[It's a fair distance away and it's an ironic, bitter, passing realization that by the time he arrives to meet Aubrey-
It's a touch shy of the time he used to meet Eren outside of these very same doors.
He ignores it - offers a prompt greeting with a wave of his hand.]
There you are. This area is somewhat desolate now if you want to wander around the property. It's private and covers a vast expanse of land - the other castle nearby is similarly barren.
[She waves back. It’s a lifeless gesture, but she is glad to see him.]
Both of them, huh? [The castles. The property. She can’t imagine a circle around familiar ground was the route they used to take.] Might as well check it out.
[It’s not the path the three of them walked, twilight chill nipping at their heels. Aubrey steps slow around the desolate structure; alongside Akechi, if he allows. There’s no urge to take the lead.]
Must be pretty different. [Hands shoved in her pockets, she shrugs a little.] Living somewhere else, I mean. You were always here, right?
Shelter is shelter - I hold no attachments to anything here or in my own reality. Moving was somewhat common when I was a child, so it doesn't bother me to pick up and leave.
[In the end-
The castle is meaningless to him. The faces that used to wander around the halls worthless and gone. People around them vanishing, without a trace.
He eyes the stone walls regardless. Someone else will take it over. Maybe has already and they're being watched through those dim, unlit windows.]
Though our new place is much better, and far more appealing. It's reminiscent of a traditional home in my reality and has amenities I'm familiar with.
[Nooo attachments, right. Never mind all his talk of Featherman, at this age and otherwise.
[If he moved a lot, maybe that was a tether. Aubrey decides not to mention it.]
Home away from home, right? [If that word has extra weight to him, she doesn’t expect Akechi to show it.] No more… medieval fantasy stuff, for a while.
[No reminders, maybe. Different ones.]
I know you’ll never be settled-settled here… but it sounds kind of nice. Especially after that crazy future.
[The privacy is where its value lies. Akechi doesn't argue it. It's nice for that reason alone, not because of the reminder of Tokyo.
Though Akechi doesn't hate that either. Doesn't mind the few creature comforts provided that he never asked for.
He keeps pace with her - their meandering path continues on, side by side. Neither leading, only moving forward.]
It is a nice reprieve from such a violent future. Maruki-san and I ended up in a timeline full of war - I'm sure you've heard whispers of it from others. Many were there. You were among the few missing from it.
[Eren was there goes unspoken. The eternal elephant in a too small room.]
Maruki did tell me about that. [They must have fought together; an absence keenly felt. It’s possible to suffocate in open air. Aubrey doesn’t push it.
[She clears her throat, as if dust is what’s lodged in it.]
It was the opposite of yours, pretty much. Everything was still falling apart, just… quietly. [No one else is talking, at this hour.] I found out later that it wasn’t just me in this big, broken-down world, but… honestly, it felt like that for a while.
[Small huff.] Dunno how much I could’ve done in your future. Sounds better than dying of boredom. [If it’s a joke, it’s a dry one.]
I can't imagine. An empty, false reality will always feel cruel, even if you find another to lament with. What good is a broken, desolate world to those still living? A human will always try to survive in any circumstance, for the most part, however I think a place like that would try even the strongest wills. Though in reference to our timeline-
[He gestures to the weapons plastered to her body with a small, sweep of his hand.]
You would have done well enough. The farm was a homebase and everyone's skills were managed appropriately by those in charge. No lives were lost, no substantial injuries procured. Effective planning allowed us to succeed in all ways.
[And Akechi had a great time murdering relentlessly. ♥]
[It's normal. People want to be among one another, want to be together, want to live among their own. That's expected. Akechi-
Doesn't care about that.
An empty world with no Shido. An empty world with only Shido, who would never fall from grace among the peers he strove to fly so high above - what would be the point of anything within it? ]
Isn't it only human nature to find such a world horrific? Most would falter being alone. Most would struggle in a broken world.
[There’s the way that, a few weeks or realities ago, they spoke of tearing this world to shreds—no regard for anyone who might be left. An emotional oversight on Aubrey’s part; surely not Akechi’s.
[There’s how he speaks of choices—decided by others, lived with nonetheless. His own, all for one goal. And then?
[Is that not empty?]
I wouldn’t have thought you’d falter. [Waver. Find it challenging, period.] That’s all.
