Goro Akechi (Bad End AU) (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
seekerofjustice) wrote2024-12-07 02:53 pm
seekerofjustice) wrote2024-12-07 02:53 pm
Entry tags:
(OOC?) Dove Memory Tapes
MEMORY TAPE: "Wavering" (For Kira)
The atmosphere of Jazz Jin is unforgettable, the lighting, the singer on the stage, the bubbly drinks. It’s just as perfect as usual, and yet, the atmosphere surrounding two of the customers is as dour as could be.
Ren and Akechi, a frequent duo, find themselves sitting in practical silence as Akechi’s favorite song floats about in the background. It should be a nice night, or at least, the usual between them. A night full of philosophy and a bit of banter, and yet… neither of them have found words to speak.
“...”
Akechi stirs his glass slightly, shifting his eyes to look at the singer. You’d think he’d at least somewhat enjoy the music, but judging by the look on his face, the hollow look in his eye… none of it seems to matter in the slightest to him at the moment.
Ren, too, seems to be looking off to the side, rubbing the back of his head. He’s unable to look Akechi in the eye, despite how hard he tries.
“At least they’ve got a singer here tonight, right?”
“...So it seems.”
As Akechi says that, he can’t help but glance quickly at his phone under the table, a habit he’s found himself falling into more and more as the days pass. Today? January 26th. So close to the deadline…
He raises his eyes back up to meet Ren’s, quietly stuffing away his phone as he tries to find the words he wants to say. There’s so many things he could– should say. And yet… the closer they get to the deadline, the more often he finds himself thinking…
-...Does it even matter? It’s too late.-
But soon enough he finds something to say, looking directly at Ren, not quite mustering the intensity he desires.
“You’re planning to continue our infiltration efforts tomorrow, aren’t you?”
Ren’s eyes finally snap towards him, looking at him with an almost anxious look as Akechi continues looking back at him with that tired, almost disappointed expression of his own.
“Yeah, of course. Why?”
Ren answers as if there’s nothing wrong. As if their– Akechi’s fate isn’t on the line. Not that Ren should know about that, of course. Akechi has been keeping his lips sealed, in hopes Ren won’t falter. And yet…
“...We have a single week left. You should know better than anyone that we don’t have the time to waste here.”
And yet, Akechi finds that his anger evaporated a long time ago, replaced by an utter lack of energy. He looks to Ren, hoping for a spark, a reminder, drive, something to remind him of what he’s fighting for.
He feels ashamed, having succumbed this much to the reality around him. He wants to live. He wants to have that chance, that life free of sin. He does. He was so stalwart in the beginning. So why…? Why does he waver now?
As Akechi loses himself in his inner monologue, Ren grows pensive.
“Hey, are you…”
Akechi cuts him short, standing from his seat in a sharp movement.
“Tomorrow, Ren.”
Without even giving Ren a chance to respond, he leaves Jazz Jin, stepping into the cold, snowy night. He grits his teeth, his hands ball into fists, and walks away as he tucks said hands into his pockets.
--
--
--
--
--
MEMORY TAPE: "Resolve" (For Maruki)
This tape begins.
February 2nd, 2017.
Akechi’s head is lowered, his eyes obscured. The words in the background have all blurred together, none of them retaining any meaning as he finds himself lost in thought.
It’s over. It’s all over.
He failed.
In the end he couldn’t keep his resolve, and stand in the face of losing all he is. He’ll become just a marionette, dancing to Maruki’s song without a care in the world. It horrifies him, how far he’s fallen.
All of the talking has faded, his surroundings have become almost meaningless as the weight of it all crashes down on him.
What’s he supposed to do? Just… sit and take it…?
Sit and…
…
No, no… He can’t. He can’t do this. He needs to do something, he can’t just say he did nothing! All of the heat he had lost over the course of this last month, all of the intensity he thought had vanished rekindles in his chest just enough for him to shove through the attic, and down the stairs.
He almost thinks he hears someone calling for him, but… he can’t stay. He can’t sit around whining and moping and mourning and—
So he ends up in the snow, the cold, and with all the fire he has left, he marches down the path, down the way to the station in Yongen-Jaya. It all feels that much more silent and freezing in the dark of the night, and strangely not a single soul seems to stir as he continues on, trying to board the next train to Odaiba.
Not a single one is scheduled. Of course not. Maruki has other plans, it seems.
As Akechi silently curses to himself, he leaves the station and continues on his own, walking through the snow and ice, refusing to quit.
He needs to send a message, he needs to say ‘I fought, and I fought, and I—’
But… it grows darker, and darker. And it grows colder and colder. The world begins to wobble and twist around him, and he knows what it means.
“No… I…”
He tries to keep moving, but soon enough he just can’t. It’s growing harder and harder to fight it, and he falls to his knees. All of that energy, that drive… It leaves him, leaving his core just as cold as freezing snow.
There is no time, there is no strength. He… he can't keep going further.
He's alone, in the silence.
There’s no time left as his thoughts are drawn to the Phantom Thieves, to Sumire, to Ren.
Ren… In Maruki's world, will he…?
…It all goes dark…
…
…
…Someone calls to him, and his eyes snap open. He’s at Leblanc, apparently attending a party alongside the rest of his friends. He feels as though he’s woken up from a long dream…
Akechi smiles warmly as he feels the comforting and familiar surroundings, but as he does he can't help but pause as he does a mental headcount.
…
…Is… someone missing…? He was thinking of someone in particular just now, wasn’t he? Or maybe that was just a dream…?
Before he can linger on that question long, his attention is severed by one of them, and he’s assured there’s no one missing… and his growing worry is replaced by thoughts of celebration at the drop of a hat.
