puppycrush2 | week two

[This was... fairly cathartic. It certainly burned some pent up anger which is all one can ask for. But as far as tiring him out... Well, this wasn't going to do the trick. This was nothing compared to a mission through Mementos. He sighs and tosses the bat aside, enjoying the clatter it makes when it hits the mess.

He lets out a sigh now that they're done and shakes out his hair. Little bits of plastic and false glass out of it.

Honestly? He feels a little less on edge.]

Lets go find a place to get a drink.

[Work outs, which is what this was, requires some hydration. And places like these are usually in the city. There's probably some place they can run in and he can harass the production to make them pay for it because that's how this works.]

Come on.

[yeah, there's no point in hanging onto these bats anymore, is there? Will drops his as well, lifting his goggles to the top of his head as he swipes at his brow]

Yeah. I'm parched.

[as a fairly athletic guy himself, Will knows how important hydration is. especially when water is so hard to come by back home. the rage room probably has a nice little drink bar to capitalize on people emerging from the destruction thirsty, too]

. . . how are you feeling now?

[There is a little bar here though not with a lot of selection considering people shouldn't be getting white girl wasted and then having bats and hammers in their hands. But there is some selection. Since they're teens and should just be getting juice or soda from the fridge there isn't anyone here which makes the bar an easily rummaged through.

In the end he sets two brownish bottles down on the counter. One for himself and one for Will and pops the tops off.]

I'm not going to go on a murderous rampage, if that's what you're worried about.

[Enjoy your beer, Will.]

[oh my god]

[did Akechi just]

[give him beer]

[LISTEN, WILL PROBABLY DOESN'T KNOW WHAT SODA IS, BUT. . . BEER? that's familiar, and he does a double-take]

Is this-- [wait. aren't they underaged? and also, more importantly than that--]

. . . do you really believe that I think so little of you?

[because he doesn't. despite knowing the details of Akechi's crimes thanks to Ryuji, his opinion on Akechi is not poor at all]

[Listen. Who knows what country they're in. This could, maybe, be legal. Who can say. Not me. And not Akechi. He's going to make Kat jump off a boat with him to get lost in (redacted) so this is the least of the date crimes.]

Quite frankly... I don't know what you think of me. [Akechi takes a sip and it's gross because beer is gross. But also. Fuck it. You only live once. Or... die and come back a few times. Depending on how this goes he might never get to legally drink so. Bottoms up.] You or anyone. And I also don't care.

[. . . well. all right. they may be underaged, but Will would be lying if he said he didn't have any interest in alcohol, so. . .]

[he picks up his bottle and takes a swig, allowing the drink to warm him all the way down]

[part of him instinctively wants to tell Akechi how he feels about him, but. . . at the same time? he can kind of respect that Akechi doesn't care. it can be a large burden, trying to paint yourself as someone the public would love, spending your time with your finger on the pulse of public opinion. Will knows this firsthand]

Well. . . that aside. . .

[he runs his fingers across the sides of the bottle, watching his companion curiously from the other side of the counter]

I'd like to get to know you better. If you're amenable to this.

[He takes another sip of the beer, wrinkling his nose a bit at the request to be known. Of course. He lets out a sigh and slumps against the bar, resting his chin on his palm.]

Sure. What do you want to know?

[How truthful he'll be will be something he considers as the questions go on. For now... he's amenable.]

[hm. . . thanks to their last conversation he knows quite a bit about Akechi's past, whether Akechi likes it or not. and thanks to Ryuji. . . he knows that the duo was fighting against something in some kind of alternate reality. but that's the extent of his knowledge]

[. . .]

[he could ask about that, but he suspects that question wouldn't get him much. so he starts off easily]

What's your favorite food?

[He has to think about this before he gives a little shrug.]

I used to run a food blog because that was the popular thing to do. You order something and take a picture of it and then talk about it. I took it pretty seriously and tried to eat the latest and most popular things to stay relevant. I was famous and popular and I had to keep doing and things to maintain the public eye.

I like a lot of things. I don't know what's my favorite. I told people I liked this or that depending on the trend. I don't know the real answer.

I like sushi. I liked the soup my mom used to make. And I like a sweet piece of cake with my coffee.

[THE FUCK IS A BLO-- oh thank god Akechi is explaining it. taking pictures and talking about food. . . interesting. it sounds a bit out there to Will, but only because where he comes from. . . food is treated more as a necessity than a luxury. except in certain taverns]

You were trying to be popular. . .?

[just like Will is trying to do now, by being on this show!]

Sushi. . . [that's the raw fish eaten in Brilehaven, he thinks. he doesn't know how to make that. and there's no way he could recreate a recipe from Akechi's childhood. but sweet cake. . . hm! he thinks he can bake a cake!!]

I was popular. Maybe I still am... I don't know. I think it's been a few months.

[More sips of beer if he's going to go into this again.]

I am pretty young but I managed to get in with the police force and solve some cases. And that all spiraled into being a big deal because of my age and how prolific the cases were. I was on television a lot. I did a lot of interviews. I was talked about online all the time. In magazines... Had a very big following. Sometimes it was a little tricky to go out because people would want to talk to me or get my picture or autograph.

