[He listens, quietly and carefully, as Maruki paints a picture of that shared experience with Akechi.
Akira tries to imagine for a moment, what it must've been like - if somehow, he'd woken up here scarcely after his Awakening, stumbling through everything and trying to feel like he hadn't lost his mind, made it all up. What it would feel like to be separated from a piece of his very own soul, if he hadn't already gone through that before, after facing Yaldabaoth.
He thinks about mentioning it, and doesn't. He waits, and he listens.
Robin Hood, and not Loki. It makes sense; he still can't tell for sure what things are like between him and Akechi now, but he's sure that he would've used that Detective Prince mask with Maruki for as long as possible. May still be doing so now; somehow the things they've both said leave enough deniability for either case to be true. He doesn't have a clear answer in that regard... but maybe he doesn't need one, right now.
"I'm sure it's jarring to hear that I've learned from your rival, but I hope you can understand."
It should be, shouldn't it?
That's probably one of the things Akira is supposed to feel.
So why, then... why is the only thing he can feel relief?
He leans back and smiles.]
Akechi Goro is the most amazing person I know. [Too soft, and too honest.] I'm glad you think so, too.
[What was fake between Akechi and Maruki, and what was real?
Akira doesn't know. But he chooses to believe in the boy with a superhero Persona, saving a lost counselor in a city full of towering kaiju.
There are a lot of things he should be telling Maruki. Some are things he should want to say; some are things others would want him to say.
He tried to kill me.
You may not know everything about him.
He may be a danger to you.
...But none of those are words that will leave his lips.
Firstly, because he will protect the things Akechi may have hidden until he knows Akechi has revealed them himself. And secondly...
Akechi.
He stares at Maruki, as tired as him but still steady. An adult that terrifies Akira because of how quickly he trusts him. That rushed to save him, protect their home, and can speak of Akechi Goro with such intense and undeniable affection.
I want you to have better things in this world.
I think he can give them to you.]
I'm sure he's told you a lot. There are some thing he doesn't know, or may have mixed up because he was on his own for a while. But for the same reason, there are more things he knows than I could ever imagine. [He folds his hands back over the table. Steady again; no tremble.] I wasn't sure if you knew about him... but now I do. I'm thankful that if you met any of us here... it was him.
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Akira tries to imagine for a moment, what it must've been like - if somehow, he'd woken up here scarcely after his Awakening, stumbling through everything and trying to feel like he hadn't lost his mind, made it all up. What it would feel like to be separated from a piece of his very own soul, if he hadn't already gone through that before, after facing Yaldabaoth.
He thinks about mentioning it, and doesn't. He waits, and he listens.
Robin Hood, and not Loki. It makes sense; he still can't tell for sure what things are like between him and Akechi now, but he's sure that he would've used that Detective Prince mask with Maruki for as long as possible. May still be doing so now; somehow the things they've both said leave enough deniability for either case to be true. He doesn't have a clear answer in that regard... but maybe he doesn't need one, right now.
It should be, shouldn't it?
That's probably one of the things Akira is supposed to feel.
So why, then... why is the only thing he can feel relief?
He leans back and smiles.]
Akechi Goro is the most amazing person I know. [Too soft, and too honest.] I'm glad you think so, too.
[What was fake between Akechi and Maruki, and what was real?
Akira doesn't know. But he chooses to believe in the boy with a superhero Persona, saving a lost counselor in a city full of towering kaiju.
There are a lot of things he should be telling Maruki. Some are things he should want to say; some are things others would want him to say.
He tried to kill me.
You may not know everything about him.
He may be a danger to you.
...But none of those are words that will leave his lips.
Firstly, because he will protect the things Akechi may have hidden until he knows Akechi has revealed them himself. And secondly...
Akechi.
He stares at Maruki, as tired as him but still steady. An adult that terrifies Akira because of how quickly he trusts him. That rushed to save him, protect their home, and can speak of Akechi Goro with such intense and undeniable affection.
I want you to have better things in this world.
I think he can give them to you.]
I'm sure he's told you a lot. There are some thing he doesn't know, or may have mixed up because he was on his own for a while. But for the same reason, there are more things he knows than I could ever imagine. [He folds his hands back over the table. Steady again; no tremble.] I wasn't sure if you knew about him... but now I do. I'm thankful that if you met any of us here... it was him.
[For both of your sakes.]