[OPEN] Out of Kindness

[herewardbound]

Who: You and people you've dearly missed.
Which: Antagonist Log (Open)
Where: All over Reverein, but mostly around a smiling man in white.
What: Dreams coming true, wrongs righted, and joyful reunions with lost loved ones.
Warnings: MASSIVE spoilers for Persona 5 Royal, mental manipulation including hallucination, memory loss and alteration, discussion of complete personality and history rewrites in extreme cases.


▶ GENTLE MADMAN

¤ A.The skies of Reverein are dark and stormy, but for some reason… not here. A newcomer to the world of dreams, dressed in white with a pair of glasses accenting a soft-featured, smiling face. He seems to have the best of luck, really- wherever he goes, there seems to be a lull in the storms, a brief spot of clear skies and sunshine- or shorter lines at the shops, or maybe an accidental extra bun in the box you grab at the bakery. For whatever reason, around the stranger things just… seem to go well.

And, should you approach him, you'll find him… easy, to talk to. His voice is soft, his expression friendly, and he always takes an interest. Easy to talk to, to open up to. Questions diverted with a joke or a laugh, an offering of food and a friendly ear making it damnably difficult to actually dislike him. Besides, he says he's a professional counselor, and that anything you say to him is, of course, in confidence and not to be shared.

What could it hurt? With all these nightmares running loose, no-one could deny that a little mental health care would be a good thing.

¤ B.When he's not around, however, things seem to be actively getting worse. Shadows are appearing in Reverein, already a problem in and of itself- but around budding Antagonists, they're worse somehow, their forms warping to match the Antagonists' desires, protecting them, following orders. They'll have to be dealt with.

Bizarrely, a small handful simply aren't being a problem. They dress like hospital orderlies, their demeanors almost helpful… unless, of course, you've interacted with the smiling man- and refused his help. Then their true nature comes through, and they become very nasty indeed.

▶ ROYAL DAYS

¤ A.As concerning as the influx of monstrosities and megalomaniacs is, in the moment you might find it hard to care, very much. Ever since meeting that smiling man, things have turned out for the best. A familiar face appears- perhaps a long-dead loved one, suddenly brought to the land of dreams. Or an estranged friend, maybe, hoping to reconcile. Stranger things have happened, right?

Or maybe you've started to remember a wholly different sequence of events. Choices you regretted, undone in an instant. Hurtful things you said, never spoken. A traumatic event never occurring, or the love of a parental figure, never withheld from you. Whatever the reason, how could you worry about the impending confrontation when your life is so… perfect?

¤ B.Or maybe… you're a little too suspicious, too willful, too well-adjusted already for that to work. Or perhaps you've spotted a contradiction too great to ignore, a remembered event that simply couldn't have happened, because you also remember something that would've made it impossible. In that moment of horrible realization, it all comes rushing back. Whatever figment of the ones you lost fades and dissipates, so much noctaere-black smoke in the wind. Forgotten details suddenly remembered, the skies just as clouded and thunderous as ever.
Maybe you're seeing the slightly glazed-over look in the eyes of the afflicted, the joyful smiles and lack of care. Maybe you've even connected it to the Smiling Man, the one who introduced himself as Doctor Maruki- or maybe you're still searching for the truth.

Whatever the case, the Orderlies- the Shadows, marching about in masked, twisted, humanoid forms- do not like you. At a moment's notice, they attack, hoping to capture, to subdue- to force you to meet with their 'glorious savior' for 'treatment'.

Or maybe you've had the chance to run into the good doctor again, in an environment where he seems so much less happy to see you.

▶ THROW AWAY YOUR MASK

¤ A.A special third prompt that will be posted in a few days' time. Those interested in joining the final confrontation should see the sign-up post below.

Comments

[INTERACTION] Ideal and the Real

[herewardbound]

The doctor is in. Those who have a curiosity- or the misfortune- to encounter Maruki as he walks around Reverein should respond here.

