we did that and nothing changed because we were wrong about this being a cognitive world. If the same principles don't hold true, then it wouldn't matter what we did to a ruler – it wouldn't guarantee escape from this reality.
[ And he really does mean we. ]
Wouldn't it be wisest to test these principles first, before it gets to that point? I don't know specifically how, of course, but as you just posited through all of your hypotheticals, it really could be anything. Affirming the change in one person's perception, whether they're "real" or a cognitive being themselves–
[ A goblin, a gelfling. Dolls, as Akechi put it once. ]
Well, that would certainly be more concrete evidence than what we currently have to work with.
[ It's all stated calmly, with intellectual curiosity and interest, but his mind is already seven steps ahead and only picking up speed. ]
Every word is stated with a hidden intent, a double-meaning. Honest, and not. Truthful, and yet. It's all ands with Maruki and it's never been more apparent than this moment, under fading sunlight and Akechi's piercing gaze meant to rattle a just kidding out of him.
It doesn't happen.
This isn't musing. Not passing, idle thoughts. The implication from their previous conversation to the topic at hand clear and-
For a second, Akechi laughs - mirthless and blasé. Just kidding doesn't come out of Maruki's mouth still. Only coherent thoughts. Logical assumptions. Rot.
A plan.
It's a putrid, festering tint at the edge of every word. Akechi was right about Maruki, in a sense, and it gives him a moment of brief satisfaction. A request. A probe. All hidden in the words. He isn't hiding anything and yet-
Would anyone else really understand what the humble researcher is asking? Unlikely.
Even he can't peg the full undertone in full. Are they really allies, maybe? With a sordid plan hinted to test resolve. Willpower.
Akechi doesn't care - a shared goal confirmed. Leaving at all costs, implied. That's all he needs.]
As you know, I'm one that values fact, evidence and the truth above all else.
[His hands fold neatly against his knees and he leans forward, looking every part the conspiratorial ally.
Maruki Takuto's company has never been hated or enjoyed more than this moment - each sensation flipping like a rapidly rotating hourglass. ]
Let me know when you're ready to try and I will make myself available to assist.
[ There's no conscious hidden intent in Maruki's words. To his mind, Akechi is his ally, has proven enough times that they have the same goal and similar enough feelings on several critical topics. Their differences are stark, but haven't yet thrown up any obstacles that couldn't be handled. Akechi knows him well; he would never say it, but he feels he knows Akechi as well as anyone could. At this point, there's so little that could rattle Maruki's resolve in their bond that he can't even imagine a reality where it wouldn't come to exist if ever they met.
But perhaps it is a subconscious test after all. The most overt gesture either of them have made. It's all well and good to talk, to theorize, to dream – it is another thing entirely to act, and Maruki has never been one for inaction. He wouldn't presume that Akechi has ever been either.
Not a true test, and yet, it still solidifies something deep in his soul. Bedrock, unshaken, immovable.
He grins at Akechi, as wide and warm as ever, but perhaps a bit of something else at the edges as well. ]
Any time. We've been afforded relative peace at the moment... Comparatively speaking, anyway. I can't think of a better time to start than the present.
[Here, in this moment. An evening that will shroud whatever they decide to do on their path forward.
Akechi knows how to distort, twist and warp a cognition. Bend it, break it, kill it where it stands. A thrall against his heart thrumming through chest and body at the opportunity to strike weakness he's most familiar with.
The mind. The soul. Create a distortion.
But he's not interested in the known. It's the unknown. The way Maruki's smile frays into an expression far different than anything he's seen prior. It wasn't what pursed his lips together in furious rage at the lake, isn't that lazy, neutral smile others see and-
It's not the soft, gentle look he shoves in the faces of his patients and-
Isn't the look he gives Akechi in moments of brief reprieve - after bathhouse visits, successful crosswords, lively cognitive discussions or powers revealed in midst of the training.
It's new and-
It's for Akechi's eyes. Rotten. Twisted. Special. Still kind. Still Maruki.
He wants to see what the man's up to and he slides himself from the chair entirely, standing upright and stretching his arms in the air. As if they're about to battle in the backyard and not prowl the town for an unknowing victim.]
Let's see what that mind of yours comes up with. You have my interest and I will guide you when necessary should you hit a roadblock. This is a good exercise for you as well, after all. Don't let me down.
oh long johnson up to you how long we want to continue this CATEGORY 5 LEVEL DIRE
[ All at once, Maruki wishes he had the foresight to "request homework" from the Crystal as well.
