akira

[preordain]

Comments

[preordain]

You really were acting like a demon. Everything was motivated by your carnal desires...

[ there's a pause. ]

You didn't eat the cat, right?

[tearduct]

...

[His head quickly lifts again. He looks shocked, but freezes in intense consideration, his eyes jumping back and forth.

He... didn't eat the cat, right? HIS SON!]

I... I don't think so. He has to be in my room.

[preordain]

[ hmmm. ryo notes that the cat may have been eaten, and tucks the thought away. ]

Okay. [ okay... ] Well, you're going to have to do some damage control later.

[tearduct]

[He winces at the idea.]

Dammit...

[He has SO much damage control to do. Haha. Wow.]

Wait... Were you affected, Ryo...?

[preordain]

No. Why would I be?

[ you just said everyone was ]

More importantly-- what form of mine did you want to defile?

[tearduct]

[Hm. He was truly being too insane to see if anything had happened to Ryo...]

For--?

[Oh. Oh shit. The way he pauses, trying to quickly think whether or not he wants to come clean... trying to think of a better explanation than the truth.]

I... don't know? [Nailed it.] Maybe I was just trying to... scare you?

[preordain]

No, you seemed more mad at me for it than anything.

[ akira should be mad at him for many things, but ryo thinks maybe that one was not a valid reason. ]

It was the wording you used that was interesting. Harrowhark was the second best choice, after me, specifically because she's a priestess. So, where do I fit in there?

[ he stares at him for a long moment, and turns away. ]

Just some things to think about.

[tearduct]

[Ryo is way smarter than him and way more calculating; there is no way he is going to continue weaseling out of this every time, he realizes.

He glances away as soon as Ryo turns.]

I've known you for a long time, right? You and her... act similar sometimes. I guess I was just... making her the next best choice.

[This does not explain the form change, fck.]

If... you could find out your future some way, would you, Ryo?

[preordain]

[ akira is truly so het that even if ryo is technically the first choice he still wouldn't pick him

but he considers the question... ]

Normally, I would say it's more fulfilling if I figure it out myself. [ normally. ] But it's obvious that there is something very important that you're not telling me.

[tearduct]

[STOP his demon side said get the titties back and i'll be interested help me

Carefully, he draws one knee up and loops an arm around it, the hand fisting.]

You said you didn't want to know.

[Well, not about the Satan part, about the betrayal part. But maybe they're a little linked.]

[preordain]

I was hoping I wouldn't need to know.

[ the problem is that it keeps coming up, and it's getting difficult to ignore at this point. ]

But I'm starting to think that I'm going to find out sooner or later.

[tearduct]

[What Ryo doesn't know is... dangerous. At least, Akira thinks it could potentially be dangerous. But... is keeping it from Ryo right?

If he had not known about being a Devilman, would he want someone to keep it from him? Look at what he's already done this week.]

Are you sure you don't already know?

[preordain]

Piecing together what you've told me... it's my fault that everyone is dead. And at a glance, I could see why based on what I know has happened-- humans panicking over the discovery of demons, and they blow the planet up. A man-made Armageddon.

[ he looks back at akira. ]

But it's more than that, isn't it?

[tearduct]

[He glances up, frowning when he meets Ryo's gaze.]

You're not who you think you are, Ryo.

[preordain]

Elaborate.

[ having this conversation when neither of them can leave is so funny actually ]

[tearduct]

[THEY CAN'T LEAVE. They are now stuck having this terrible conversation.

He looks away.]

You're not human.

[preordain]

[ he actually leans in closer to akira at that. ]

And...? What am I, Akira?

[tearduct]

[The lean in makes him glance back, but his expression is hesitant. Why did he stop being brainless and demonic just in time to admit some bitter truth to Ryo when neither of them can escape the gift shop?

He is quiet for so long.]

...Satan. [Once it's out, he feels an immense roll of relief, followed quickly behind by growing worry.] You're... Satan, Ryo.

[preordain]

Satan.

[ he repeats it, and then is immediately on his feet. there's nowhere to go, so instead he paces, from his spot in front of akira to the door and back. ]

Are you sure? No, I suppose that... [ ryo trails off, and then kneels back down, grabbing akira's shoulders. ] What else?

[tearduct]

[Hm. He watches Ryo stand, not be able to leave, then pace, then return. He reaches up to put his hands on Ryo's arms, more an attempt to keep Ryo in place.

He frowns gently.]

There's nothing left. Back home. There's nothing left anymore.

[preordain]

[ see, here's the thing.

ryo isn't a good person. he will very easily kill any of the people here and he wouldn't feel bad about it, and even hearing about all the deaths didn't sadden him. but, at the end of the day, his original goal really was to save humanity. so it's... he wouldn't say shocking, but strange, to hear how far everything goes from his original intentions. ]

I did want to save the world. That wasn't a lie, you know.

[tearduct]

[It must be hard for Ryo, too. It must be hard to be an angel, even a fallen one, trapped in a human body. It has to be hard valuing things a different way. Even though Akira hated those things, even though they made him angry, hurt him.

Slowly, he lifts himself to his feet, still holding Ryo's arms, using them to lift Ryo up with him.]

Even the worst parts of humans... are still a part of who they are, Ryo. I tried to stop you. Me and the Devilmen tried to stop you.

[preordain]

[ 'tried'

so, he didn't succeed and the world ended. ryo's quiet for a long moment, trying to imagine the events that lead to this... but, if he's honest, the hardest thing to wrap his head around is the idea that akira is against him. ]

What happened after that? To you?

[tearduct]

...

[He draws his arms away from Ryo, lowering them. Carefully, he brings up the hem of his shirt, and he undoes the front of his pants so he can pull the corner down far enough to show the scar snaking around his hips.]

You killed me.

There weren't any more Devilmen left to use for more parts, so I died. It was just me and you.

[preordain]

[ the worst thing is that ryo's immediate thought isn't, oh he has to just not end the world. it's, oh how do i make sure akira doesn't die.

because, in the end, it's really the singular thing he does not want. what's the point of this all if akira isn't there? ]

Is that so?

[ he reaches a hand out to carefully place it at the scar. ]

I can't let you die, Akira.

[ yes, he killed him. but it hasn't happened to him yet. it's fine. he can fix this. ]