[songbird_slayer]

It was less curiosity and more a disquieting, building disgust. She was coming to know Akechi more and more, a boy who has immense trouble doing more than coding as a person who mostly had it all together and lost his temper when he didn't.

To see him practically aprance with that dark-haired boy had her quirk a curious eyebrow at first, but gradually it threw open so many windows, bringing in a breeze of realization... along with the bitter chill of how wrong it all was.

Having spent a merry bundle of days completely obliterating false Garleans did little to soothe her soul... well, aside from the catharsis. But it was seeing someone be toyed with so that had her wondering how to proceed. It never was easy to pull the lotus out of the eater's hand when their eater had a vice grip.

Best address what might just be their "server" for the evening, skipping on up with her hands folded behind her back.

"...Does this work for everyone?"

[herewardbound]

The man smiled softly, watching the pair from a distance. "I wish it did. People are... complicated. And they don't always make the healthiest decisions. I should know, haha..."

He sighed, softly. "It's... Madhuri, right? You're friends, that's good to hear. I'm Doctor Maruki. Would you like to join me? I can order another bread basket. I... think I saw airag on the specials for today, if you'd like something to drink. I've never had it, but I'm sure it's pretty good." There was something ever-so-slightly mischievous, there, in his smile- as though there was a private joke there.

[songbird_slayer]

She'd guessed correctly, though she supposed with the strange monsters directing her to this man was hint enough that this was the source. Knowing her name made her new finned tail twitch, and the beast growled, heartily suggesting in her heart to simply start singing and peel this thing the very same as she had been the black-armored men.

But no. She'd give this one a minute.

A brow quirked at the mention of airag. "Hm. I'll pass on the bite. If you're feeling daring, by all means, try the airag."

She stirred the air and drifted into her seat as if suspended momentarily in water. With elbows propped, she settled her chin in her hands.

"Perhaps even some fruit of the lotus. Yummy."

[herewardbound]

And there it was. He looked like he'd expected it- but it was a disappointment all the same. "I'm sure from the outside it seems that way. I just don't have the influence here I would've held otherwise."

He did, in fact, try the airag- which was extremely interesting. Not bad, but very much different, his expression contemplative. "Hmm. I think that's one my palate might have to catch up to." He set it aside, looking up at her now. "You don't trust me. I can tell that much, but... you know, I could help you, too. You're a good person, Madhuri. Even if I didn't... know, I'd be able to tell. Your love for your husband, your commitment to the Scions... The way you treat Akechi, for all his flaws. You've endured so much pain... and all I want is to make it better. For you, for Akechi... for everyone."

Royal Days A (Sort Of)

[lethechained]

There's something bitter in the realization that you know exactly how much your friends love you.

Which wasn't to say that Naminé was - or had ever allowed herself to be - dissatisfied in the depth or shallowness with which her dearest associates truly understood her. There was much she'd left unsaid by design, and at the end of the day her short existence couldn't really harness the gravity of feeling that belonged to relationships full lifetimes in the making. She was not, by her very nature, anyone's most beloved person, and that was fine.

But that same fact made it patently obvious to her from the moment she opened her door in the morning and found several familiar faces all very eager to have breakfast with her that something was wrong. (No, perhaps even sooner than that, as her senses prickled from the start with unrest for reasons she couldn't quite put her finger on.) It wasn't their presence which disturbed her most, but rather the enthusiasm thereof - the warmth in their eyes when they looked at her that, under normal circumstances, might usually be reserved for the moments of greatest, most emotional fondness, as if they'd been missing her for ages, now.

The food was delicious, the chattering conversation was bright and happy and heartwarming, and more than once snippets of fond memory were recollected aloud. What a shame, then, that they were ones she knew to be fake. She'd crafted enough of them with her own hands, after all, to remember the difference, and it was only out of uncertainty over the how and why of this that prevented her from saying as much. Something tugged at her mind, at her doubts; she could feel it pulling on her like a weight, urging her to sink, but a memory witch was not nearly so easy to control.