Don't be mistaken, Aubrey - no part of me will ever waver. Unlike you, I've been set in my intent since the moment I awoke here.
[Pointed. Abrupt. Not cruel in tone, but meant to be an attack. He isn't in the mood for someone whose mind only changed in recent days.]
Admitting difficulty isn't giving up - don't conflate the two. Nothing will keep me from ripping this reality apart at its seam. A broken world being a consequence of it gives me no pause.
[Offense only somewhat taken. Aubrey’s well aware her tune changed only recently. How well can she be said to have withstood everything, really, when she came out different yet again?
[She glances abruptly away when it lands. Moves on. That’s all.]
Alright. [Mumbled somewhat.] I was just asking.
[A few paces for the exchange to better settle; and, more clearly:] It wasn’t supposed to be an insult.
[as though he might have just proposed they hold hands and sing Vaeros’ praises. Some other stupid, unthinkable thing.
[Then again, stupid, unthinkable things happen all the time here. Hell with it. Aubrey readjusts the sling over her shoulder just to mess with something.]
What do you think, Akechi. [Mostly a sigh, but not without inflection: Are you fucking stupid?] Isn’t he on yours?
You think he did it on purpose? [The question isn’t yearning so much as… resigned, mainly. That he would return and see his horrible future to the end, whatever it entailed—that’s never been up for question.
[But people’s untimely ejections from Somnius are rarely, if ever, celebrated.]
Going back, I mean. I know he kept you all moving… makes for a hell of a final charge, I guess.
There are very people who I believe could break through reality if they found a way - he is among those few. However, I doubt it was of his volition.
[It's too abrupt for a guy like him, who forced himself into the lives of many and become the focus of them. Akechi doubts he would leave without grabbing his little entourage of lovers, or saying goodbye. Doubts he would leave Maruki without a word, and only a few memories between them.]
Regardless, he got us through when we needed him and went back to where he belonged. That's the goal. We can only be grateful it wasn't in the midst of battle or I doubt our venture into that future would have gone well.
[“Where he belonged.” What does Akechi know of that future, anyway? Surely not more than Aubrey....
[It’s not hers to say, anyway.
[Aubrey’s quiet for a while. Swallows, drags her eyes off the ground that they’ve wandered towards. If they were hiking at the rate they all did that morning, they probably could’ve rounded the castle a time and a half by now.
[They’re not.]
Maybe that’s it. [When she does talk, it’s just a mutter into the night.] Show up, do what you’re supposed to, change people… and go.
[A part of him wants to needle Aubrey - push her to a breaking point and see if that grief can shatter reality in front of his eyes.
The other half of him is too tired to care about fucking Eren and whatever bizarre relationship they shared. Aubrey wants to talk about him. Akechi doesn't care about him. A prince should listen. He can feign. That's all there is to it.
He continues on, as always.]
That's an interesting thought. How much can you change a person? Can you ever prove they changed to begin with? How many is enough, and is there more value given to changing the lives of some versus others? For those that have been here for years, are their relationships worthless in comparison to a man here less than that?
[The pulls at the edge of his gloves, until his fingertips dig into the fabric.]
I doubt it's that intricate. It's the will of a madman that brought us here - us leaving likely has nothing to do with how others are changed. After all, wouldn't you have been pulled away by now, given what you've done for some?
[Philosophical question begets philosophical answer. Akechi’s through it all before Aubrey can decide if she’s annoyed or grateful, and then it’s over, and so it doesn’t really matter.]
Eh… [A sigh, slow.] Maybe so. [Eren had changed her. It was impossible to deny she’d changed others in turn; she saw that arm every day.
[Surely Akechi had changed, too. It’d been long enough.]
I guess you can’t always tell for sure. Whether you’ve changed someone and all that.
But, I mean. [Loosely, so light it could be a cause for offense in its own right, Aubrey elbows Akechi. It’s a nudge to nowhere, really.] Bet you wouldn’t be going on 2AM walks back in Tokyo.
[He lets the nudge go - moves with it, and settles back into his stride.]
Unlikely, though I was often up at this time. If someone managed to snap a photo of me wandering that late at night, it could lead to a scandal. 'Detective Prince seen walking through alleyways in the dead of night - what's he hiding?' - Ah, the media is something else.
[But who cares. It's irrelevant.]