Surely he wasn’t thinking of anything important… right? If it was, well… he wouldn't have forgotten.
The atmosphere of Jazz Jin is unforgettable, the lighting, the singer on the stage, the bubbly drinks. It’s just as perfect as usual, and yet, the atmosphere surrounding two of the customers is as dour as could be.
Ren and Akechi, a frequent duo, find themselves sitting in practical silence as Akechi’s favorite song floats about in the background. It should be a nice night, or at least, the usual between them. A night full of philosophy and a bit of banter, and yet… neither of them have found words to speak.
“...”
Akechi stirs his glass slightly, shifting his eyes to look at the singer. You’d think he’d at least somewhat enjoy the music, but judging by the look on his face, the hollow look in his eye… none of it seems to matter in the slightest to him at the moment.
Ren, too, seems to be looking off to the side, rubbing the back of his head. He’s unable to look Akechi in the eye, despite how hard he tries.
“At least they’ve got a singer here tonight, right?”
“...So it seems.”
As Akechi says that, he can’t help but glance quickly at his phone under the table, a habit he’s found himself falling into more and more as the days pass. Today? January 26th. So close to the deadline…
He raises his eyes back up to meet Ren’s, quietly stuffing away his phone as he tries to find the words he wants to say. There’s so many things he could– should say. And yet… the closer they get to the deadline, the more often he finds himself thinking…
-...Does it even matter? It’s too late.-
But soon enough he finds something to say, looking directly at Ren, not quite mustering the intensity he desires.
“You’re planning to continue our infiltration efforts tomorrow, aren’t you?”
Ren’s eyes finally snap towards him, looking at him with an almost anxious look as Akechi continues looking back at him with that tired, almost disappointed expression of his own.
“Yeah, of course. Why?”
Ren answers as if there’s nothing wrong. As if their– Akechi’s fate isn’t on the line. Not that Ren should know about that, of course. Akechi has been keeping his lips sealed, in hopes Ren won’t falter. And yet…
“...We have a single week left. You should know better than anyone that we don’t have the time to waste here.”
And yet, Akechi finds that his anger evaporated a long time ago, replaced by an utter lack of energy. He looks to Ren, hoping for a spark, a reminder, drive, something to remind him of what he’s fighting for.
He feels ashamed, having succumbed this much to the reality around him. He wants to live. He wants to have that chance, that life free of sin. He does. He was so stalwart in the beginning. So why…? Why does he waver now?
As Akechi loses himself in his inner monologue, Ren grows pensive.
“Hey, are you…”
Akechi cuts him short, standing from his seat in a sharp movement.
“Tomorrow, Ren.”
Without even giving Ren a chance to respond, he leaves Jazz Jin, stepping into the cold, snowy night. He grits his teeth, his hands ball into fists, and walks away as he tucks said hands into his pockets.
--
--
--
--
--
MEMORY TAPE: "Resolve" (For Maruki)
This tape begins.
February 2nd, 2017.
Akechi’s head is lowered, his eyes obscured. The words in the background have all blurred together, none of them retaining any meaning as he finds himself lost in thought.
It’s over. It’s all over.
He failed.
In the end he couldn’t keep his resolve, and stand in the face of losing all he is. He’ll become just a marionette, dancing to Maruki’s song without a care in the world. It horrifies him, how far he’s fallen.
All of the talking has faded, his surroundings have become almost meaningless as the weight of it all crashes down on him.
What’s he supposed to do? Just… sit and take it…?
Sit and…
…
No, no… He can’t. He can’t do this. He needs to do something, he can’t just say he did nothing! All of the heat he had lost over the course of this last month, all of the intensity he thought had vanished rekindles in his chest just enough for him to shove through the attic, and down the stairs.
He almost thinks he hears someone calling for him, but… he can’t stay. He can’t sit around whining and moping and mourning and—
So he ends up in the snow, the cold, and with all the fire he has left, he marches down the path, down the way to the station in Yongen-Jaya. It all feels that much more silent and freezing in the dark of the night, and strangely not a single soul seems to stir as he continues on, trying to board the next train to Odaiba.
Not a single one is scheduled. Of course not. Maruki has other plans, it seems.
As Akechi silently curses to himself, he leaves the station and continues on his own, walking through the snow and ice, refusing to quit.
He needs to send a message, he needs to say ‘I fought, and I fought, and I—’
But… it grows darker, and darker. And it grows colder and colder. The world begins to wobble and twist around him, and he knows what it means.
“No… I…”
He tries to keep moving, but soon enough he just can’t. It’s growing harder and harder to fight it, and he falls to his knees. All of that energy, that drive… It leaves him, leaving his core just as cold as freezing snow.
There is no time, there is no strength. He… he can't keep going further.
He's alone, in the silence.
There’s no time left as his thoughts are drawn to the Phantom Thieves, to Sumire, to Ren.
Ren… In Maruki's world, will he…?
…It all goes dark…
…
…
…Someone calls to him, and his eyes snap open. He’s at Leblanc, apparently attending a party alongside the rest of his friends. He feels as though he’s woken up from a long dream…
Akechi smiles warmly as he feels the comforting and familiar surroundings, but as he does he can't help but pause as he does a mental headcount.
…
…Is… someone missing…? He was thinking of someone in particular just now, wasn’t he? Or maybe that was just a dream…?
Before he can linger on that question long, his attention is severed by one of them, and he’s assured there’s no one missing… and his growing worry is replaced by thoughts of celebration at the drop of a hat.
Surely he wasn’t thinking of anything important… right? If it was, well… he wouldn't have forgotten.