Akechi doesn't see him - not right away. His mind takes one, two, three seconds to catch up and recognize that Maruki Takuto is in bed.
He was alone in this house, or so he thought. The bird is-
Nowhere? Akechi doesn't hear or see it. Doesn't think Maruki would hide it. Why would he want to? It must have come in here if Korokke came into this room. She doesn't willingly go to Maruki and-
She's now held by Maruki without tearing him to shreds..
What in the cognitive manipulation is happening??????? Tis the season for this reality's bullshit.]
You weren't here.
[Maruki was not here. No one was around.]
Care to explain? Or do I need to get answers from you the old fashioned way?
[ Korokke starts to twist and writhe, and Maruki lets her go before the claws come out. Time to focus only on the claws surely about to come out of Akechi. ]
What are you talking about? I've been here the whole time.
No, you haven't. You left this morning and haven't stepped foot in the house since. No one has, outside of a little bird.
[This isn't Maruki. It might be the bird - it could be a shapeshifter trying to exploit cognitions. May be a random person. Could be anything.
He's only certain that it's not Maruki. There's no way he can turn into a bird. No chance he didn't notice one fluttering in if he was here the whole time. Korokke saw it, so it's not a figment of Akechi's own volatile imagination.]
Explain yourself. You have five seconds before I blow up this room.
He jumps onto the bed, standing on his tiptoes to watch the direction of this shitty thing. Towards-
The training grounds, but that's likely a coincidence.
Maybe not, if this thing has incorporated the heart and memories of its original.
So he goes. Jogs to an all too familiar area, unsure if the 'copy' will be here. Unclear if it even matters, but, well-
Maybe he shake it free from the trees - if it's not here, maybe it's nearby? It's a fucking bird. It could be across town by now. If it doesn't appear with this jostle, he'll cut his losses.
And until that loss is clear-
Robin Hood casts Megidolaon at a large group of trees near the illuminated ring.]
Azathoth is out in a moment, tentacles coming up from the ground all around Maruki to shield him from the attack and take the brunt of the damage. When they part, he stares at Akechi, wild-eyed. ]
[Azathoth existing with this false copy is a clue, a hint, that there's something amiss. A form, a body - all of that can exist. A persona is tied to the soul.
Two outcomes exist from this. Both are bad. Both will end up the same way, so-
Mudoon time! Good luck king! Historically hasn't worked, but hey.]
There's the homework he talked about wishing for at the crystal, surrounding him on all sides like so many bloody handprints. In an instant, Maruki feels a crushing weight on his chest, feels like his sternum and all his ribs will splinter beneath it until his heart fails–
And then, in the blink of an eye, it's gone.
No damage done that he can see or feel, but he's rattled by it, that lingering sense of impending doom that hit faster than any of Akechi's other attacks ever have.
Takes after its predecessor. Akechi isn't interested in a back and forth with a shadow. Azathoth's continued presence-
Interesting. Dangerous. ]
Or not - I don't give a shit. You'll be dead soon anyway. If you want to beg for your life, you're welcome to try by answering this question - tell me what you are?
[ To his credit, Maruki does manage to look a little sheepish at that. Yeah, he wanted to torment Akechi, but coming clean is still...
Eh. Well. He doesn't expect Akechi to take it well, so the only thing he can do is be honest. ]
I felt satisfied with the work others have done to prove the potions have no adverse effects, and I figured that in the true reality I'll never be able to see what it's like to inhabit another form, so it would be foolish not to take advantage of the opportunity now. An indulgence of scientific and personal curiosity...
Akechi doesn't feel betrayal. Doesn't experience worry. There are consequences to every action - Maruki knew what he was doing when he downed a potion willingly sought out for his own pathetic indulgence.
A house ruined him. A partner ended it. He wants to be held to this world, wants to be tied to it, wants a reason to stay in a place that isn't meant for him because it's the only reality where he has anything.
Akechi Goro doesn't feel betrayal, but it stings all the same. There's no proof there are ill effects, there's no proof there isn't. It forms a needless connection to this world. There's less to gain and more to lose. Maruki isn't Joker, who Akechi knows can wield different powers innately and keep his heart separate from the rest.
Maruki gave in. Maruki gave up. Maruki made Akechi's job that much harder for no goddamn reason.