You can never know for certain, but change is inevitable. [A beat. Eren. Joker. Maruki. Aubrey.] Even if you're set in your ways. It's a requirement to survive.
[Drinking coffee. Playing chess. Jogging. Wandering through different realities. Akechi isn't sure who he's thinking about anymore.]
To stand still means to die. I feel as though Eren felt the same. No matter what, I'm assured he put that same drive into those around him who needed it most.
[His name—the rustle of leaves on a still sunset. It’s not a harsh sound, Eren; the gentle creak of floorboards in an ever-turning windmill; a soft hand in a training grounds; an exhale.
[Akechi’s first to say it today. The blade in Aubrey’s chest twists. He cares. That’s all he has to say. It’s clear as the stars.
[There’s no media to trail them; not here, not tonight. One person talks, the other listens; and the third is gone, and they move forward.]
He told me not to waste the time we had together, and… I don’t regret a second.
[The fist closes, squeezing empty air. Some faint trace of a smile encroaches anyway, as she looks back to Akechi.] He’d want that for you, too. I’m sure of it.
He isn't here to see it through. He can't speak for himself. He no longer exists.
But Akechi sees him in the way Aubrey moves - not only in that motion, but in her stride, her words.
Akechi hates Eren. Hated him. Will hate him forever.
Akechi hates Aubrey. Will continue to. Will never stop.]
I'll take your word for it. [He doesn't care.] All that matters is that you continue to persevere. None of us were meant to be here and none of us will stay. He left first, but we'll all join him in time if all goes as it should.
[A beat, and-]
What better gift to give to someone you love than to shatter a reality that stole his autonomy and ensure he can't be taken hostage again.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
It's a touch shy of the time he used to meet Eren outside of these very same doors.
He ignores it - offers a prompt greeting with a wave of his hand.]
There you are. This area is somewhat desolate now if you want to wander around the property. It's private and covers a vast expanse of land - the other castle nearby is similarly barren.
no subject
[She waves back. It’s a lifeless gesture, but she is glad to see him.]
Both of them, huh? [The castles. The property. She can’t imagine a circle around familiar ground was the route they used to take.] Might as well check it out.
[It’s not the path the three of them walked, twilight chill nipping at their heels. Aubrey steps slow around the desolate structure; alongside Akechi, if he allows. There’s no urge to take the lead.]
Must be pretty different. [Hands shoved in her pockets, she shrugs a little.] Living somewhere else, I mean. You were always here, right?
no subject
[In the end-
The castle is meaningless to him. The faces that used to wander around the halls worthless and gone. People around them vanishing, without a trace.
He eyes the stone walls regardless. Someone else will take it over. Maybe has already and they're being watched through those dim, unlit windows.]
Though our new place is much better, and far more appealing. It's reminiscent of a traditional home in my reality and has amenities I'm familiar with.
no subject
[Nooo attachments, right. Never mind all his talk of Featherman, at this age and otherwise.
[If he moved a lot, maybe that was a tether. Aubrey decides not to mention it.]
Home away from home, right? [If that word has extra weight to him, she doesn’t expect Akechi to show it.] No more… medieval fantasy stuff, for a while.
[No reminders, maybe. Different ones.]
I know you’ll never be settled-settled here… but it sounds kind of nice. Especially after that crazy future.
no subject
Though Akechi doesn't hate that either. Doesn't mind the few creature comforts provided that he never asked for.
He keeps pace with her - their meandering path continues on, side by side. Neither leading, only moving forward.]
It is a nice reprieve from such a violent future. Maruki-san and I ended up in a timeline full of war - I'm sure you've heard whispers of it from others. Many were there. You were among the few missing from it.
[Eren was there goes unspoken. The eternal elephant in a too small room.]
Where did you end up?
no subject
Maruki did tell me about that. [They must have fought together; an absence keenly felt. It’s possible to suffocate in open air. Aubrey doesn’t push it.
[She clears her throat, as if dust is what’s lodged in it.]
It was the opposite of yours, pretty much. Everything was still falling apart, just… quietly. [No one else is talking, at this hour.] I found out later that it wasn’t just me in this big, broken-down world, but… honestly, it felt like that for a while.
[Small huff.] Dunno how much I could’ve done in your future. Sounds better than dying of boredom. [If it’s a joke, it’s a dry one.]
no subject
[He gestures to the weapons plastered to her body with a small, sweep of his hand.]
