akira

[preordain]

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[tearduct]

[He watches Ryo, glancing back and forth between Ryo and the phone.]

Okay? Lead the way.

[preordain]

[ he will start walking... not sure sure of where to go since this city is so fuckin big but. that's fine. ]

... if you can go where you want after this, what are you going to do?

[tearduct]

[He follows along after Ryo, speeding up briefly so he can make them walk in line.]

I think it's less where I want to go and more... I don't want to say goodbye to some people for good. [He glances up, but doesn't look at Ryo.] Like you. Or Harrowhark, or Gideon, or Chandra, or even Scaramouche.

I don't want to say goodbye. I want to be able to see all of you no matter where I go.

[preordain]

A little greedy, aren't you?

[ a little amused... he actually does look at him though. ]

Although that's always like you. I'm not sure if that would be an option, though... we aren't even completely sure if they'll let us go somewhere other than our original homes yet.

[tearduct]

[He actually manages to look a bit sheepish at the call out.]

I know... We'll have to... figure something out to try, and if it doesn't work, we can at least say we did try.

[preordain]

[ at least they tried... ]

And if that fails? What's the backup? We only have a few days now.

[tearduct]

[He pushes his hand back through his hair and sighs in frustration.]

I don't know. I'm not--you know I'm not good at any of that stuff, Ryo. Coming up with plans, being smart.

If we try something, and it doesn't work... I don't know what'll happen. We'll all be stuck here forever, I guess.

[preordain]

Well, that was your original plan, at least...

[ oh, an arcade. he reaches over to tug at akira's sleeve and he raises his phone. picture. ]

[tearduct]

Yeah, I know. I guess I wouldn't care so much if that ended up being the outcome.

[Sometimes, you simply accept your place in hell.

He steps up by Ryo's side and leans into Ryo's shoulder so he can be in the frame. He does not make a stupid face this time.]

[preordain]

[ he snaps the picture and then looks it over after. he is pleased with this one too. admittedly he will be pleased with them all so there is no point in checking it after. ]

Still. I understand that it's difficult to get hopeful for something, and then it turns out not to work.

[tearduct]

[Ryo is so fucking funny. He peers down at this picture for a moment.]

It's alright. It's just something we'd have to accept. Maybe we could figure something else out later, if that's the case. [He nudges Ryo.] Ne.

Do you want to stay in this form right now?

[preordain]

[ oh.

he looks up from his phone to look at akira. ]

Are you fine with me changing?

[tearduct]

[He's thoughtful for a second, then nods.]

Let's go flying together...?

[preordain]

[ ryo considers...

and then it happens. wings burst out, and ryo's height greatens. it takes only a moment, but soon there's just satan in front of him.

Okay?

[tearduct]

[He takes a step back to give Ryo room to get gigantic and beautiful, it's fine. He never really had a lot of time to appreciate it before because he was fucking mad.

But this is who Ryo is, and he accepts that.

Gently, he rolls his neck and his shoulders, mustering up the emotions in him and letting them burst out. Goodbye clothes. They get shredded as he grows larger, as the wings pop out of his skin on his shoulders and the tail and claws and fangs emerge.

He holds out a hand (claw??) to Ryo.]

[preordain]

[ they will take akira's hand and give it a squeeze. ]

Shall we go?

[ up to. wherever. ]

[tearduct]

Don’t let go.

[As if Satan cannot fly with all these wings. He takes their hand and powerfully flaps his wings to take off straight up through the air. He pulls them along with him by the hand, coasting them up high.

Higher and higher.

Once they’re in the air way above everything else, he stops to hover in place, wings fanning. He glances around.]

[preordain]

[ that's fine, they aren't going to be letting go of his hand any time soon. or, at least until they have to.

it's kind of funny how small everything is though, when you're up here. ]

It must be nice. To be Devilman again.

[tearduct]

[Everything is tiny... It's weird being here, but not fighting to the death with Ryo. Instead, they're holding hands. Which... makes him a little sad to know it could have been this way instead of the way it had worked out for him initially.]

It was weird getting used to not being Devilman. I felt so weak sometimes.

[preordain]

You were human.

[ they shift so that they're in front of akira. ]

But you're not just human anymore, so it was like a piece of you was missing.

[tearduct]

[He hangs his head a bit, not wanting to admit he's anything even slightly not human. He still clings so desperately to his humanity, but... maybe... after here, after not having it, he can accept the Devilman middle ground again.]

I thought about... asking if somehow I could get rid of it. Devilman. If I could change it. I guess I could if I went back... and didn't go to the party. Even with all this power, no matter what I did, people got hurt or died. But...

It felt... right to use it to protect others anyway. To try. I didn't feel useless anymore. I felt like I could make a difference. I remember what it feels like.

[preordain]

[ ryo thinks about all of the times that akira had wanted to transform while here but couldn't. ]

It's sometimes difficult to realize how much of a loss something is until it's gone.

[ akira hasn't actually been devilman too long, when you think about his overall time on earth. but the short amount of time has been life changing enough that it might as well have been decades. ]

And you are the kind of person who would try to turn it into something that can help.

[ was ryo always happy about this part of akira? no. it frustrated them more often than not. but at this point all they can really do is accept it. ]

[tearduct]

[This feels as pointed as the earlier comment about things not working out when hopes are up. He lifts his head again to look at Ryo.]

I feel like I've failed the one person Devilman was supposed to really help when he was created. I'm sorry, Ryo. That I'm human.

[preordain]

[ akira don't apologize for this. ryo is not thinking this, francy is. ryo is an asshole. ]

We're not talking about that right now, Akira. I just mean that... I think I understand, even if it's not the same exact situation.

[ ryo can't really say that they relate because of not being able to access satan powers, since they only recently remembered even being satan. can't really miss something when you didn't realize it was a thing. ]

[tearduct]

[STOP

The response surprises him a little, and he shuts up for a long time. His grip on Ryo's hand softens in the way his expression won't exactly in this form.]

You're changing. [A little.] Into the Ryo I knew you always were.