Politeness didn't preclude her from shooing them out once enough time had passed. Waving with one stiff arm, Naminé finally took the chance after her guests had departed from sight to glance upward into the sky. There was a sluggishness to recalling why she did so beyond the instinct itself, that niggling sensation that there was something she ought to be looking after. It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in sight, and the moons--

Ah. That was what it was.

She wasn't entirely certain where she was going, but it didn't take more than a handful of minutes before her treehouse was locked up tightly and Naminé made her way out of the housing district onto the main streets. The prickling at the edge of her senses was all the guidance she needed as she wound her way past smiling locals, fielding the occasional greeting with a smile and a nod and a gait that very much said she was too busy to talk, maybe some other time?

But no matter the strange haze trying to blanket her consciousness, Naminé knew what she was looking for when she finally found him - and smiling, no less. Though it was a face she'd only seen briefly, she remembered it-- and the sight stopped her in her tracks. Paused on the other side of the street, she considered Maruki for one long moment.

What was that fellow's name? She'd never learned it, she supposed - but that only meant it was time she did.

[herewardbound]

And how happy those locals seemed- how unconcerned with the presence of the Story Eater and its minions, how… oblivious, they were, to the very real danger.

He looked both ways, waiting for a cart to pass before he crossed the street to join her, a soft smile forming as he looked down… though one tinged with a touch of disappointment. "I should've known you'd be too resilient for me to influence. It's my own fault, really. But still… it's nice to meet you, Naminé. Could I walk with you, for a bit?"

[lethechained]

With every passing step and concentrated effort of her mind, Naminé found the attitude of those around her that much stranger. Logical reasoning followed through to the conclusion that this probably had to do with the conflict at hand, for everything to have shifted so completely - but speculating too far beyond that had to wait as the fellow she'd recognized made his way over.

And it was almost bizarre, watching him behave so naturally about it. Mouth flattened into a firm line, the young lady's eyes followed him across the street, searching as they did for her initial impression of - this version of him, rather than the one belonging solely to a dream. She was not so shortsighted as to assume everything about him was precisely as it was recalled by a nightmare, but...

Part of her, no matter her willingness to listen to others, no matter her ability to forgive, was outraged. Perhaps there was some justice in attempting to entrap her the way she'd done to others in the past (unwillingly or not), but to use her friends - or at least the images thereof - to do so was akin in her heart to blasphemy, for there was little more sacred to her than those relationships. Yet, even more than that, so see everyone traipsing around like this, totally unaware of what was really going on...

Oh, her blood did boil. But Naminé had a kind heart, and as she peered up at this strange fellow who smiled at her, who spoke plainly enough about the matter, rather than trying to hide it - she imagined she did want to know what it was that he had to say. The opportunity was rare, after all, to meet someone else with abilities similar to her own; and so, though her eyes were wary as she regarded him, presently the young lady gave a small, faintly reluctant nod of her head.

"If that's what you want," she agreed, voice quiet and tone polite, although she didn't muster a smile. "I suppose you and I must have some things to talk about."

Both in acquiesence and to put that much more space between them, she took a half step back, as if to turn and continue on their now-mutual stroll - though she kept her face tilted up toward Maruki. Her offense still roiled in her chest, yet she could admit genuinely enough, "I've been curious to meet you, too." Whether it was nice or not might have been a different question. "Although... you seem to know my name already, but I don't know yours."

It made sense, after all - she would have had such one-sided information, too, were their positions reversed - but it was certainly peculiar being on this end of it all for once.

[herewardbound]

"Yes," he said, softly. "I'm Doctor Maruki. It's nice to meet you." He fell into step beside her.

"Though... I wish it were under better circumstances. Please don't be alarmed. I really am here to help."

