He's tired. It hurts. He doesn't care. The sensation of serene peace
ripped away
As always.
Can't remember. It's gone with a crack of his eyes, a body turning on instinct, a skull-
Full of a thousand nails all being hit at the same time. Hand to head - both. It's painful - he doesn't care. It doesn't matter. He can't think and it doesn't matter. Fragments of bone in his eyes - it feels like it. Splintering and shattering.
He breathes.
Exhausted. Spent. Experimental movements to check his body for missing parts, missing limbs.
He breathes. Endures. Alive with every spike of agony from a movement too quick, too much.
'You're alright.' And he swallows down bile.
'You're alright.' And he peels fingers out of his hair.
'You're alright' And he can't even sit up. It's so goddamn stupid.
He breathes - fingers against sopping wet grass, chunks of it charred.] Get up.
[To Maruki. To him. He doesn't move - can't. Throat hurts - voice hoarse, choked out. Every word pushed. Forced. His head hurts. Pounding, aching, a thousand nails in, ten thousand to go.
'You're alright.'
He's alright.
Maruki's alright. Akechi doesn't have to see a breathing body to confirm it.]
He tries. Manages to prop himself up halfway, just enough to see Akechi, before slowly easing himself back down. His concentration was so split between the two of them that the Tentacle of Healing's done a hack job on them both; wounds patched up enough to not be mortal, dislocations and fractures and breaks healed but deep gouges turned shallow cuts still bleeding, tears turned aches still searing.
They're both a mess.
Maruki tries it once more. Manages to heave himself over to lie parallel next to Akechi, head landing in a blessedly dry patch of grass.
The stars overhead, the same ones he looked at with Vash on the night he tried to convince him to return to the castle.
It hurts. Everything does.
A few moments of silence punctuated only by their heavy, labored breathing, and then: ]
Yeah. We're fine.
[ He doesn't turn his head to look at Akechi. Lets his eyes go half-lidded with exhaustion, body doing its best to melt down into the sodden earth and rot away. He can't move. Won't move. He's so tired. They're spent. ]
[There's an irritated, almost amused, snort at the comment. The offer feels less like a choice and more like a necessity spoken aloud.
They fight - often. Brutal, vicious and in a way that stains all they touch. Castle walls, grassy knolls in a backyard.
It's nice out.
He doesn't care to move, so he doesn't. In a few minutes -
He'll get up.]
If you manage to get something comparable, I'll consider it. Otherwise, I see no need to leave. You're welcome to go wherever you desire at any point though.
I might use it as an excuse to experiment with the crystal. I'll let you know what turns up.
[ He has shards to spare. He can try again and again. What's the worst that could happen? Aspects of their Tokyo begin to merge with this reality? Oh, no. That would be horrible. It certainly wouldn't provide a welcome challenge on a more even playing ground.
And then–
Silence.
Warm breeze through nearby trees. Bugs, the kind that don't make him want to tear his hair out. Quiet, even breathing, familiar from so many nights on a makeshift futon.
He'll make sure that all the rooms come already furnished with beds, of course.
Thinks to make a jab about it. Almost tries to, but the effort required for the words sinks like a stone into the depths of his exhausted mind.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
2/2
He's awake. He's awake.
Awake.
He's awake.
Get upIt hurts.
He's tired. It hurts. He doesn't care. The sensation of serene peaceripped away
As always.Can't remember. It's gone with a crack of his eyes, a body turning on instinct, a skull-
Full of a thousand nails all being hit at the same time. Hand to head - both. It's painful - he doesn't care. It doesn't matter. He can't think and it doesn't matter. Fragments of bone in his eyes - it feels like it. Splintering and shattering.
He breathes.
Exhausted. Spent. Experimental movements to check his body for missing parts, missing limbs.
He breathes. Endures. Alive with every spike of agony from a movement too quick, too much.
'You're alright.' And he swallows down bile.
'You're alright.' And he peels fingers out of his hair.
'You're alright' And he can't even sit up. It's so goddamn stupid.
He breathes - fingers against sopping wet grass, chunks of it charred.] Get up.
[To Maruki. To him. He doesn't move - can't. Throat hurts - voice hoarse, choked out. Every word pushed. Forced. His head hurts. Pounding, aching, a thousand nails in, ten thousand to go.
'You're alright.'
He's alright.
Maruki's alright. Akechi doesn't have to see a breathing body to confirm it.]
We're fine.
[As always.]
no subject
He tries. Manages to prop himself up halfway, just enough to see Akechi, before slowly easing himself back down. His concentration was so split between the two of them that the Tentacle of Healing's done a hack job on them both; wounds patched up enough to not be mortal, dislocations and fractures and breaks healed but deep gouges turned shallow cuts still bleeding, tears turned aches still searing.
They're both a mess.
Maruki tries it once more. Manages to heave himself over to lie parallel next to Akechi, head landing in a blessedly dry patch of grass.
The stars overhead, the same ones he looked at with Vash on the night he tried to convince him to return to the castle.
It hurts. Everything does.
A few moments of silence punctuated only by their heavy, labored breathing, and then: ]
Yeah. We're fine.
[ He doesn't turn his head to look at Akechi. Lets his eyes go half-lidded with exhaustion, body doing its best to melt down into the sodden earth and rot away. He can't move. Won't move. He's so tired. They're spent. ]
We can't keep doing this here.
no subject
They won't stop.
He can't move - only feels and hears the shifting body struggling to lay beside him. It's so pointless to do and it goes unacknowledged.]
Why? Are you getting bored of the backdrop? I didn't take you to be that picky.
[It's a struggle to get out - words slower, tone quiet and marred with a harsh edge from a sore throat instead of anger.]
What are you implying?
no subject
No, but I'm a conscientious guy and aware that our behavior probably isn't suited for housemates.
[ It's certainly not like it will stop. He invited this one on himself. Wanted it, egged it on. So... ]
I can secure housing for us.
[ A beat, and then he manages to work up just enough energy for the teasing grin to be evident in his voice. ]
I'm also aware of how poor you are.
no subject
They fight - often. Brutal, vicious and in a way that stains all they touch. Castle walls, grassy knolls in a backyard.
It's nice out.
He doesn't care to move, so he doesn't. In a few minutes -
He'll get up.]
If you manage to get something comparable, I'll consider it. Otherwise, I see no need to leave. You're welcome to go wherever you desire at any point though.
[And Akechi will follow despite it all.]
no subject
I might use it as an excuse to experiment with the crystal. I'll let you know what turns up.
[ He has shards to spare. He can try again and again. What's the worst that could happen? Aspects of their Tokyo begin to merge with this reality? Oh, no. That would be horrible. It certainly wouldn't provide a welcome challenge on a more even playing ground.
And then–
Silence.
Warm breeze through nearby trees. Bugs, the kind that don't make him want to tear his hair out. Quiet, even breathing, familiar from so many nights on a makeshift futon.
He'll make sure that all the rooms come already furnished with beds, of course.
Thinks to make a jab about it. Almost tries to, but the effort required for the words sinks like a stone into the depths of his exhausted mind.
He'll get up. Eventually. ]
cw: suicidal ideation SORTA
And it's quiet.
And Akechi is quiet. Maruki is quiet. A world stilled outside of nature - Akechi doesn't want to be outside like this.And it's quiet.
And it's quiet.
Doesn't move outside of a tentative push upwards that ends in failure with every creaking bone and aching limb.
Back to the earth again.
He doesn't say anything. Maruki's own breath leveling out -
They really will kill each other someday.
It doesn't upset him to recognize it.
He'll get up in a minute.In a second.
In one more moment he'll force his eyes open and-
It's quiet.
He's out.]