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"Magpese? That's awful." He pouts a bit, but doesn't outright deny anything. "What's wrong with just Magpie? Like birds speak."

"Perhaps the awful wordplay was the point." Hey, look at that. He's got a lil' smirk. "At least I'm not making bear puns."

Teddie is a gift and a treasure. Teddie would also annoy Magpie to no end.

"Yes, the more I hear about the bear puns, the more I cherish our current peaceful state." There's no denying it. But then, a lot of people annoy Magpie to no end.

The smirk gets his attention. Part of him wants to ask, why did you get so upset earlier about gay chicken? Just to know.

"Teddie would bring some much-needed levity, at least." He shrugs. He has his feelings, and Magpie... is Magpie. "But as I was saying, denial just makes it more obvious that there's more to the story. You're allowed to be honest about your feelings."

"I don't need to worry about my feelings. I spent a long while learning not to have any." He stretches.

"Yes, but that isn't healthy. To bury, to repress, to keep it all locked up tight... It's numbing in the moment, perhaps, but in the long term..." His arms fold loosely over his chest, and he frowns. "You're in a safe place, surrounded by people who love you. You don't have to deny yourself the validity of your feelings."

He resists the urge to glare at the Shadow, who's leaning against the wall exactly where Magpie did earlier. Did he pick that up from Raven? "And when I go back? Precious little good they'll do me then."

When he has to face Ren, and the other Phantom Thieves. And the public. And Shido.

"You'll still have contact with them. Even if they can't be with you physically, you'll have contacts. A support system." Really, he should know this. Then again, Falcon had similar doubts...

"Your younger self has benefited greatly from his connections. I'm sure you would too, if you let yourself. And that's not factoring in the possibility that your Ren could arrive any day."

His lips purse briefly; the last thing he wants to think about, with what faces him tomorrow, is Ren coming here. "I don't mean the people. I have to be able to compartmentalise. Shit, you don't even have a name."

"But you can still take the time to come up with plans for how to navigate the dangers ahead. You can consider what you want to say to Ren and the others." But a name...

His face falls.

"We're... working on that. I've gotten suggestions here and there. Kou, Hiro, Keio, and others. It's a start, isn't it?"

Edited 2024-07-17 15:26 (UTC)

"Hiro. You could pick anything, and you go for that." It's... so bland. So faceless. "How are you writing them again?"

"It was Falcon's suggestion, and it's still just one possibility." Still, if Magpie finds it less appealing... hmm. "I suppose the choice in kanji could make all the difference. 'Hiro' has a rather diverse range of meanings, but part of why I've yet to settle is because it's hard to discern a name that suits me."

He pauses.

"Wait! This isn't supposed to be about me in the first place."

"This is a conversation, isn't it? You're not a servant." He watches from his pillow, arm still folded beneath his head, lazily the way a cat watches.

"Well, yes, but I came here to support you." Damn it. It's not that Magpie is wrong, either. "Well, then. What would you suggest?"

Huh. He half-saw the question coming, but it still catches him a bit unawares. He thinks about it for a moment.

After a second, he reaches for his phone. When he offers it, it bears a text window with a name written. Ryo, written with the characters for "companion" and "crow".

Oh! Crow's Shadow moves closer to take a better look, reaching for his chin in that typical Akechi fashion.

"Interesting. And certainly not unfitting..." Hmmm, very, very interesting. "Then again, I'd expect nothing less from you."

"It doesn't exactly assert your independence." He takes the phone back, shutting it off and sliding it back onto the bedside table. "But perhaps you want to remember your roots."

It's better than Hiro, anyway. Though perhaps it's to be expected Falcon would go for something like that.

"Ha... That's the question, isn't it? What do I want?" Well, hopefully Magpie won't mind if he sits down. He'll try not to sit too close, at least. "I'm not used to prioritizing myself over others. To be honest, it drives Crow crazy."

"Who'd have thought," he deadpans. As if they didn't just spend five minutes teasing out whether or not Kou-Hiro-Keio-Ryo can have thoughts of his own.

"I suppose I shouldn't take it for granted. It's been years, and he's taken so many steps to assert my validity, my identity..." He stops himself again. "But, again, I'm supposed to be helping you, not the other way around."

"I don't need help." A bit of annoyance creeps in.

"Why are you so averse to people caring about you?" Oh, that little subtle edge is back. His eyes narrow slightly. "You deflect, but in doing so, neglect your needs. Again, I know how this works. I was literally born because Crow was exactly like that."

Edited 2024-07-17 15:55 (UTC)

Crossly, he sits up. "Did you come here just to annoy me? I have enough to worry about as it is."

Oops.

"No, I came here because I wanted to support you after what was an emotionally exhausting evening. Because I care." Still pouting here. It's not quite a glare, but sharper than normal.

"Because it's easier than worrying about yourself, I know. Which is why you keep insisting we don't talk about you." He doesn't want to talk about himself.

And yet, tomorrow he's going to have to. In front of everyone.

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