Royal Days A+B

[abyssbound]

Truthfully, Asura hadn't thought much of the friendly, smiling man when he'd initially run into him, but not long after that, things had seemed... strangely off. Just in general. It began subtly; a hint of the scent of lotus every now and then, the flowers in the garden blooming more vibrantly than usual. But all subtlety flew out the window when Asura woke one morning to find a familiar man sitting at the table of the cabin Asura had built with his own hands. Though he sat facing away from him, Asura would never mistake the sight of the person he longed to see more than anything, and for the briefest of moments, he truly thought Taishakuten had returned to him.

For what seemed like an eternity, Asura remained motionless in his bed, simply staring at "Taishakuten's" back as the beautiful man quietly sipped from a cup of tea. He dared not move or say a word, because as strong as he was, Asura knew in his heart that this wasn't possible, yet he still wished to indulge in the image if but for a short moment, and he knew that the instant Taishakuten turned to face him, the spell would be broken. And yet as soon as he thought that, "Taishakuten" did turn to face him, a soft, warm smile on his face as he looked down upon his reclining lover who hadn't stopped staring at him for even a second.

"Good morning," Taishakuten spoke, setting his half-finished cup of tea upon the table. "I could feel your eyes boring holes into my back. Were you going to stare at me all day if I hadn't said anything?" He chuckled, his clear voice cutting deep into Asura's heart.

"I might have." Asura quipped back, pushing himself up to sit on the edge of his bed. This illusion of Taishakuten was nearly perfect in every way, and the way he smiled made Asura's chest clench with longing. Nearly perfect, however, and Asura didn't need his third eye to see through this illusion when the evidence of its falsehood was the heart beating in his own chest. He shook his head and stood up, tearing his gaze away from the other man and closing his eyes to allow the one on his forehead to blink open.

In an instant, the illusion melted away and Asura could see the wispy trace of power connected to it, leading out his door and back toward Reverein. Following it to its source had him come face-to-face with the unassuming man from before.

"That's a cruel trick." Asura spoke, his arms crossed over his chest and clearly less than amused.

[herewardbound]

The man in white frowned, slightly, when addressed, turning to look- and he sighed, when he saw the face in front of him. "I can... understand why you'd feel that way, even if I disagree. I'm surprised you managed to trace it back to me so quickly, though. I'll admit I'm... kind of curious, actually. I don't suppose you could humor me?"

[BOSS FIGHT] Throw Away Your Mask

[herewardbound]

Perhaps uniquely among all the places in Reverein at the moment, this-

This grove of trees, gently swaying in the spring breeze, golden sunlight filtering through their leaves as fruit bloomed among their boughs-

Was more offputting than any other. While storms raged throughout the town, here there was peace, and quiet. The cause of it all stood watching the sky, back turned as the group approached. When he spoke- it was softly, and tinged with genuine regret. "I wish you hadn't come here."

Goro Akechi stood at the forefront, for once. This, he had to see through. He was owed this. "Yes? Well unfortunately, doctor, life doesn't always turn out the way we wish it would."

[a_sweet_little_peach]

This wasn't right.

Ralsei had wandered into the copse of trees on a whim, recovering from the latest excursion to the moon (of all places), but it left him immediately on edge. There was something about this place...

Greenery swayed as he walked past, flickering beyond his sight as if it couldn't decide what it wanted to be. Emerging between two trees, he saw Goro and Dr. Maruki facing off. He stood for a moment there, confused, his gaze locked between them.

"What is going on here, Akechi?" He calls out to ask.

[herewardbound]

Akechi looked… haggard wasn't really the right word, he'd looked tired and drained before, this was… different. He looked angry, and hurt, and… uncertain, standing in front of the spectacled man.

"What's going on is the Story Eater's learned an extremely unfunny trick." His voice came out in a snarl, half-feral and half-pained, and if anything, the man in white, rather than intimidated, seemed… concerned.

