If he's ever able to regain it, I'll see if he's amenable to testing it out like that. Whether his circumstances are my concern or not, he was the first friend that I made here - he's important to me, and his cooperation would be a huge boon for us.
A split psyche, huh? You've mentioned such a thing before.
Sentimentally aside, do what you want with him then. He's rational and seems willing to assist in almost every area. If he at least entertains the thought initially, I'm certain he can be convinced over time.
As for your last statement, it's an idle comment based on light reading and a minor understanding of psychology.
I mean... I could always try wishing for my abilities back again to find out if there's another "other you dwelling in the sea of mankind's hearts" contracted to my soul, but I can confidently tell you now, it's only Azathoth.
If there were two personas in your soul, I imagine it would be easy to sense. Two sets of desires at odds at all times - what an unfortunate situation that would be. I truly can't fathom it.
[ It's categorically insane that Akechi doesn't realize he's picked up on the patterns in the "interesting hypotheticals" that he brings up, or his statements that are "only joking."
Noted. Screenshot. Saved for later. ]
Safe travels getting home. Don't get any achievements.
An hour passes and Akechi has half a mind to be late on purpose after that final dig. Maybe stay somewhere else for the evening. Conveniently forgetting a months long routine they have both continued with a bizarre, unspoken agreement. '
Thinks about it. Doesn't.
The castle door opens. Shoes at the doorway. No house slippers here, though his eyes always move to the corner of the entryway, as if some will appear. An unshakeable display of muscle memory.
The smell hits him, as usual. A mixture of familiar spices and ingredients. He's mad about it tonight, but sits at his usual seat, hands folded under his chin, as he watches the castle's personal chef work. Amazing how maneuvering pots and pans keeps him from acting like a goddamn part time comedian.]
The assimilation of an arcade into this reality is getting tiring.
[ Akechi arrives when Maruki expects him. He calls out from the kitchen to welcome him home; old habits truly do die hard. But otherwise, he focuses on the task at hand: Refrigerator cleanout stir fry, a truly massive and random assortment of leftovers at his disposal for it. The hazards of having cooked enough for an army at Vash's birthday...
He doesn't look up as he hears Akechi settle in, doesn't say anything at all until he speaks first. But then his response is immediate. ]
Oh, I can't stand it.
[ A spoonful of the sauce he's cobbled together, and then a surprised little face. It's actually not bad. ]
I would take the townsfolks' inexplicable violence over this, any day. I'm not cut out for video game mechanics. Back in my day, all we had was Pong, and we were perfectly happy with it...
[ That last part is a joke, and he looks over at Akechi with a grin before dumping the sauce into the sizzling pan. ]
Why, did something happen to you on your way over?
Akechi waves a hand - irate. The walk prior to their text exchange was annoying beyond measure and tested his limited patience.
He would also prefer the villager volatility. At least that was entertaining. This shit is stupid.]
Nothing worth mentioning.
[He became a tetris block and was crushed by a goblin. It was-
Not fun.]
Though on the way back, my mind wandered to a somewhat morbid topic. I often find it fascinating how others will punish their own. Did you know there was a time when people were sentenced to be crushed or dismembered by an elephant?
[The goblin had tusks that reminded him of one. Maybe there's a relation.]
They were trained to kill, usually by royalty. A person's head would be placed on stone block and elephant's foot would smash it down. Other times, they were simply slowly torn apart. Sometimes they would attach rings the animal's foot, and to the prisoner, so the body was broken with every step as the victim remained partially tied to a stake.
[ Throughout the new entry into the ever-growing list of Akechi Fun Facts! Maruki's focus slowly shifts from the nearly complete stir fry to the boy seated at the counter.
By elephant's foot would smash it down, his head is fully turned toward Akechi.
By so the body was broken with every step, his mouth has dropped open slightly and his eyes are wide behind his glasses.
At I thought that was interesting–
Maruki makes a noise that cannot possibly be quantified in any way. Part horrified, part baffled, part absurdly amused.
What the hell is Akechi's deal. ]
That's... Wow. Okay.
