[ Against all reason, Maruki laughs. Short, and surprised, and–
Understanding. ]
Ah... Right, of course. Well– no, hold on.
[ Deal with the Skeksis first. Maruki doesn't bother getting his hands dirty. Simply steps outside the open front door of the machiya, summons Azathoth again, and lets the lesser tentacles drag it outside and fling it far off into the forest.
For a moment, all is quiet. Barely even the movement of wind through the trees. Maruki presses one palm to the center of his sternum, digs the heel in hard and breathes. Looks to his persona – thinks of just how quickly the regular counselor from your regular high school in regular Tokyo ruse unraveled – and breathes. It dissipates again, nothing left but an aurora lingering around the machiya.
He vowed to be more honest with Akira up front. It's for the best things happened this way.
The crushed crystalline remnants of a wand are still on the floor of the entryway when he reenters. Maruki crouches down to collect the larger pieces, sets them up on a shelf to examine later. The rest can be swept up in a bit, but–
First, Akira.
Maruki settles down at the kotatsu, fiddles with the heat controls until Akira rejoins him, and then manages to articulate: ]
I understand what you were saying. Any time someone here has asked me about this ability, I've tried to impress upon them that I'm just... a normal guy. I should have known you all would feel the same.
[ How well that has worked is anyone's guess, though. Maruki knows there are many he hasn't been able to fool. Fresh betrayal sears through his mind when he remembers that BB told him he didn't even view himself as human.
But Akira understands. Or Maruki hopes he will, at any rate...
He folds his hands on the table, exhales low and slow, the tension ebbing out of his shoulders. ]
For whatever it's worth, though... Back in my true reality, neither of us know this about one another. So this, right now, is new for both of us.
[ The ground is even, if unknown. They can navigate it together. ]
no subject
Understanding. ]
Ah... Right, of course. Well– no, hold on.
[ Deal with the Skeksis first. Maruki doesn't bother getting his hands dirty. Simply steps outside the open front door of the machiya, summons Azathoth again, and lets the lesser tentacles drag it outside and fling it far off into the forest.
For a moment, all is quiet. Barely even the movement of wind through the trees. Maruki presses one palm to the center of his sternum, digs the heel in hard and breathes. Looks to his persona – thinks of just how quickly the regular counselor from your regular high school in regular Tokyo ruse unraveled – and breathes. It dissipates again, nothing left but an aurora lingering around the machiya.
He vowed to be more honest with Akira up front. It's for the best things happened this way.
The crushed crystalline remnants of a wand are still on the floor of the entryway when he reenters. Maruki crouches down to collect the larger pieces, sets them up on a shelf to examine later. The rest can be swept up in a bit, but–
First, Akira.
Maruki settles down at the kotatsu, fiddles with the heat controls until Akira rejoins him, and then manages to articulate: ]
I understand what you were saying. Any time someone here has asked me about this ability, I've tried to impress upon them that I'm just... a normal guy. I should have known you all would feel the same.
[ How well that has worked is anyone's guess, though. Maruki knows there are many he hasn't been able to fool. Fresh betrayal sears through his mind when he remembers that BB told him he didn't even view himself as human.
But Akira understands. Or Maruki hopes he will, at any rate...
He folds his hands on the table, exhales low and slow, the tension ebbing out of his shoulders. ]
For whatever it's worth, though... Back in my true reality, neither of us know this about one another. So this, right now, is new for both of us.
[ The ground is even, if unknown. They can navigate it together. ]