"It's not a trick, Akechi. You keep… pushing back against this. And every time, it only makes you miserable. I'm trying to help you-"

"Shut up!" Akechi's face twisted, and he drew his pistol, even though his hand shook. "Shut up, shut up, just- shut the hell up! Help me?! All I want- all I've ever wanted- was to live my own god damn life! I was done. I was free of Shido, free of Tokyo, free of you, and I was- fine. And you have the balls, the fucking audacity to use his face, his voice, his god damn- everything! To drag me back in! Did you think I wouldn't figure it out?! Did you think I wouldn't notice?! What was your endgame, here, exactly?!"

"I'd hoped that it was something you'd want to believe enough that it would… keep going. You had your best friend back. And Ann, and Kasumi-"

"Sumire. Use her god damn name, you self-righteous dick."

Maruki sighed, adjusted his glasses- and the light glinted off of them, for a moment, before his attention turned to the newcomer. "Your name… it's Ralsei, right? Listen- I don't want to fight. And… I don't think you do, either. This world is a beautiful dream, one of peace and prosperity, connected to so many worlds, so many people. They could be happy… that's all I want. It's all I ever wanted. Even for you, Akechi. I'm sorry that I've failed you twice, now."

[a_sweet_little_peach]

Ralsei hadn't had the easiest time getting to know Akechi. He'd only seen him a few times, and always in... well, less than ideal circumstances, like this. But the one thing he hadn't known him for, was to lie. Not when he was this angry.

Any other time, he might be reserved, conflict-avoidant -- but with the Story Eater bearing down on them all, he couldn't afford to pull back, to disengage, to turn away from what was happening before him.

"If you really wanted people to be happy... you'd let them pursue their own happiness."

At Ralsei's feet, one at a time, bloomed seven flowers, unseen. By him, at least. "You're not wrong, though. I hate fighting. I hate hurting other people, even when it's necessary. Please, don't make it necessary. Just -- stop. Let other people be who they are. Let them grow, and learn, and become better. Or worse. They don't need your guidance. They just need understanding and support, not lies and dreams, however sweet."

There was a strange presence to his words. It felt to both of the others as though there was some odd weight to them, though only Maruki would recognize the divine tinge to them, from his time under Yaldabaoth's domain and as Adam Kadmon himself. It did not, however, have the oppressive pressure that accompanied the God of Control's touch; instead, it felt light.

1/2

[herewardbound]

Akechi glanced at the darkner beside him, hesitant for a moment…

And there was fury, still, in his eyes and on his face- but he lowered the pistol. "You don't want to fight. Yes?"

Maruki tensed, but he nodded. "That's right. I don't want to hurt anyone, least of all those who… need help the most."

Ralsei was doing something. So Akechi resolved to give him time. "Do you know the sad thing about that? I actually believe you."

Maruki's eyes widened, slightly. "You- you do? Then why-"

"Because I get it. Maybe more than anyone else here does. Maybe one in a hundred people are the serious bastards of the world. People like my father- no. Like my sperm donor. And maybe one in a thousand are… genuinely decent. Like most of the people who wound up here. But the rest of the world… the overwhelming majority. Are just marking time. They don't give a shit. The state of the world, of society, doesn't matter to them as long as they're not on the blunt end of it. What they want, more than anything, is for everything to stay exactly the fucking same. They ignore things that make them uncomfortable, make them think, anything that challenges their worldview- and they go on with their pointless god damn lives without sparing a thought for anyone not in their social circle. They'd give their lives over to a false god to avoid having to take responsibility for the world they live in. So nothing ever changes."

"So you do see. But… I could change them. Your mother didn't have to die. You could've had a different father, one who cared."