You would have done well enough. The farm was a homebase and everyone's skills were managed appropriately by those in charge. No lives were lost, no substantial injuries procured. Effective planning allowed us to succeed in all ways.
[And Akechi had a great time murdering relentlessly. ♥]
no subject
You can’t be serious.
[When he gestures, Aubrey’s already eyeing him.]
The fight went off without a hitch—I’ve heard that. The first thing, though.
You’d find that challenging?
no subject
[It's normal. People want to be among one another, want to be together, want to live among their own. That's expected. Akechi-
Doesn't care about that.
An empty world with no Shido. An empty world with only Shido, who would never fall from grace among the peers he strove to fly so high above - what would be the point of anything within it? ]
Isn't it only human nature to find such a world horrific? Most would falter being alone. Most would struggle in a broken world.
no subject
Well, yeah.
You’re not most people.
[There’s the way that, a few weeks or realities ago, they spoke of tearing this world to shreds—no regard for anyone who might be left. An emotional oversight on Aubrey’s part; surely not Akechi’s.
[There’s how he speaks of choices—decided by others, lived with nonetheless. His own, all for one goal. And then?
[Is that not empty?]
I wouldn’t have thought you’d falter. [Waver. Find it challenging, period.] That’s all.
no subject
[Pointed. Abrupt. Not cruel in tone, but meant to be an attack. He isn't in the mood for someone whose mind only changed in recent days.]
Admitting difficulty isn't giving up - don't conflate the two. Nothing will keep me from ripping this reality apart at its seam. A broken world being a consequence of it gives me no pause.
no subject
[Offense only somewhat taken. Aubrey’s well aware her tune changed only recently. How well can she be said to have withstood everything, really, when she came out different yet again?
[She glances abruptly away when it lands. Moves on. That’s all.]
Alright. [Mumbled somewhat.] I was just asking.
[A few paces for the exchange to better settle; and, more clearly:] It wasn’t supposed to be an insult.
no subject
[It was, actually.
But he walks on - quiet and pensive. No Eren to settle the ire between strong willed individuals. Akechi will need to refrain and-
It's easy to do when he's acting. So he does.]
You don't seem like the type to be up this late. I assume something's on your mind.
no subject
[She gives him
[a look
[as though he might have just proposed they hold hands and sing Vaeros’ praises. Some other stupid, unthinkable thing.
[Then again, stupid, unthinkable things happen all the time here. Hell with it. Aubrey readjusts the sling over her shoulder just to mess with something.]
What do you think, Akechi. [Mostly a sigh, but not without inflection: Are you fucking stupid?] Isn’t he on yours?
no subject
[Not one time. Not once. Not even ten seconds ago, when he was reminded in front of a castle.
He opts to not look at Aubrey. He can Feel Her Gaze.]
Though I should have been less careless with my words, knowing you two were dating. My apologies.
no subject
[Yeah, okay. She can buy that.
[In some other reality, maybe.]
You think he did it on purpose? [The question isn’t yearning so much as… resigned, mainly. That he would return and see his horrible future to the end, whatever it entailed—that’s never been up for question.
[But people’s untimely ejections from Somnius are rarely, if ever, celebrated.]
Going back, I mean. I know he kept you all moving… makes for a hell of a final charge, I guess.
[He never stopped—]
no subject
[It's too abrupt for a guy like him, who forced himself into the lives of many and become the focus of them. Akechi doubts he would leave without grabbing his little entourage of lovers, or saying goodbye. Doubts he would leave Maruki without a word, and only a few memories between them.]
Regardless, he got us through when we needed him and went back to where he belonged. That's the goal. We can only be grateful it wasn't in the midst of battle or I doubt our venture into that future would have gone well.
no subject
[“Where he belonged.” What does Akechi know of that future, anyway? Surely not more than Aubrey....
[It’s not hers to say, anyway.
[Aubrey’s quiet for a while. Swallows, drags her eyes off the ground that they’ve wandered towards. If they were hiking at the rate they all did that morning, they probably could’ve rounded the castle a time and a half by now.
[They’re not.]
Maybe that’s it. [When she does talk, it’s just a mutter into the night.] Show up, do what you’re supposed to, change people… and go.
[It’s good that he was there. She’s glad....]
no subject
The other half of him is too tired to care about fucking Eren and whatever bizarre relationship they shared. Aubrey wants to talk about him. Akechi doesn't care about him. A prince should listen. He can feign. That's all there is to it.
