ɪɴʙᴏx [ᴇxᴘɪᴀᴛɪᴏɴ]

[chemex]

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[chemex]

[He hauls his sorry carcass to his feet and ambles over to her, dropping into a sit and leaning back on his hands.] You go first, I've already drama dumped on you once.

[chemex]

Some people are not driven entirely by alcohol??

[nullificates]

Sounds fake.

[orphne]

[In other circumstances, she might have laughed. Right now, she can only manage a weary huff through her nose as she hugs her knees and digs her chin into her kneecaps. It's probably not some big secret, anyway. The second Akira sees Akechi, he'll know.

And, honestly? She's not feeling charitable enough to keep Akechi's secrets right now.]

I tried to step into a fight that had gotten... really bad. It didn't go well.

[That tells him nothing, actually, but it's not intentional at least. She tilts her head to study Akira.]

You?

[chemex]

[Akira exhales in a rush, dropping back to lay flat on his back.]

I feel like a completely incompetent asshole on a constant basis lately and I hate it.

[murderingjustice]

[Akira's hurt.

Akechi doesn't lift his gaze from the ground when he sits up and lets out a scream that feels like a punch to his gut. No, that's not right. More than that it awakens something in him, a terrible feeling that gnaws on his insides, grind and then spit out. When was last time he was here? Fearing for someone else's hurt. It's reminds him of the feeling that he believed he had left in his childhood. Moments frozen in time, abandoned and forgotten.

Fuck.

He doesn't mean to withdraw to himself but that's just what he does. Back curling and hands forms weak fists. Fuck, fuck fuck.]

Akira. [He says after a moment of silence and closes his eyes, trying to make sense of the insensible. His lips are parted as he breathes out, words forming on top of his tongue.] What do you want of me?

[orphne]

...Did you talk to Akechi-san?

[Like, recently? Like within-the-past-few-hours-recently?]

[chemex]

For you to let someone look at your finger and set it properly, [His voice is still quiet, his lungs constricting like they're filling with water. The question is so much bigger than Right Now, and he knows it, but he doesn't know how to answer it in a way he's sure won't just push Akechi away.]

[What does he want? He wants to be close to him. He wants to be his friend, spend time with him like normal teenagers. Wants to forget that they're both astronomically fucked up and can probably never have that, even just for a minute. He just-- wants, and he doesn't usually want things for himself, and he's realizing that when he does, it's never a good idea.]

[chemex]

Are you sure you're 22 and not 12?

[nullificates]

Jury's still out.

[chemex]

Well at least you're self-aware...

[chemex]

You mean was-choked-out and got-his-finger-broken and doesn't want to admit it reads like torture Akechi? That one? Yeah.

[He rolls onto his side, facing away from her.] I'm tired, Kotone. I'm supposed to be able to fix this stuff.

[nullificates]

Yes! Very!

[chemex]

Okay-- well. If I learn things about author-Dazai and author-Sakaguchi..., I'll tell you. Can I ask that maybe you consider telling me things in return sometime?

[orphne]

He wasn't choked out. [As if that's any reassurance. It's still a little scary to think about how fast Chuuya had been, how easily he'd lifted two men bigger than she is like they were a pair of unruly kittens. And now that the shock's worn off, it's even worse, since she knows that it wasn't any abilities that let him do that, not if he was holding Dazai. That must just be his strength.]

Chuuya grabbed him to get him away from Dazai-san. They were fighting. I tried to stop it, but...

[Her shoulder rises and falls with a shrug. She's supposed to be able to fix this stuff, too, and she can't.]

cw suicide

[nullificates]

About what, exactly? Me? Well, I'm 22, 181cm, handsome, 67kg, single, I like long walks on the beach, and trying to drown myself.

DAZAI PLS

[chemex]

Um.

Maybe don't do that???

[chemex]

Oh, so it was helpful hand-shaped welts.

[A beat, and he belatedly processes the names Chuuya and Dazai. Chuuya he doesn't know, but Dazai--]

[He sits up too quickly and his vision swims.] Wait, Dazai broke his finger??

[nullificates]

If I try enough, maybe I'll succeed!

[murderingjustice]

[For a while nothing happens. Akechi stays quiet on the ground, eyes closed and breathing slowly, fists closing and opening. Akira's right that the meaning behind his question is much bigger and deeper than that, but he doesn't blame him for not being able to give him the answer he needs. Is there even an answer that would satisfy him? Maybe not. See? This is why the only acceptable reality is one where he's dead.

Despite his distaste to be referred as part of the Phantom Thieves, he now finds himself looking for the guidance from their leader. (Oh, he'll be sure to hate himself just a little more for it later, don't worry!) The strategy he suggests is a sensible one. One. Get up. Two. Go back to Inn. Three. Fix the finger. Four. Rest. Five. Profit??

Ok. They should go with that.

Letting out a heavy sigh Akechi nods and scrambles back up to his feet. See? Normal human behavior.]

Let's do that, then.

[orphne]

Mmhm.

[She pulls her knees in tighter to herself, staring out straight ahead over them.]

I don't really know a lot about how it started myself, but... something Akechi-san said really got under his skin. I've never seen Dazai-san like that.

[And she's not about to drop those names that had been so important to Dazai, even if by rights she really should just throw him under the bus. It wouldn't be right. It might even put Akira in danger somehow.]

[chemex]

[He clicks his jaw shut and stands still, flexing his own fingers at his sides.]

Yeah. [He doesn't meet Akechi's eyes, when he looks up, leaning in the direction of the Inn and seeing if he should take the lead or let Akechi go first.]

[murderingjustice]

[Akechi stands there, looking at Akira's awkward pose and indecisiveness. One deep breath later he takes the first step and begins to walk towards the Inn.]

You don't have to come with me.

[chemex]

[He stops, having taken an immediate step after him, and just goes still.]

...right. [If he's suddenly making even the sound of his breathing inaudible, don't worry about it!]

[chemex]

[He just exhales loudly, dropping over backward again.]

Akechi does that. To a lot of people. Are-- Dazai, and you said Chuuya? Are they okay? [They mean something to Kotone, so he finds the energy to ask.]