'An indulgence of scientific and personal curiosity.' Selfish. Idiotic. Tempted by a meaningless power. Even gods can't be sated.
He's furious - eyes settle on Maruki in full, unblinking. Unwavering. The molars in his mouth grind together. All at once, he can't stand Maruki Takuto and-]
Oh, is that so? That's all?
[Calm. So calm. Voice steady. Airy. He can't stand him. He gave in and it took nothing.]
To think you were this weak after all - you really were meant to be a politician. Always seeking more and more power under the guise of some shitty excuse. I thought you were better than that. Since you're so eager, take more.
[Call of Chaos is cast without warning - thrown at Maruki Takuto with zero hesitation. It won't do anything. Won't break his mind or heart, but the intent is there. The meaning is apparent. Akechi wastes no time in casting Call of Chaos on himself after, right as the flames dissipate from Maruki's form.]
[ An attack is expected; Call of Chaos right off the bat isn't, and for a moment Maruki's heart presses tight against his ribs as if trying to break free–
But nothing happens. The flames lick without burning, all of Akechi's rage apparent in them, and he knows he doesn't have long until Akechi breaks himself instead.
All of Azathoth's power concentrates rapidly as Amplify Magic surges in the mental connection between him and his persona. He won't be caught going easy on Akechi, not when things are starting this heated. Not when he did something to truly deserve it.
And he did.
Maruki knows he did.
Amidst Azathoth's swaying clawed appendages, he has the audacity to smile. ]
Thinking this makes me weak is your first mistake. My will is stronger than ever.
[ The proof is in the beam of bright violet light that strikes the ground in front of Akechi before Megidolaon engulfs the training ground. Think fast! ]
I don't make mistakes. You're just like every other nobody here - worthless and willing to take whatever slop is handed to you. Willing to sell your soul to a world that tempted you with a lie.
[There's a buzz. A static to the air that fills the too large area around them. Call of Chaos isn't the reason. The surge of power has a moment to consume him in its towering red flames before-
An all too familiar ability makes an appearance and the origin is the smug, smiling bastard that disappears in the expanding darkness between them. It's innate. It's in his own rotten heart. It takes a second for him to jump back from the expansion - the world between them ripped apart and destroyed when it vanishes without a victim.
Of course Maruki would manage to get that ability too. Frenzied in a split second - his own fury has never consumed him this fast. He can't stand it and-
Akechi lunges forward without gun, knife or otherwise. Attack Master and Call of Chaos bolstering him. The drive to kill Maruki stronger than ever.]
Plan to create an ideal world too? Perhaps in service to those you'll truly align yourself with in the end.
[The tentacles will stop him. He's done this time and time again - been captured short of ripping him to shreds time and time again.
But this time-
He doesn't care.
This time-
Maruki is asking for it. This time he unleashes Riot Gun after Riot Gun at the back of Maruki's heels to push him forward and towards Akechi's body. ]
[ He is asking for it. He knows exactly what he's doing, and exactly how unevenly matched they are when they get in close quarters.
And despite the adrenaline that ratchets his pulse closer to fear than anything else as he's propelled forward toward Akechi–
Maruki has to laugh.
He's laughing as he crashes into Akechi, both hands wrapping around his arms to try to keep him away as Azathoth's many tentacles surround them, poised to strike. ]
You have no idea what I'm willing to do to align myself with you above everyone else.
[Akechi doesn't stop. Riot Gun continues to shrink the little distance between them, Eigaon attacking the healing tentacle - he doesn't need to look to know exactly where it hovers. Doesn't need to target when his soul knows, remembers, has seen it act, react, and peel itself from the ground time and time again.
Maruki gets one arm. The other is left free. They're close. He can feel laughter against his cheek and it's vile. Finds thrill in it. Wants to choke the rest out him with bruising force.]
Then you've misunderstood where my own allegiance is. Trash like you could never understand. You took the easy route. You're like every other piece of scum in our reality and this one. You want this shit. You think you're so much stronger than this goddamn world. I don't share that sentiment.
[Maruki's laugh rings in his ears. He thinks it's funny. That this ordeal is funny and-
Akechi matches that visceral glee with a cackle all his own. He hates him. He hates Maruki Takuto.
An ego consumed that vial. The power of a god makes him feel untouchable.