He continues on, as always.]
That's an interesting thought. How much can you change a person? Can you ever prove they changed to begin with? How many is enough, and is there more value given to changing the lives of some versus others? For those that have been here for years, are their relationships worthless in comparison to a man here less than that?
[The pulls at the edge of his gloves, until his fingertips dig into the fabric.]
I doubt it's that intricate. It's the will of a madman that brought us here - us leaving likely has nothing to do with how others are changed. After all, wouldn't you have been pulled away by now, given what you've done for some?
no subject
[Philosophical question begets philosophical answer. Akechi’s through it all before Aubrey can decide if she’s annoyed or grateful, and then it’s over, and so it doesn’t really matter.]
Eh… [A sigh, slow.] Maybe so. [Eren had changed her. It was impossible to deny she’d changed others in turn; she saw that arm every day.
[Surely Akechi had changed, too. It’d been long enough.]
I guess you can’t always tell for sure. Whether you’ve changed someone and all that.
But, I mean. [Loosely, so light it could be a cause for offense in its own right, Aubrey elbows Akechi. It’s a nudge to nowhere, really.] Bet you wouldn’t be going on 2AM walks back in Tokyo.
no subject
Unlikely, though I was often up at this time. If someone managed to snap a photo of me wandering that late at night, it could lead to a scandal. 'Detective Prince seen walking through alleyways in the dead of night - what's he hiding?' - Ah, the media is something else.
[But who cares. It's irrelevant.]
You can never know for certain, but change is inevitable. [A beat. Eren. Joker. Maruki. Aubrey.] Even if you're set in your ways. It's a requirement to survive.
[Drinking coffee. Playing chess. Jogging. Wandering through different realities. Akechi isn't sure who he's thinking about anymore.]
To stand still means to die. I feel as though Eren felt the same. No matter what, I'm assured he put that same drive into those around him who needed it most.
no subject
[His name—the rustle of leaves on a still sunset. It’s not a harsh sound, Eren; the gentle creak of floorboards in an ever-turning windmill; a soft hand in a training grounds; an exhale.
[Akechi’s first to say it today. The blade in Aubrey’s chest twists. He cares. That’s all he has to say. It’s clear as the stars.
[There’s no media to trail them; not here, not tonight. One person talks, the other listens; and the third is gone, and they move forward.]
That’s exactly what he did.
[Absently, her hand curls around her heart.]
He told me not to waste the time we had together, and… I don’t regret a second.
[The fist closes, squeezing empty air. Some faint trace of a smile encroaches anyway, as she looks back to Akechi.] He’d want that for you, too. I’m sure of it.
no subject
He isn't here to see it through. He can't speak for himself. He no longer exists.
But Akechi sees him in the way Aubrey moves - not only in that motion, but in her stride, her words.
Akechi hates Eren. Hated him. Will hate him forever.
Akechi hates Aubrey. Will continue to. Will never stop.]
I'll take your word for it. [He doesn't care.] All that matters is that you continue to persevere. None of us were meant to be here and none of us will stay. He left first, but we'll all join him in time if all goes as it should.
[A beat, and-]
What better gift to give to someone you love than to shatter a reality that stole his autonomy and ensure he can't be taken hostage again.
no subject
[He’s right, of course. All of this was only ever temporary. The question is, who’s next? How long will it take?
[The fist unravels. Lingers, though.]
Wouldn’t have thought about it like a gift. [Maybe that will help. It’s necessary, one way or another.] But we’ll all give it to him, yeah?
[Together at the end of the world. Morbid thought.
[Sometimes those aren’t all bad.]
We’ll hold each other to it. And then it’ll be over.
[She nods, to no one in particular. Her hand falls, and out of habit lands on the sword’s hilt.
[It’s kept there.]
I can’t wait. [Aubrey sounds tired.] When this reality cracks again, we’re doing something. Right?
no subject
He sees her among thieves.
A strong resolve that would draw her into palaces to right wrongs. Pathetic, meaningless bonds that would tie her to a group of vigilantes.]
Of course. For Eren-
[And they will shatter reality regardless of the face she needs to visualize to do so. He doesn't care.]
We won't falter. We'll fight - break apart this world piece by piece, no matter how much time it takes.