[right. . . all of those crimes that he solved. . . were also the crimes that he committed]

[. . .]

How did you manage it? [being popular, he means. Will has gained quite a following back home, but. . . he's still an elda. people don't clamor over themselves for his time] It must have been exhausting.

Fame just happens... Like lightning in a bottle. Sometimes it can be fabricated. But even then you have to be personal and charming and act how the people want you to. Because the masses can turn very easily.

The group of thieves I was trying to hunt down. They became very popular too and I was very vocal and against what they were doing. Hundreds of thousands of people turning against you in an instant. Sending you death threats and threats of violence... That's fun and exciting.

[He tips back the bottle to make an attempt to finish it.]

And just as quickly as they turned... they turned back. Like the tide. [Akechi can't help but scoff.] The same people that despised me went back to loving me when it turned out I was right about those thieves. It's... [He rolls his eyes.] It was exhausting. And in the end they still only loved the person I was presenting. If they'd known anything about me they'd have gone right back to hating me. Or never liked me at all.

[the thieves he was chasing. . . Ryuji, right? there is so much more to that story that he doesn't know. perhaps one day. . . he can hear both sides]

[but that aside, Akechi's words about the public only loving the personality he chose to show them draws a frown to Will's lips. and thinking that the public would have hated the real him. . .]

[. . .]

Who would you say the "real" you is?

[. . .]

. . . and are you really that afraid of letting people meet him?

The real me... [He lets out a sharp laugh.] Who even knows anymore...

I'm just some unwanted kid that was chucked from foster home to foster home that's struggling to find which mask to put on that will allow him to fit in somewhere. But no matter what I do or where I go... I'm not wanted.

And that's fine. I'll just go somewhere where I can be on my own. Where no one will care who I am or what I do. And I can just live a stupid normal life.

[It's time for more beer, actually.]

That's not true.

[that reply comes so quickly. Will has taken a few swigs of his beer, but otherwise his drink remains mostly untouched, so that isn't the response of someone drawing closer to being three-sheets to the wind]

I don't hate what I've seen of you so far. The good, and the— . . . the ugly.

[and he feels like he has just barely scratched the surface of "the ugly."]

The Goro I've witnessed has been through so much. His life has been complicated, and he wears his scars on his sleeves.

[. . .]

And I'd like to be his friend.

[Fucking hell...]

[He's going to... take a long sip of his second beer. Woohoo...]

No you don't. I have no idea why you'd want to do that but it's such a stupid idea. A stupid worthless idea. Why even bother?

[He folds his arms on the bar top and rests his face in them. His words come out a little more muffled, the last few he has to say.]

If we fail then I stop existing... again. So don't waste your time or your breath.

[He's tired of telling people to piss off.]

[gently, but still firmly]

You don't get to decide what I want or don't want.

[and he has decided he wants to be Akechi's friend. whether that aggravates Akechi's nerves or not. . . is Akechi's problem]

And we will succeed. I have faith in us.

[He wants to smash more televisions with this conversation. It's weirdly familiar, like talking to Joker and their big argument on the first. What about you? You'll be dead again. He kept insisting. So what? Who cares...

As if anyone was just going to stand by and let them be remotely close and be "friends" or "rivals." Not at the expense of the Burger Princess or Futaba. It's the same situation here too. Not that Will is anything like Joker. But they have a similar vibe. ~~Something something atlas protags.~~]

You're right... I can't tell you what to do. But you'll regret it. I know that much.

No. You don't.

[again, his response is firm, even if his words are softened with a smile. Will is a gentle soul, but. . . he knows how to stand his ground. and when his mind is made up, he cannot be convinced otherwise]

[. . .]

[Akechi will definitely find that trait to be a familiar one]

I don't regret the time we've spent together today. In fact. . . I had a lot of fun.

[A WHOLE NEW WORLD HAS BEEN OPENED TO HIM. he lifts his bottle of beer to Akechi in a mock toast]

And I have you to thank for that.

[Annoying behavior. And familiar... Someone who doesn't give up on someone even if they should. Even if it's for the better of everyone...

He can't stand it... not really...

All the same he sluggishly pushes himself up from the bar top and lifts his beer bottle to clink it against Will's.]

Sure...

[He thinks the nonstop carnage and destruction is to thank for that but... if Will wants to thank him that's fine too. He obviously can't stop him.]

[despite the clink of their glasses, Will does not take another sip of his beer. he has barely touched it!1 but that is on purpose]

Are you all right? You've had two.

[and he has no idea what Akechi's tolerance is like]

I'm fine.

[A little more loose lipped and emotionally vulnerable. But not "messed up". Shido used to pass him a glass, on rare occasion, of foul yet expensive whisky as he rambled about his plans and how he was going to steer the country. Blah. Blah. Blah. This cheap beer is nothing.]

I think we've done all we can here so we're probably free to leave.

[hm. . . if Akechi is sure, then Will won't push it]

Why don't we go somewhere quieter?

[because even if they can leave, he isn't quite ready to end this outing]

We can talk a little more. There's still a lot I have to learn about you, after all.

week two | dates

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1/2... I think.

2/2 yes okay.

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Tw: very vague suicide mention/Akechi mom stuff