But Akechi is touching. Akechi is touching. Akechi is pushing all his weight to throw him to the ground where he can win because he will win and he couldn't win and now he can because Maruki's will has broken with that moment of weakness.
Maruki's weak.
Akechi will exploit it. Twist it. Rip it free from the confines of his heart. Tear into rib after rib to do it.]
But perhaps there's still a way to siphon that trap from your gut.
[Loki begins an onslaught - Riot Gun against them both. Akechi's fingers curling into the fabric of Maruki's shirt as they're shot and-
Unclenches it. Rips his hand to grab a knife pressed into his side and-
Knows it won't matter if he carves every organ out of Maruki's body and lets liquid drench the earth as an offering against his stupidity. He's trapped here. He's trapped here. He trapped himself here. An ideal world is here. Akechi was stupid to think he could be trusted to pull free from it and-
Nothing hurts him. Nothing hurts him. Everything hurts Maruki. Everything will continue to hurt Maruki. Akechi will hurt Maruki with a blade aimed for the stomach, twisting and ripping into his abdomen if he doesn't move.]
[ The mass of tentacles around them can shield most of the damage of Riot Gun, but there's nothing that can be done about the flash of metal in the pale winter sunlight before Maruki feels the shock of pierced flesh, muscle, soft tissue, organ–
Maybe a gasp rattles through him. Maybe a scream. Maybe Akechi's name, or nothing at all– impossible to tell as his vision goes white with the shock of it, as his cognition is pulled in too many different directions at once. Regeneration first, to get the Tentacle of Healing back while Akechi is distracted, then–
A twisting blade. Blood coating over his tongue as he forces the words out between copper-stained teeth. ]
I don't think I'm stronger than this world. I don't think you are, either.
[ The lesser tentacles try to grapple Akechi away until they're recalled to Azathoth to bolster a growing attack, and Maruki is left to defend himself, hands scrabbling to clutch any part of Akechi that he can, nails digging into skin, fingers grasping and yanking hair. ]
We are. Together. Together.
[ If Akechi kills him, Maruki will make sure he goes down too. If one of them leaves, the other follows. The torn fabric of this reality will be their doing, and that has never once been in question.
His body is being shredded, carved, his hands already begin to feel numb where they fight, but–
Two claw-handed tentacles, more massive than any others Azathoth has manifested before, rise up from the ground on either side of them, a concentrated Nuclear Crush aimed straight at Akechi as the ground splinters beneath them. ]
Ringing. Echoing. It's far away now, even as Maruki drags them together, together, together.
It stings - everywhere. Barely felt. Maruki fights back - he loves this. Wants it. Craves it. Feels nail in flesh and clumps of hair weaved in a grip that threatens to rip off his entire head if he doesn't stop.
And he doesn't. Even as the ground cracks with brilliant streams of light, his knife never stops moving, tearing, ripping against skin and organ. Clumps of something drape over his hands, his arms - wet, sticky, grotesque. He doesn't stop. Spots of red, red, red drenching his chest, legs and-
Drenching Maruki's chest, legs and-
It's bright. So bright. New. Different. Miserable, erratic laughter coats his tongue with a twisting blade. Of course it's new. Of course it's new. Of course he can.
Maruki Takuto is a
God.
Maruki Takuto is a
King.
Maruki Takuto is a
World.
And his own world doesn't grow dark - not completely. This is nuclear. This isn't a tyrant. The power jolts him. Shakes him. Call of Chaos relinquishes its hold on his heart, but Akechi doesn't release his grip on a knife. Doesn't step back from the man.
But it hurts. It hurts. He's left breathless. Raw. Frustrated with Maruki Takuto in his grip. Whether he hears or not-]
[ Akechi doesn't stop his assault, and the Tentacle of Healing isn't far behind; the only reason Maruki doesn't falter into shock and bleed out fast is because that life stream that flows between them stitches and mends as quickly as Akechi slashes and tears. It's agony, soul-rending as his voice rattles hoarse– it would almost be kinder to slip into unconsciousness and let Akechi kill him.
But that's not possible. Maruki won't let it be possible. He's told Akechi before: Maruki won't let him kill him until he has a good reason to, and no matter what Akechi thinks, this isn't a good reason.
Akechi doesn't stop, but the knife does still, embedded deep into flesh that tries to heal around it, and then they're left staring at one another in the aftermath of that nuclear strike, breathing ragged and bloody.