[ Another couple blinks at Akechi and then he shakes his head forcibly, almost violently, and returns his focus to the pan. He shifts the food around with the chopsticks that had been frozen in one hand, stares down at it for a moment longer – the chunks of leftover kabob meat, broken bits of a body smashed by an animal who wouldn't know any better what it was being used for.
His stomach lurches miserably. ]
You certainly have no shortage of interesting information to go around. I'm so grateful you seemingly always choose to share it with me.
[ Stop?? Doing this???? ]
How hungry are you?
[ BECAUSE MARUKI'S REALLY NOT, AFTER THAT STORY. ]
The same as always. I didn't do anything strenuous enough to work up an appetite.
[His reaction is-
Funny.
Akechi states these things on a whim - interesting facts he knows are morbid enough to incite a reaction, but it's not his intent. They're niche. Unknown. He wants to be the one to provide knowledge. Whether it's the cognitive world, a past torture method, volcano deaths or -
Facts over a chess match. In a palace, with a group of reckless teenagers.
He lets his hands settle on the counter and waits to be served, like a prince in a castle.]
And to your previous point, perhaps it says more about you that you seem to elicit that reaction from others. It must be the energy of being a researcher and a counselor - you naturally invoke this.
Maruki rolls his eyes, grabs two bowls from the cabinet. ]
You're right. I do have one of those faces that invites people to tell me everything.
[ It's said sarcastically, but... well, it sort of is true, isn't it.
Right. Enough food to feed a small bird for Akechi, then. And until his stomach stops turning over and over itself at the mental images Akechi's implanted into his mind, he'll take the same.
Two small portions doled out, one placed in front of Akechi, the other in front of the empty seat next to him. Maruki flicks the stove off, grabs chopsticks, napkins, comes around to join him at the bar–
And now that he's out of the way, dead center in Akechi's line of vision are the pot and kettle from earlier, freshly washed and set on a towel on the counter to dry.
Maruki slides easily into his seat, casual as he always is in their house. ]
Where do you learn all these things, anyway? Without the internet I feel like my own bank of new trivia has dried up quickly.
His eyes catch the glint of a pot. A kettle. Directly in front of him.
The food is aggressively shoved into his mouth - his eyes tear away from the suddenly offensive, innocuous kitchen items to Maruki when he sits down next to him. Normal. Questioning. Food in hand.
Is he fucking kidding?
Akechi can still see it - the corner of his eye feels like his pupil in that moment. Maruki's outside of his sight. The pot is directly in it.]
Retaining information is a specialty of mine.
[He does not give a shit about this.
Feigning nonchalance and ease, another helping of food is brought to lips, but before he chows down-
Casual. Calm. Offhand.]
Did you forget to put those up? You probably should before you start your meal. It would be a shame if food got on them and they had to be rewashed.
[ Quiet thanks mumbled quickly over the bowl before he tucks in. Maruki doesn't pay a lick of attention to Akechi or where he's looking, focused solely on trying to force his stomach out of knots so he can enjoy the dinner he worked hard on.
But he knows. He doesn't have to look to know what Akechi's seeing. ]
Hm?
[ He glances up at the question, follows his line of sight. ]
Oh, those? They're fine. I just wanted to be sure they were completely dry before I put them away again.
[ Maruki doesn't startle, not at the sight of Robin Hood – cakes! cakes in the kitchen!! – nor at the attack on the cookware. He only looks over at Akechi, unimpressed. ]
Interesting...
[ One raised eyebrow. ]
So in the end, you chose the pot for yourself, not the kettle.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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If he's ever able to regain it, I'll see if he's amenable to testing it out like that. Whether his circumstances are my concern or not, he was the first friend that I made here - he's important to me, and his cooperation would be a huge boon for us.
A split psyche, huh? You've mentioned such a thing before.
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Sentimentally aside, do what you want with him then. He's rational and seems willing to assist in almost every area. If he at least entertains the thought initially, I'm certain he can be convinced over time.
As for your last statement, it's an idle comment based on light reading and a minor understanding of psychology.
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Anecdotally and hypothetically, of course.
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It's hypothetical and based on assumption from previous notes I've read.
While I've never seen it, it stands to reason such things are possible.
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Perhaps that's where your outfit comes from.
I wonder what could make your cognition distort like that.
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Then there's nothing to worry about, I suppose.