What this mind of his comes up with– it's already come up with it. He wrote hundreds of pages, just as long as his doctoral thesis if not longer. Bound them into a book. Shared them over a final lunch, slammed them down on an uncaring man's desk. His life's work in pristine, provable black and white.
He can distill it down to its most basic principles. Write up a condensed version, offer it to Akechi under the guise of a newly developed theory. It means he'll have to take time – at least a few days – anything less would look suspicious, even for as hyper-fixated as Akechi knows he can become. It will be important to play this right or incur suspicion.
He can do it. He just wishes he didn't have to. To be able to tell Akechi–
Twists his stomach. That remains a bridge too far. Perhaps one day. Perhaps not. He genuinely doesn't know.
He stands as well, brings their plates back into the kitchen and leaves them near the sink, to be washed later. It'll be a good, mindless, meditative activity to do to wind down whenever they return. ]
I can confidently say that I won't let you down, Akechi. And I want to hear what you come up with, too.
[ He comes back around the bar, grabs the notebook and pen again. He's never without them. He wonders if Akechi is aware of that fact.
They're easily slid into his jacket pocket once he retrieves it, and then he's standing there by the door, looking expectantly at Akechi, eyebrows raised, his posture relaxed despite the blood buzzing beneath his skin. ]
Unless you already have experience in this area?
[ A beat, and then he grins again. ]
I'm kidding, of course. Come on. Let's take a walk.
And here I was going to tell you how to perform a psychotic break.
[Lighthearted and flippant-
It's clear the words mumbled by the castle doorway are only a morbid joke. A product of his life's work stated bluntly. Plainly. With a smile that belongs to Akechi Goro. Cheeky. Playful. Stern.
Loki churns to life - boiling over in his heart.
Akechi will find out for certain tonight - after Maruki's attempt to do whatever he plans against dreamer or otherwise shows its final result.
He pulls the tie turned noose around his neck tight and Loki follows it up - against chest, neck and throat.
It nice to have his true self back, coiled through his body where it belongs.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Irreconcilably warped – that's something that has been a significant part of his own research. Could changing someone's cognition be undone? What risks are inherent to a person's new perception not aligning with the rest of the world around them?
The mental shutdowns and psychotic breaks are different, of course. There's no recovering from that. It stands to reason that if one direction of warped cognition is infallible, so is the other, but–
He wonders, sometimes. With the time and space that now separates him from Christmas Eve, he does have to wonder if it really would have been that simple.
But the explanation of the palace is new information. He ascertained that access to the cognitive world was both feasible and the method being employed by the Phantom Thieves; he hadn't considered that every cognitive world would be individually tailored based on the target's own distorted thoughts and feelings.
He thinks of Kamoshida, the horror stories told to him both by staff members and students in his office. Madarame, everything Kitagawa said to him in quiet confidence. A criminal as deeply corrupt as Kaneshiro – as Shido. How horrific their cognitive worlds must have been, how dangerous, even beyond the threat of shadows that Akechi has explained to him before.
And then– ]
Ah, you went exactly where my mind was going.
[ He's taken a pen out from his shirt pocket, jotted down a few notes as Akechi's spoken, and now he taps it idly against the half-filled page. ]
It's tempting to think of Somnius that way. Or Seven, the realm Finnick told me about. And it does tie back to my theories on the collective unconscious being used and manipulated by the powers that be here.
[ A consideration of the hand that's always held completely flush against his chest. If he were to tip it now, just slightly–
He looks from the page to Akechi again. ]
Within the palace, can only the ruler's cognition be changed? Or can those "real" people who enter have theirs affected as well? What about the cognitive versions of others that only exist there?
[ It's all asked with the same intellectual curiosity, but he does punctuate it with a somewhat self-conscious laugh. ]
Sorry, it's okay if you don't know, of course. My mind is running away with a new concept as usual.
cw: murder!
Deviate back to the original topic. Move away from palaces, changes of heart, psychotic breaks and-
The gap between their knowledge has dwindled to a metaphorical sliver. Maruki knows almost everything he does at this point and only half of it can be attributed to the man's needling questions.
Akechi has willfully shared more than he ever thought - trains of thought difficult to stop when a wall is waving it forward, when the brakes don't work quite right, when-]
I wonder.