Maruki grips weakened hands into the drenched fabric of Akechi's shirt, clenches his fists as tightly as he can. Doesn't try to wrestle him off, not yet. Maybe that's a mistake. It probably is. He can't care. ]
Why does it matter to you? No, really– why. [ He only looks away to turn his head to the side for a second, just long enough to spit bloody foam into the grass before looking back to Akechi. Second by second, his grip gains more strength. ] Tell me what's got you so worked up about this.
[Nothing ends with Maruki Takuto. He's awake. Aware. Talking. Akechi's knife remains pressed into his gut, twisting a healed wound open over and over.
Maruki keeps him close - together. He can't stand it. Will make him regret it. Will keep that blade dug deep until his hands are ripped off.]
What good does it to do explain anything to the irrational? You made a choice.
[And he'll be trapped here. Could be trapped here. When the time comes to tear this reality to shreds, a little piece of Maruki will be stuck in this place. Pulling him back, pulling him here - Akechi can't come back. Won't come back. Maybe that's what Maruki's hoping for in the end.
Stay in a home filled to the brim with those he adores instead of returning to a world that lacks anything for him. Keep himself tethered to a place he was wanted by few, instead of unwanted by many. A king in a machiya is no different than a prince hiding in a city.
It's disappointing. Pathetic. He gave in with no warning. The Metaverse will tempt him - Akechi wonders how soon it will take for Maruki to wander in to poke and prod every corner.
It's none of Akechi's business what he does. They're nothing. Maruki's nothing and-
The handle feels slick in his grip - he inches the blade out, then forces it back in.]
I told you before - when the moment comes to leave, I won't waste time seeking you out or trying to ensure you can escape too. The idiots here who tied themselves to this world - they'll eventually pay for it. Akira. Eren. You. All of them.
[They're pathetic. They're all pathetic. A little power in a vial for an unknown price.]
It was wrong of me to assume that you could ward of the temptation of some pathetic, hand-me-down power.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
go away
Akechi doesn't see him - not right away. His mind takes one, two, three seconds to catch up and recognize that Maruki Takuto is in bed.
He was alone in this house, or so he thought. The bird is-
Nowhere? Akechi doesn't hear or see it. Doesn't think Maruki would hide it. Why would he want to? It must have come in here if Korokke came into this room. She doesn't willingly go to Maruki and-
She's now held by Maruki without tearing him to shreds..
What in the cognitive manipulation is happening??????? Tis the season for this reality's bullshit.]
You weren't here.
[Maruki was not here. No one was around.]
Care to explain? Or do I need to get answers from you the old fashioned way?
[This is not Maruki.]
no subject
What are you talking about? I've been here the whole time.
no subject
[This isn't Maruki. It might be the bird - it could be a shapeshifter trying to exploit cognitions. May be a random person. Could be anything.
He's only certain that it's not Maruki. There's no way he can turn into a bird. No chance he didn't notice one fluttering in if he was here the whole time. Korokke saw it, so it's not a figment of Akechi's own volatile imagination.]
Explain yourself. You have five seconds before I blow up this room.
no subject
[ No explanation he could give would be short enough.
So, instead:
A mourning dove takes shape and zips out the window high above Maruki's bed.
He's going to the training ground! Bye! ]
no subject
He jumps onto the bed, standing on his tiptoes to watch the direction of this shitty thing. Towards-
The training grounds, but that's likely a coincidence.
Maybe not, if this thing has incorporated the heart and memories of its original.
So he goes. Jogs to an all too familiar area, unsure if the 'copy' will be here. Unclear if it even matters, but, well-
Maybe he shake it free from the trees - if it's not here, maybe it's nearby? It's a fucking bird. It could be across town by now. If it doesn't appear with this jostle, he'll cut his losses.
And until that loss is clear-
Robin Hood casts Megidolaon at a large group of trees near the illuminated ring.]
no subject
He does emerge from a thicket on the opposite side of the clearing though, fully human once more. ]
That's a pretty big overreaction for a pretty small bird, don't you think?
no subject
Is it? You should know from whatever stolen memories are in your pathetic head that my reaction could have been far worse.
no subject
Stolen memories?
no subject
[That's all the warning this cretin gets before another Megidolaon is unleashed - hello not so human target!!!]
no subject
Azathoth is out in a moment, tentacles coming up from the ground all around Maruki to shield him from the attack and take the brunt of the damage. When they part, he stares at Akechi, wild-eyed. ]
Who else would I be? What's gotten into you?
no subject
[Azathoth existing with this false copy is a clue, a hint, that there's something amiss. A form, a body - all of that can exist. A persona is tied to the soul.
