pancakeboy | ic inbox [ota]

[We-ell, he's not that mad. Let's say he heard the wings of the gay chicken flapping at his door.]

You know that's not acceptable. For all the reasons I stated, not to mention the ones you did.

I opted to end the conversation for now. It's obvious he isn't in a coherent state of mind and trying to reason with or argue with him further would get me nowhere fast.

[But that's really it. He shrugs and takes another sip. What else is there to do just now?]

[Maybe if they delay long enough, the problem will solve itself, he thinks. But that's too far even for him; he looks away. Then he smiles at the cognition and orders another two coffees, much larger, before eventually looking back at Crow.

Fuck, Crow can probably see what he's thinking. He frowns, reticent and defensive.]

I could talk to him. [With a gun, preferably.]

...If you want to, I won't stop you.

[It's probably necessary, anyway. They have many loose ends. It needs to be addressed.]

I appreciate it, but I also know that this can't be easy for you.

I don't plan to be pleasant to him. I have no intention of humouring him for a single second. But perhaps that's what he needs.

[And Magpie will be delighted to kick every worthless centimetre of him right out of this dimension. Count on it.]

It's absurd that he feels able to impose on you in this way.

To be honest, I think his absurd attempts to push me away were "for my own benefit."

[Which is the frustrating part, really. That he'd simply assume Crow couldn't handle whatever baggage he carries.]

So you may be right. Perhaps I was too cordial to begin with.

You know, you could save me the trouble. Get in touch with him again. Give him the kicking he deserves. I'm sure he'd even thank you.

[And there's the new coffee, for which he is devoutly thankful.]

Of course, forgiving as you are, you'll devolve it to me. The awful Akechi.

You're not awful. An awful person wouldn't put up with my bullshit and treat me to coffee.

[Time to take another swig.]

I don't want you to feel like you have to fight my battles. I just need to step back for my own good.

Crow... [He spreads his hands, with a bit of a glare. If he needs to step back, and he knows that, then step back.]

I cut the conversation short. I believe that speaks for itself.

[It's stepping back. Giving himself a chance to cool his head and giving the other Ren that same luxury.]

That's not stepping back. You're still on his leash.

[Is that coffee cool enough to sip yet? Clearly not. He sips it anyway.]

And what would you consider to be stepping back?

[Do tell. Enlighten him.]

[There is a brutal pause as he sets his coffee cup down again.]

Leave him to rot.

[Because he doesn't deserve Crow. And Crow doesn't deserve this. And it burns like acid that Magpie will never make him see it.]

[...Yeah, that's about what he expected.

Crow sighs, nudging his now empty mug aside in favor of the new one.]

I'd sooner stand my ground, but I'm simply not in the right mindset to do so. I doubt he's in the proper mindset to take it, either.

[Very carefully, he boxes up some of the shit inside him, shifting it around like some bizarre cognitive Quadris.]

What will help your mindset?

Literally anything else.

[Different topics. Different activities. Different company. Just something to ground him...]

[Anything else, is it?]

So... do you want to kill some shit in Mementos after this? To be honest, I'm surprised you didn't try that before it all reached this point.

...Sure. That is one way to blow off steam.

[It's been a while since he sat down and did that, but... hm.]

Oh, I should probably mention that Yoshizawa-san ran into that particular Shadow. Seems she's trying to plan a way to get into Tartarus and rescue Sparrow.

You dissuaded her, I hope. The last thing you need is him walking around again.

[How's his coffee looking? Not that empty, all things considered. He knows rescuing Sparrow is likely inevitable, but he's not sure Yoshizawa-san, much less Crow's questionable Yoshizawa-san, is the best candidate.]

Nothing would dissuade her. All we can do is assert that she not do it alone and get herself stuck for over a month again.

[Because that happened. Crow doesn't know how, but it did.

So he's just going to take another sip as he lets that sink in.]

[Yeah, that... that takes some sinking in.]

And nobody noticed?

[Surely Crow was keeping tabs on the probably-nefarious Yoshizawa from his world? Then again, it says a lot about the amount on his other-self's plate if he didn't. As for Sparrow... Magpie noticed he was gone, for sure, but he was more grateful than anything else.]

I certainly didn't, but in my defense, I was prioritizing your comfort over any loose ends with her.

[It was, after all, around the time that Magpie was small. Being a good guardian was a far more pressing matter.]

[Ah. His glance skitters away.]

On this note, are we certain Moth is safe?

I asked Igor, and he confirmed that Moth returned home.

[So there's that. He isn't trapped in Tartarus or otherwise lost.

Crow takes another sip of coffee.]

We're putting a lot of trust in what Igor says. Though, from what I hear, it's panning out with my younger self, who still exists.

[But fair enough, for the time being. He sips his own coffee.]

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