pancakeboy | ic inbox [ota]

I was kidding. [He dabs in the bowl with his chopsticks, then....]

Listen. Are you sure you aren't hungry? I'm being a terrible host or some shit. There's frozen stuff in the kitchen.

You're not being a terrible host. You're clearly tired and need to eat and get some rest.

[Lookit that slightly puffy-cheeked pout. It's a scowl, really! Not a pout... but he still has some of that baby fat to his face that makes him look about as intimidating as a chinchilla.]

Even so, you're welcome to them if you want one. [He has not mentioned the small dessert in the fridge.]

I do appreciate the offer, of course.

[Hmm, he sits quietly pondering what to say or do here.]

...Are you sure you don't want that water?

[He's just going to keep fussing, isn't he?]

I suppose it couldn't hurt. If you don't mind.

I'll be right back.

[It shouldn't take long for him to slip into the kitchen and get him a nice glass. He even puts some ice in it, in case he's hot from all that Mementos action.

When he returns, he even brings a coaster. Where did he find it? Good question. Perhaps it's from elsewhere in the house. Perhaps he just happened to have one for... some reason.

Either way, he'll set the coaster and glass down on the little table.]

[Of course there are coasters. This is a (rather barren) luxury apartment, and Akechi spends most of his time being prissy as hell to boot. In the time it takes to get a glass of water, he's downed the ramen broth, muttered a gochisousama to the empty room like he does, and has curled back up on the bed with an arm around his pillow.

He looks up at younger-him with exhausted eyes.] Thank you.

You're welcome.

[He plops back down, still giving his other self the space he probably needs right now.]

With the exertion from fighting in Mementos, I just thought it would help to hydrate.

[It's so strange. Is there a gene for taking care of people? Is that the real difference, the thing that he's either missing, or conveniently skipped out on?

He yawns, watching younger-him and absolutely not blinking.] Technically, you want to hydrate while you're in Mementos, as well as afterwards.

Make sure—[again, he covers a yawn]—when you get the suit? Track down the flap closures before you need them. That was a rough five minutes.

The flap-

[Oh.

Oh.

He facepalms upon realization.]

...I suppose that would be a difficult hurdle for the unprepared. I'll, ah. Keep that in mind.

[But peeing in the Metaverse. That sounds gross. His nose wrinkles a little at the mental image.]

Anyway, it's okay if you need to sleep. You look like you could use the rest.

Mmhm. [And he snuggles closer to the pillow, eyes closed, already half-there. He ought to feel in danger, but he doesn't.

And then he's asleep.]

[He waits a bit just to ensure his other self is soundly asleep, and once he's certain of this, he very, very quietly tucks him in.

By the time Akechi wakes up, he'll probably find his younger counterpart curled up further down on the bed, having eventually fallen asleep himself.

He made sure to give him some space, though. Boundaries are important.]

[But not long after he blacks out—maybe about ten minutes or so—Akechi starts to twitch, and make soft little sounds. He's dreaming. He can see the steel walls and table of a room he's already scoped out, and a boy sitting there with glasses and messy hair, staring at him with contemptuous eyes. He raises the gun....

It doesn't look like a very good dream. It might even disturb someone who was sleeping nearby.]

[It's for that reason that the younger Akechi tries to watch over his other self, unsure of whether to say or do anything. He's already tucked him in, and...

Well.

It reminds him of those nights when his mama would pass out after work. The restless tossing and turning, the unhappy sobs and whimpers.

His concerns leave him watching dutifully until his own exhaustion takes him, and he passes out, curled up like a little ball.]

[... and some nine hours later, at the first glimmer of dawn through the blinds—nine hours, what the hell, what is he going to do when he goes back—he snaps awake like a machine, eyes wide, like he does. He takes a moment to remember who he is, and manage it into the background, and then he sits upright, reaching for the corner of the quilt to throw it off—

And the kid's still there. Asleep at the foot of the bed. Like a dog or a cat, what the shit?

Akechi blinks at him, astonished, and feeling a bit violated.]

[But the kid is still out of it. It hasn't been as long for him. He waited and waited and watched, and...

He's shivering a little, muttering something about his mama, but otherwise he's out cold.

Literally. He didn't tuck himself in the way he did with his other self.]

[And he watches for a moment, while the boy twitches and mutters; considers the goosepimples on his skin, the way he's curled in on himself like a bug. His stomach twists.

Then he steps forward and draws the edge of the quilt over him.]

It's fine, Goro-kun. You're safe here. [For now, at any rate. Quietly sliding the closet door open, he takes some clothes from the rack inside, and heads to the bathroom.]

Mmph...

[The shivering slows with the quilt draped over him. His breathing calms.

He'll remain restful as the older Akechi heads into the bathroom.

Meanwhile, a text goes off:

We have a problem. Make sure your door is locked.

But with Akechi in the bathroom, will he even think to check?]

[He does not. He's in the shower, possibly taking a little longer about it than normal. He'll check his phone when he comes out again.

It's not as if he gets many texts these days, anyway.]

[But as it happens, the door is locked, as it was locked when the other Akechi arrived. And, just like he did, this Akechi has the key.

He pulls it from his pocket, slides it into the lock, turns it, and steps inside.]

Tadaima.

[He sees nothing amiss, and greets the empty apartment as he's always done. It looks just as he'd expect. Except... hm, why is the shower running?]

[This Akechi is still asleep for now. Just pleasantly snoozing, though the sound of another voice stirs him just a little.

But he's not fully awake yet.

Another text follows.

You won't like what you see. It's the most overly sanitized version of us you could ever imagine, and I think he's coming to your apartment.

Yeah, like that'll work.]

[Yeah, he heard the key in the door, thanks so much. Shaking the last of the soap off him and the water out of his hair, he cranks the thing off, wraps a towel around himself with possibly less attention than he should, and throws open the door—]

[—and there's a child on his bed. A tumble of brown hair peeping out from under the quilt. Why is he asleep on the foot of the bed like that?

He's just set down his case, and is leaning over to investigate this rather lost lamb, when—]

—what the HELL are you doing in my apartment?! [It's Akechi, of course. But aren't they all?

Admittedly, he's a little more exposed and wet than the other two. He glares at the intruder in his blue sweater vest, who's staring at him with all the vacancy of paint.]

[Annnnd that's enough to jolt the younger Akechi up with a yelp.]

I'm sorry! I-

[Though he flinches, his eyes soon fall upon the two Akechis. One very wet, the other... in a sweater vest and very dry.]

...Oh. You weren't yelling at me.

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