[Important questions - logical ones. Confirmations found in Wakaba's research, more than likely, but Akechi's own short lived experience working with others in Metaverse, in his own years learning on the fly, have given him some insight.
More spaghetti, despite his churning stomach. It's good. He hates it.]
It makes me hesitate to state 'only' anything. Even if I had experience or a full comprehension of the cognitive world, could anyone truly claim to completely and utterly understand a human heart? No, I think not. Those words would be foolish, even from a god.
[Legs cross and uncross, chopsticks set beside the plate and he turns to stare at Maruki in full.]
A palace ruler is the person in question - that is the focus. That is the goal. To go into another cognitive world, to trap or deal with someone beyond them-
[A beat. A phone placed in his hand in a desolate hallway before they were stained with red, red, red.
He goes dead silent.
Wheels churning. It doesn't matter. A lost boy's corpse in desolate cellar and that bizarre sensation, that jump in his chest, was nerves before the end.
A hand is waved - apologetic.]
My mind wandered - it tends to do that. You asked an interesting question, is all. To be frank, anything is possible - or so it seems. Could you change a heart inside the heart of another? Can you change someone else's perception of the world in a palace? Would they even know? Could a version of yourself be killed, if someone who knew you was prepared to end your life? It's all quite fascinating and should be researched more thoroughly.
no subject
It's funny. It's so genuinely funny that Maruki can't stop himself from smiling at it.
Well, that's his life's work, regardless of how he ends up going about it. One day he'll be able to prove Akechi wrong.
Until then– ]
I agree, it should be researched more thoroughly. I look forward to the work I'll be able to do after the New Year.
[ He's abandoned the spaghetti and turned toward Akechi almost fully on the stool. One elbow rests on the bar, arm hanging down to clasp his hands together as his thoughts take on a shape of their own.
They really ought to be talking about everything brought up by Finnick, but. ]
More importantly, though– Akechi, let's follow the line of thinking that we are inside of a palace. That Somnius is the cognitive world of whatever ultimate ruler there is.
[ A little shrug. ]
We don't know that to be true. Circumstantial evidence of cognitive manipulations and thoughts, dreams and wishes manifested consciously, subconsciously or unconsciously both provide a good basis. But in my mind, it's still only a hypothesis.
[ A thoughtful pause. This is all theoretical, of course, but– ]
Hypotheses ought to be tested. If we're in a cognitive world, which is the only place where – as far as everything you've told me and what I've observed back in Tokyo goes – cognitions can be changed... That wouldn't be possible in a "real" world, would it?
[ It would. He knows it would. He could do this no matter what reality they were in. ]
Seeking the ruler would be our ultimate goal. But it would be a shame if we did that and nothing changed because we were wrong about this being a cognitive world. If the same principles don't hold true, then it wouldn't matter what we did to a ruler – it wouldn't guarantee escape from this reality.
[ And he really does mean we. ]
Wouldn't it be wisest to test these principles first, before it gets to that point? I don't know specifically how, of course, but as you just posited through all of your hypotheticals, it really could be anything. Affirming the change in one person's perception, whether they're "real" or a cognitive being themselves–
[ A goblin, a gelfling. Dolls, as Akechi put it once. ]
Well, that would certainly be more concrete evidence than what we currently have to work with.
[ It's all stated calmly, with intellectual curiosity and interest, but his mind is already seven steps ahead and only picking up speed. ]
no subject
Every word is stated with a hidden intent, a double-meaning. Honest, and not. Truthful, and yet. It's all ands with Maruki and it's never been more apparent than this moment, under fading sunlight and Akechi's piercing gaze meant to rattle a just kidding out of him.
It doesn't happen.
This isn't musing. Not passing, idle thoughts. The implication from their previous conversation to the topic at hand clear and-
For a second, Akechi laughs - mirthless and blasé. Just kidding doesn't come out of Maruki's mouth still. Only coherent thoughts. Logical assumptions. Rot.
A plan.
It's a putrid, festering tint at the edge of every word. Akechi was right about Maruki, in a sense, and it gives him a moment of brief satisfaction. A request. A probe. All hidden in the words. He isn't hiding anything and yet-
Would anyone else really understand what the humble researcher is asking? Unlikely.
Even he can't peg the full undertone in full. Are they really allies, maybe? With a sordid plan hinted to test resolve. Willpower.