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Dinner is in an hour.
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If there were two personas in your soul, I imagine it would be easy to sense. Two sets of desires at odds at all times - what an unfortunate situation that would be. I truly can't fathom it.
But I digress. I'll see you then.
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Noted. Screenshot. Saved for later. ]
Safe travels getting home. Don't get any achievements.
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An hour passes and Akechi has half a mind to be late on purpose after that final dig. Maybe stay somewhere else for the evening. Conveniently forgetting a months long routine they have both continued with a bizarre, unspoken agreement. '
Thinks about it. Doesn't.
The castle door opens. Shoes at the doorway. No house slippers here, though his eyes always move to the corner of the entryway, as if some will appear. An unshakeable display of muscle memory.
The smell hits him, as usual. A mixture of familiar spices and ingredients. He's mad about it tonight, but sits at his usual seat, hands folded under his chin, as he watches the castle's personal chef work. Amazing how maneuvering pots and pans keeps him from acting like a goddamn part time comedian.]
The assimilation of an arcade into this reality is getting tiring.
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He doesn't look up as he hears Akechi settle in, doesn't say anything at all until he speaks first. But then his response is immediate. ]
Oh, I can't stand it.
[ A spoonful of the sauce he's cobbled together, and then a surprised little face. It's actually not bad. ]
I would take the townsfolks' inexplicable violence over this, any day. I'm not cut out for video game mechanics. Back in my day, all we had was Pong, and we were perfectly happy with it...
[ That last part is a joke, and he looks over at Akechi with a grin before dumping the sauce into the sizzling pan. ]
Why, did something happen to you on your way over?
cw: torture via elephant
Akechi waves a hand - irate. The walk prior to their text exchange was annoying beyond measure and tested his limited patience.
He would also prefer the villager volatility. At least that was entertaining. This shit is stupid.]
Nothing worth mentioning.
[He became a tetris block and was crushed by a goblin. It was-
Not fun.]
Though on the way back, my mind wandered to a somewhat morbid topic. I often find it fascinating how others will punish their own. Did you know there was a time when people were sentenced to be crushed or dismembered by an elephant?
[The goblin had tusks that reminded him of one. Maybe there's a relation.]
They were trained to kill, usually by royalty. A person's head would be placed on stone block and elephant's foot would smash it down. Other times, they were simply slowly torn apart. Sometimes they would attach rings the animal's foot, and to the prisoner, so the body was broken with every step as the victim remained partially tied to a stake.
[Gloves off for dinner and-
His nail's chipped. Ugh.]
I thought that was interesting.
no subject
By elephant's foot would smash it down, his head is fully turned toward Akechi.
By so the body was broken with every step, his mouth has dropped open slightly and his eyes are wide behind his glasses.
At I thought that was interesting–
Maruki makes a noise that cannot possibly be quantified in any way. Part horrified, part baffled, part absurdly amused.
What the hell is Akechi's deal. ]
That's... Wow. Okay.
[ Another couple blinks at Akechi and then he shakes his head forcibly, almost violently, and returns his focus to the pan. He shifts the food around with the chopsticks that had been frozen in one hand, stares down at it for a moment longer – the chunks of leftover kabob meat, broken bits of a body smashed by an animal who wouldn't know any better what it was being used for.
His stomach lurches miserably. ]
You certainly have no shortage of interesting information to go around. I'm so grateful you seemingly always choose to share it with me.
[ Stop?? Doing this???? ]
How hungry are you?
[ BECAUSE MARUKI'S REALLY NOT, AFTER THAT STORY. ]
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[His reaction is-
Funny.
Akechi states these things on a whim - interesting facts he knows are morbid enough to incite a reaction, but it's not his intent. They're niche. Unknown. He wants to be the one to provide knowledge. Whether it's the cognitive world, a past torture method, volcano deaths or -
Facts over a chess match. In a palace, with a group of reckless teenagers.
He lets his hands settle on the counter and waits to be served, like a prince in a castle.]
And to your previous point, perhaps it says more about you that you seem to elicit that reaction from others. It must be the energy of being a researcher and a counselor - you naturally invoke this.