Two outcomes exist from this. Both are bad. Both will end up the same way, so-
Mudoon time! Good luck king! Historically hasn't worked, but hey.]
no subject
That's new.
There's the homework he talked about wishing for at the crystal, surrounding him on all sides like so many bloody handprints. In an instant, Maruki feels a crushing weight on his chest, feels like his sternum and all his ribs will splinter beneath it until his heart fails–
And then, in the blink of an eye, it's gone.
No damage done that he can see or feel, but he's rattled by it, that lingering sense of impending doom that hit faster than any of Akechi's other attacks ever have.
He stares wildly at Akechi. ]
What was that?
no subject
[The false version of Maruki-
Takes after its predecessor. Akechi isn't interested in a back and forth with a shadow. Azathoth's continued presence-
Interesting. Dangerous. ]
Or not - I don't give a shit. You'll be dead soon anyway. If you want to beg for your life, you're welcome to try by answering this question - tell me what you are?
no subject
I think you know better than anyone that I don't beg for my life.
[ Azathoth stays out. Poised and ready. ]
What do you mean, what am I? Are you feeling well?
[ A beat, and his expression flattens out entirely. ]
Enthralled?
no subject
Makes him halt. An onslaught paused, his own body tense. Still.
That word, that joke - how much of Maruki could have been copied? The mimic may know the word, but the inflection, tone, and expression -
Could this be Maruki?
And if it is-]
Explain what's happening immediately, Maruki.
no subject
Eh. Well. He doesn't expect Akechi to take it well, so the only thing he can do is be honest. ]
I felt satisfied with the work others have done to prove the potions have no adverse effects, and I figured that in the true reality I'll never be able to see what it's like to inhabit another form, so it would be foolish not to take advantage of the opportunity now. An indulgence of scientific and personal curiosity...
[ A beat. ]
If you try to blow me up again, I'll understand.
no subject
Akechi doesn't feel betrayal. Doesn't experience worry. There are consequences to every action - Maruki knew what he was doing when he downed a potion willingly sought out for his own pathetic indulgence.
A house ruined him. A partner ended it. He wants to be held to this world, wants to be tied to it, wants a reason to stay in a place that isn't meant for him because it's the only reality where he has anything.
Akechi Goro doesn't feel betrayal, but it stings all the same. There's no proof there are ill effects, there's no proof there isn't. It forms a needless connection to this world. There's less to gain and more to lose. Maruki isn't Joker, who Akechi knows can wield different powers innately and keep his heart separate from the rest.
Maruki gave in. Maruki gave up. Maruki made Akechi's job that much harder for no goddamn reason.
'An indulgence of scientific and personal curiosity.' Selfish. Idiotic. Tempted by a meaningless power. Even gods can't be sated.
He's furious - eyes settle on Maruki in full, unblinking. Unwavering. The molars in his mouth grind together. All at once, he can't stand Maruki Takuto and-]
Oh, is that so? That's all?
[Calm. So calm. Voice steady. Airy. He can't stand him. He gave in and it took nothing.]
To think you were this weak after all - you really were meant to be a politician. Always seeking more and more power under the guise of some shitty excuse. I thought you were better than that. Since you're so eager, take more.
[Call of Chaos is cast without warning - thrown at Maruki Takuto with zero hesitation. It won't do anything. Won't break his mind or heart, but the intent is there. The meaning is apparent. Akechi wastes no time in casting Call of Chaos on himself after, right as the flames dissipate from Maruki's form.]
Pathetic. You're absolutely pathetic!
no subject
But nothing happens. The flames lick without burning, all of Akechi's rage apparent in them, and he knows he doesn't have long until Akechi breaks himself instead.
All of Azathoth's power concentrates rapidly as Amplify Magic surges in the mental connection between him and his persona. He won't be caught going easy on Akechi, not when things are starting this heated. Not when he did something to truly deserve it.
And he did.
Maruki knows he did.