"No, I couldn't have. This is what you don't get. You can't just make me happy. Any more than you can make me a better person. All of this- everything that's happened- good and bad- this is me. A forced change of heart, or shooting someone stone cold dead in the street- in the end, the result is the same, internally. The person- who they are- dies. You can't change me without killing who I am. Your plan is to quietly murder every person, every human being who's ever been unhappy, and replace them with a pretty mask. Your ideology is flawed, your entire premise doomed from the start. You don't want to hurt anyone? The time to think of that probably would've been before you created me to be Ren Amamiya's fucking therapy dog and slapped his dead friend's face on me. Call your Persona and let's get this over with."

[herewardbound]

"... So be it."

Maruki's expression remained calm, but the world blurred, twisted, for a moment, as the eyes burned yellow. "I don't want to fight. But to defend my ideals, my perfect world, my Justice- I will face any enemy."

The white coat was gone, replaced now by golden armor and white robes.

"Overcome any obstacle."

A mask- more crown than anything else- appeared in a flare of blue flame.

"Pay any cost, no matter how dire."

A golden staff appeared in one hand, the tip burning like amber sunlight, and as it touched the ground, dirt and grass burned away, leaving glassy stone in black and blue, the orchard twisting into a Dreamscape- the throne room of a Palace.

"Even if the world sets itself against me, I will not give up. I will save the people of this world from their pain-" A figure formed behind him, ghostly flames of blue and noctaere-black etching the creature's form against the eyelids before it finally appeared, a mass of golden armor and writhing tendrils easily ten meters in height.



"And you will not stand in my way. AZATHOTH."

Goro Akechi || Persona 5 Royal

[herewardbound]

▶ SWEET
For the assorted nutjobs at DMC:IMP
Once again, the office was in shambles. What was worse, was that it was raining. And somebody had ripped the roof off. And Akechi had volunteered to help with the cleanup.

What this meant was, he was cold, wet, utterly miserable, and currently sweeping-slash-mopping up rubble and rainwater from the floor.

It was shaping up to be a really unpleasant day, all things considered, and just when he was starting to think that he had so many things he'd rather be doing- there was a knock on the door.

▶ HE'S A TRICKSTER
A catch-all for the month of May
Goro Akechi felt alive. It was evident in his face, in his voice, in the way he seemed so much more animated, whenever he spoke- so much more willing to respond with a joke, so much more ready to laugh, to smile, and genuinely, not the plastic grin he'd worn so many times before.

The difference- the change- was easy enough to spot. The black-haired boy whose name was Ren was always nearby, joining in with a verbal jab, or perhaps catching a punchline and sending it back. He didn't question- didn't even think to. People came back to Reverein sometimes, didn't they? Stranger things had happened, here.

And so they walked together, found all over Reverein. Catching a live show in Theater Row, or a coffee outside of Akechi's treehouse.

Frequently, they could be found in pitched battle against a pack of Shadows, mirroring each other's movements like a dance, covering each others' weaknesses by instinct alone.

Neither of them ever seemed to take notice of the Orderlies, though. Nor did they seem to see the smiling man, not even if they walked right past him.

HE'S A TRICKSTER

[lemiserable]

Something was wrong.

Now, Zenkichi didn't consider himself a connoisseur of either of them but he knew enough to know this wasn't right. It didn't help that, due to who he was, this Ren didn't seem to know who this guy watching the both of them with a frowned brow was supposed to be someone he knew.

What with everything ELSE happening right now, he didn't even need his detective instinct to know he had to step in and figure out what the hell was going on.

"Hey. You two seem to be getting along. That's surprising."

Re: HE'S A TRICKSTER

[herewardbound]

"Is it?" Akechi smiled, and there was a brightness to his expression, a genuine cheer that didn't quite... fit his face. "I'll have you know, with some notable exceptions, we've actually gotten along pretty famously, in the past."

"Notable exceptions," Ren mused, and there was an impish sort of quirk, at the corner of his mouth. "Would those be including the times you tried to kill me, or...?"

"If I remember right, you weren't even present the first time. I think I should get off on a technicality."