[It's your fault, actually. ❤️]
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Maruki rolls his eyes, grabs two bowls from the cabinet. ]
You're right. I do have one of those faces that invites people to tell me everything.
[ It's said sarcastically, but... well, it sort of is true, isn't it.
Right. Enough food to feed a small bird for Akechi, then. And until his stomach stops turning over and over itself at the mental images Akechi's implanted into his mind, he'll take the same.
Two small portions doled out, one placed in front of Akechi, the other in front of the empty seat next to him. Maruki flicks the stove off, grabs chopsticks, napkins, comes around to join him at the bar–
And now that he's out of the way, dead center in Akechi's line of vision are the pot and kettle from earlier, freshly washed and set on a towel on the counter to dry.
Maruki slides easily into his seat, casual as he always is in their house. ]
Where do you learn all these things, anyway? Without the internet I feel like my own bank of new trivia has dried up quickly.
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His eyes catch the glint of a pot. A kettle. Directly in front of him.
The food is aggressively shoved into his mouth - his eyes tear away from the suddenly offensive, innocuous kitchen items to Maruki when he sits down next to him. Normal. Questioning. Food in hand.
Is he fucking kidding?
Akechi can still see it - the corner of his eye feels like his pupil in that moment. Maruki's outside of his sight. The pot is directly in it.]
Retaining information is a specialty of mine.
[He does not give a shit about this.
Feigning nonchalance and ease, another helping of food is brought to lips, but before he chows down-
Casual. Calm. Offhand.]
Did you forget to put those up? You probably should before you start your meal. It would be a shame if food got on them and they had to be rewashed.
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But he knows. He doesn't have to look to know what Akechi's seeing. ]
Hm?
[ He glances up at the question, follows his line of sight. ]
Oh, those? They're fine. I just wanted to be sure they were completely dry before I put them away again.
[ Casual. Calm. Offhand.
So very curious. ]
Why, are they bothering you?
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[Immediate. Spit out with force.
They aren't bothering him - not in the slightest. It's-
The mess.
It's cluttered. No sane person wants that in their vision.]
Both are dry. I can tell from here.
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[ He squints. Removes his glasses. Cleans them. Replaces them on his face and squints again. ]
Well, if you're sure, you're welcome to put them away yourself.
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[Because he doesn't care at all if they're in front of him. At all. Not one bit. It's about putting up clutter and cleaning while you work and -
His meal's temporarily abandoned for the stupidest argument of all time.
Pot. Kettle. Dabi. He isn't fucking touching either one.]
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[ Maruki's continuing to eat his stir fry! He can do that and argue at the same time. Yummy yummy baby corn. ]
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[Happy. Chipper, even.
You know that feeling when a cat jumps on a table and chooses to perch next to a particularly full cup of water by the edge of it?
That happens, in this moment. Akechi's absolute silence after an easy agreement an ominous warning.
Robin Hood appears behind him. A second later-
Blue tinted fire. Blinding. Bright. Kouga hits the pot and forces to the ground with a clatter. It doesn't sound like anything breaks, at least.]
My apologies. I don't know what happened - ah, this world is strange sometimes, isn't it?
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Interesting...
[ One raised eyebrow. ]
So in the end, you chose the pot for yourself, not the kettle.
1/3
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3/4 actually
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cw: violent thoughts, graphic violence @ self, suicide reference, murder
cw referenced self-harm
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cw: violent thoughts, murder
cw brainwashing lmao here we go
cw: violent thoughts, gore, murder, self harm (???)
cw gun violence, murder, physical assault
CW: VIOLENCE!!!!!!!!! of all kinds
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cw: violence, eye damage, graphic violence. mmmm just dont click.
cw eye trauma, graphic violence - truly you should not be reading this thread, stranger
cw: ohhhh graphic violence oooo eye trauma, self harm (??), rock based violence!
cw graphic violence, eye trauma, near death experience
cw: emeto, murder, suicide, graphic violence! suicidal ideation (????)
cw get cared for after ALL THAT, IDIOT
DIRE DIRE DIRE OHHH EVIL CAITLIN
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cw injury descriptions (i don't think they're graphic, but. shrug)
cw: injury description cont!
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cw: flaying fun fact!
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cw eye trauma, graphic violence