Amidst Azathoth's swaying clawed appendages, he has the audacity to smile. ]
Thinking this makes me weak is your first mistake. My will is stronger than ever.
[ The proof is in the beam of bright violet light that strikes the ground in front of Akechi before Megidolaon engulfs the training ground. Think fast! ]
no subject
[There's a buzz. A static to the air that fills the too large area around them. Call of Chaos isn't the reason. The surge of power has a moment to consume him in its towering red flames before-
An all too familiar ability makes an appearance and the origin is the smug, smiling bastard that disappears in the expanding darkness between them. It's innate. It's in his own rotten heart. It takes a second for him to jump back from the expansion - the world between them ripped apart and destroyed when it vanishes without a victim.
Of course Maruki would manage to get that ability too. Frenzied in a split second - his own fury has never consumed him this fast. He can't stand it and-
Akechi lunges forward without gun, knife or otherwise. Attack Master and Call of Chaos bolstering him. The drive to kill Maruki stronger than ever.]
Plan to create an ideal world too? Perhaps in service to those you'll truly align yourself with in the end.
[The tentacles will stop him. He's done this time and time again - been captured short of ripping him to shreds time and time again.
But this time-
This time-
Maruki is asking for it. This time he unleashes Riot Gun after Riot Gun at the back of Maruki's heels to push him forward and towards Akechi's body. ]no subject
And despite the adrenaline that ratchets his pulse closer to fear than anything else as he's propelled forward toward Akechi–
Maruki has to laugh.
He's laughing as he crashes into Akechi, both hands wrapping around his arms to try to keep him away as Azathoth's many tentacles surround them, poised to strike. ]
You have no idea what I'm willing to do to align myself with you above everyone else.
cw: gore, violent thoughts, very violent thoughts
Maruki gets one arm. The other is left free. They're close. He can feel laughter against his cheek and it's vile. Finds thrill in it. Wants to choke the rest out him with bruising force.]
Then you've misunderstood where my own allegiance is. Trash like you could never understand. You took the easy route. You're like every other piece of scum in our reality and this one. You want this shit. You think you're so much stronger than this goddamn world. I don't share that sentiment.
[Maruki's laugh rings in his ears. He thinks it's funny. That this ordeal is funny and-
Akechi matches that visceral glee with a cackle all his own. He hates him. He hates Maruki Takuto.
An ego consumed that vial. The power of a god makes him feel untouchable.
But Akechi is touching. Akechi is touching. Akechi is pushing all his weight to throw him to the ground where he can win because he will win and he couldn't win and now he can because Maruki's will has broken with that moment of weakness.
Akechi will exploit it. Twist it. Rip it free from the confines of his heart. Tear into rib after rib to do it.]
But perhaps there's still a way to siphon that trap from your gut.
[Loki begins an onslaught - Riot Gun against them both. Akechi's fingers curling into the fabric of Maruki's shirt as they're shot and-
Unclenches it. Rips his hand to grab a knife pressed into his side and-
Knows it won't matter if he carves every organ out of Maruki's body and lets liquid drench the earth as an offering against his stupidity. He's trapped here. He's trapped here. He trapped himself here. An ideal world is here. Akechi was stupid to think he could be trusted to pull free from it and-
Nothing hurts him. Nothing hurts him. Everything hurts Maruki. Everything will continue to hurt Maruki. Akechi will hurt Maruki with a blade aimed for the stomach, twisting and ripping into his abdomen if he doesn't move.]
You stupid piece of shit!
cw gore
Maybe a gasp rattles through him. Maybe a scream. Maybe Akechi's name, or nothing at all– impossible to tell as his vision goes white with the shock of it, as his cognition is pulled in too many different directions at once. Regeneration first, to get the Tentacle of Healing back while Akechi is distracted, then–
A twisting blade. Blood coating over his tongue as he forces the words out between copper-stained teeth. ]
I don't think I'm stronger than this world. I don't think you are, either.
[ The lesser tentacles try to grapple Akechi away until they're recalled to Azathoth to bolster a growing attack, and Maruki is left to defend himself, hands scrabbling to clutch any part of Akechi that he can, nails digging into skin, fingers grasping and yanking hair. ]
We are. Together. Together.