Akechi doesn't care - a shared goal confirmed. Leaving at all costs, implied. That's all he needs.]
As you know, I'm one that values fact, evidence and the truth above all else.
[His hands fold neatly against his knees and he leans forward, looking every part the conspiratorial ally.
Maruki Takuto's company has never been hated or enjoyed more than this moment - each sensation flipping like a rapidly rotating hourglass. ]
Let me know when you're ready to try and I will make myself available to assist.
no subject
But perhaps it is a subconscious test after all. The most overt gesture either of them have made. It's all well and good to talk, to theorize, to dream – it is another thing entirely to act, and Maruki has never been one for inaction. He wouldn't presume that Akechi has ever been either.
Not a true test, and yet, it still solidifies something deep in his soul. Bedrock, unshaken, immovable.
He grins at Akechi, as wide and warm as ever, but perhaps a bit of something else at the edges as well. ]
Any time. We've been afforded relative peace at the moment... Comparatively speaking, anyway. I can't think of a better time to start than the present.
no subject
[Here, in this moment. An evening that will shroud whatever they decide to do on their path forward.
Akechi knows how to distort, twist and warp a cognition. Bend it, break it, kill it where it stands. A thrall against his heart thrumming through chest and body at the opportunity to strike weakness he's most familiar with.
The mind. The soul. Create a distortion.
But he's not interested in the known. It's the unknown. The way Maruki's smile frays into an expression far different than anything he's seen prior. It wasn't what pursed his lips together in furious rage at the lake, isn't that lazy, neutral smile others see and-
It's not the soft, gentle look he shoves in the faces of his patients and-
Isn't the look he gives Akechi in moments of brief reprieve - after bathhouse visits, successful crosswords, lively cognitive discussions or powers revealed in midst of the training.
It's new and-
It's for Akechi's eyes. Rotten. Twisted. Special. Still kind. Still Maruki.
He wants to see what the man's up to and he slides himself from the chair entirely, standing upright and stretching his arms in the air. As if they're about to battle in the backyard and not prowl the town for an unknowing victim.]
Let's see what that mind of yours comes up with. You have my interest and I will guide you when necessary should you hit a roadblock. This is a good exercise for you as well, after all. Don't let me down.
oh long johnson up to you how long we want to continue this CATEGORY 5 LEVEL DIRE
What this mind of his comes up with– it's already come up with it. He wrote hundreds of pages, just as long as his doctoral thesis if not longer. Bound them into a book. Shared them over a final lunch, slammed them down on an uncaring man's desk. His life's work in pristine, provable black and white.
He can distill it down to its most basic principles. Write up a condensed version, offer it to Akechi under the guise of a newly developed theory. It means he'll have to take time – at least a few days – anything less would look suspicious, even for as hyper-fixated as Akechi knows he can become. It will be important to play this right or incur suspicion.
He can do it. He just wishes he didn't have to. To be able to tell Akechi–
Twists his stomach. That remains a bridge too far. Perhaps one day. Perhaps not. He genuinely doesn't know.
He stands as well, brings their plates back into the kitchen and leaves them near the sink, to be washed later. It'll be a good, mindless, meditative activity to do to wind down whenever they return. ]
I can confidently say that I won't let you down, Akechi. And I want to hear what you come up with, too.
[ He comes back around the bar, grabs the notebook and pen again. He's never without them. He wonders if Akechi is aware of that fact.
They're easily slid into his jacket pocket once he retrieves it, and then he's standing there by the door, looking expectantly at Akechi, eyebrows raised, his posture relaxed despite the blood buzzing beneath his skin. ]
Unless you already have experience in this area?
[ A beat, and then he grins again. ]
I'm kidding, of course. Come on. Let's take a walk.
WE CAN WRAP...........WITH THIS ONE
And here I was going to tell you how to perform a psychotic break.
[Lighthearted and flippant-
It's clear the words mumbled by the castle doorway are only a morbid joke. A product of his life's work stated bluntly. Plainly. With a smile that belongs to Akechi Goro. Cheeky. Playful. Stern.
Loki churns to life - boiling over in his heart.
Akechi will find out for certain tonight - after Maruki's attempt to do whatever he plans against dreamer or otherwise shows its final result.
He pulls the tie turned noose around his neck tight and Loki follows it up - against chest, neck and throat.
It nice to have his true self back, coiled through his body where it belongs.]