And Ren laughed. And there it was. A joke. Goro Akechi was joking. "Zenkichi. What's up? We were thinking of hitting the beach later, since it's warm. You should come with." And there was something there, in Ren's voice and his easy smile, that eased into the mind, frictionless, an invitation that begged to be followed, to be believed. "The whole team's going. We could camp out, make a whole weekend of it. What do you think, think we could get a camp griddle on short notice? I was thinking pancakes in the morning."

Akechi snorted, but his eyes betrayed amusement. "Apparently I'm also plotting a drowning, so I'm sure you'll want to be there for that. Jackass."

The leader of the Phantom Thieves shrugged helplessly. "Well, you heard the man. What do you say, Wolf? Want to be there for my last day in Reverein?"

[lemiserable]

"..."

Wow. In many ways he felt almost insulted at whatever was in front of him. The uneasiness quickly grew in a type of anger that he had honed over the years, especially the last two where he had to bid his time and even become what he hated to protect his family.

It would be nice, if he could believe what was in front of him. But unlike Goro, Zenkichi had over twice his age of experience to fall back on. This Ren was a charmer, sure, as he tended to do, but also the smooth, easy voice wasn't something that could so easily sway an adult like him.

Then there was those last words. Sure it went back to Akechi's casual threat (and a whole other can of worms of how those two interacted) but it sort of oddly brought him back to reality.

How could he snap Akechi out of this? It's a hard one for sure. The lie and the illusion is pretty tempting. Maybe if the 'damn leader' had shown up then this could have been avoided. At the same time, who knew if this Ren, if it was some sort of realness to him, could turn into Joker. Having both him and Crow, well, he knew he could fight, but there was no way he could do both by himself.

He had to do it with words. Hopefully. Maybe do a little below-the-belt to hone his message.

"I didn't think Ren would be who you'd fight," he says, his voice low. Calmer than usual. Ready to call Val-Jean at a moment's notice if he needs too. "Honestly, I was expecting Masayoshi Shido to show up."

He winces inwardly even as he says it. But he needs to get the point across to Akechi that SOMETHING is wrong.

Sweet!

[helluvaboss]

The persistent rain was giving him a headache. Blitzø didn't have much of his usual energy, which isn't much of a surprise - he was still pretty damn beaten up from the office getting wrecked, and he wasn't in the mood to go out and fight in the moment. He was currently sorting the wooden planks between what could be salvaged and what couldn't. Octavia had healing abilities, but there was still a painful ache in his side and still the phantom ache of a bite in his shoulder. That bite... that was the only thing that actually scarred.

A knock on the door didn't help his headache. And after the last person that had come through the door, Blitzø stopped what he was doing to reload his gun. "Ready, Akechi?"

[herewardbound]

At the very least, Freyja had been enormously helpful, there. Kept supplied with a decent stock of coffee and some time to breathe, serious injuries had mostly faded to a dull headache, which he'd taken aspirin for.

He tensed as well, reaching for his own pistol and wordlessly nodding, reaching up with one hand to flip the deadbolt-

And... after the damage Dante had done to it, the poor abused door just folded, collapsing to the ground. Akechi swung out, finger on the trigger- and his heart stopped.

A boy with black hair stood on the other side, watching the door crumple inward with a bemused expression. "You know, in hindsight... maybe I should've sent a text over first. Had a bad day, or should I be worried?"

"... Ren?"

A smile, faintly mischievous, but still... soft. "Yeah, crazy as it might sound. Mind if I come in?"

1/2

[helluvaboss]

"You know this guy?" Blitzø asked, lifting the gun slightly away, though still staring a bit mistrustfully. He'd had a hole punched in his side to make him twice-shy, after all. Glancing at Akechi, then at Ren, then at Akechi...

[helluvaboss]

Stopping in the middle of any of his thoughts and squinting at Akechi, Blitzø smirked. Smirked, lowered his gun, put his hands on his hips, and gave Akechi a knowing grin.

This is your crush ain't it Akechi.