[ If Akechi kills him, Maruki will make sure he goes down too. If one of them leaves, the other follows. The torn fabric of this reality will be their doing, and that has never once been in question.
His body is being shredded, carved, his hands already begin to feel numb where they fight, but–
Two claw-handed tentacles, more massive than any others Azathoth has manifested before, rise up from the ground on either side of them, a concentrated Nuclear Crush aimed straight at Akechi as the ground splinters beneath them. ]
cw gore <3 violence <3
Together. Together. Together. Together. Together. Together. Together. Together. Together. Together. Together. Together. Together. Together. Together.
Completely wrong.
Together. Together.
Ringing. Echoing. It's far away now, even as Maruki drags them together, together, together.It stings - everywhere. Barely felt. Maruki fights back - he loves this. Wants it. Craves it. Feels nail in flesh and clumps of hair weaved in a grip that threatens to rip off his entire head if he doesn't stop.
And he doesn't. Even as the ground cracks with brilliant streams of light, his knife never stops moving, tearing, ripping against skin and organ. Clumps of something drape over his hands, his arms - wet, sticky, grotesque. He doesn't stop. Spots of red, red, red drenching his chest, legs and-
Drenching Maruki's chest, legs and-
It's bright. So bright. New. Different. Miserable, erratic laughter coats his tongue with a twisting blade. Of course it's new. Of course it's new. Of course he can.
God.
King.
World.
And his own world doesn't grow dark - not completely. This is nuclear. This isn't a tyrant. The power jolts him. Shakes him. Call of Chaos relinquishes its hold on his heart, but Akechi doesn't release his grip on a knife. Doesn't step back from the man.
But it hurts. It hurts. He's left breathless. Raw. Frustrated with Maruki Takuto in his grip. Whether he hears or not-]
What the hell were you thinking?
oh cw gore blood etc whatever.... just look away
But that's not possible. Maruki won't let it be possible. He's told Akechi before: Maruki won't let him kill him until he has a good reason to, and no matter what Akechi thinks, this isn't a good reason.
Akechi doesn't stop, but the knife does still, embedded deep into flesh that tries to heal around it, and then they're left staring at one another in the aftermath of that nuclear strike, breathing ragged and bloody.
Maruki grips weakened hands into the drenched fabric of Akechi's shirt, clenches his fists as tightly as he can. Doesn't try to wrestle him off, not yet. Maybe that's a mistake. It probably is. He can't care. ]
Why does it matter to you? No, really– why. [ He only looks away to turn his head to the side for a second, just long enough to spit bloody foam into the grass before looking back to Akechi. Second by second, his grip gains more strength. ] Tell me what's got you so worked up about this.
cw: cont shuts eyes
Maruki keeps him close - together. He can't stand it. Will make him regret it. Will keep that blade dug deep until his hands are ripped off.]
What good does it to do explain anything to the irrational? You made a choice.
[And he'll be trapped here. Could be trapped here. When the time comes to tear this reality to shreds, a little piece of Maruki will be stuck in this place. Pulling him back, pulling him here - Akechi can't come back. Won't come back. Maybe that's what Maruki's hoping for in the end.
Stay in a home filled to the brim with those he adores instead of returning to a world that lacks anything for him. Keep himself tethered to a place he was wanted by few, instead of unwanted by many. A king in a machiya is no different than a prince hiding in a city.
It's disappointing. Pathetic. He gave in with no warning. The Metaverse will tempt him - Akechi wonders how soon it will take for Maruki to wander in to poke and prod every corner.
It's none of Akechi's business what he does. They're nothing. Maruki's nothing and-
The handle feels slick in his grip - he inches the blade out, then forces it back in.]
I told you before - when the moment comes to leave, I won't waste time seeking you out or trying to ensure you can escape too. The idiots here who tied themselves to this world - they'll eventually pay for it. Akira. Eren. You. All of them.
[They're pathetic. They're all pathetic. A little power in a vial for an unknown price.]
It was wrong of me to assume that you could ward of the temptation of some pathetic, hand-me-down power.
cw gore... violence.... son feelings....
cw: gore, eye trauma thoughts, violence.........mamaruki feelings. just kidding. it's more violence.
cw gore, violence, death <3
cw: gore, violence, death, suicidal ideation MAYBE, freak shit frankly they need to be locked up
cw near death experience
cw: well, murder
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god... wrapt... kill me