[ic] it starts with an earthquake

[pancakeboy]

[[ooc: backdated to the 27th.]]

It's dawn when Akechi wakes.

Grey light is filtering through the curtains and nothing stirs. Everything seems... fine? He can't remember the last time he slept this well, in fact. His arm is around someone, and his other arm's folded beneath the pillow, and—

Wait, what the fuck?! Back up!

The fact of himself hits him all at once, and he freezes in horror. Raven is in front of him—still asleep? Akechi prays he's asleep—and with a bit of luck, he won't wake for a good while longer. Long enough to sneak away to freedom, perhaps.

The last two months tangle in his head all at once. And he starts to work untangling them, of course, because that's just who he is. His hand tightens, half-perceptibly, in Raven's pyjama top.

Comments

[fogboundcrow]

Raven is clinging very close. When he last went to sleep, Magpie was still small. But the cuddles are nice and warm, especially in winter, and Magpie is special no matter what age he is. It's been nice, just having another kid around his age to spend time with, and...

...Bright. There's light coming in. Too bright.

He mutters something kinda silly, because he's not fully awake. "...make the sun go away..."

[pancakeboy]

—shit shit shit, the kid is waking. He resists the urge to simply roll off the futon and onto the floor to freedom. Truth be told, though, the urge feels more like old habit than anything else.

Absently, he lifts a finger, trailing it through Raven's hair as he speaks in an undertone. "Back to sleep, Raven-kun."

Hey, you never know.

[fogboundcrow]

Mmm... nice hair strokes. Very relaxing. He just keeps clinging, because it's very comforting, and—

That is not a prepubescent voice.

Sorry, Magpie. If you thought you were getting away all stealth-like, think again because those sleepy eyes are popping wide open.

And staring.

And absorbing the fact that—

"You're back!"

...and more clinging. Shit. His eyes are watering and that's so embarrassing because Magpie is big again.

"...You're really back."

[pancakeboy]

—what? This is not what he predicted. Obviously he's by far the inferior Magpie, let alone the inferior Akechi. But none of this is going to make him cry, and thank fuck after the fortnight he's had since—yeah, not thinking about her right now.

"Shit. You really need to clean your teeth." But he doesn't push Raven away, just rests a hand on his shoulder to keep him close and lets him cling. It's like there's a void inside him now.

[fogboundcrow]

"Teeth can wait." He huffs softly. This is more important. Very, very important. "...Do you remember everything that happened?" He probably does, but... well. It's important to ask. Just to be safe.

[pancakeboy]

Moment of truth, Magpie—the stupid codename comes easier than it used to, which is annoying. He could lie. He could say he remembers nothing, and feel Raven wilt against him. He could pull his bonds from him by the root and watch them wither.

"I remember." He braces himself for this to be a big deal. Either that, or he owes Raven money, and doesn't remember.

[fogboundcrow]

"Good." That's good. A relief. It means he'll remember all the good times they had. "I'm sure Crow will be happy, too. He missed you. ...We both did." No. He is not going to cry. No, he has to be mature and strong! He can't make this weird.

[pancakeboy]

Shit, he cried his fucking eyes out on Crow like a baby, didn't he? He is never going to hear the end of that; he grunts under his breath.

He doesn't ask anything stupid, like Why would you miss me? That one he found the answer to long ago, which is that Crow, and his overearnest younger form, are totally insane. Except—

He looks down at Raven, lips turning down. "You were going to, ah. Text him. Weren't you?"

[fogboundcrow]

"I'd like to, but you're important too." Which is exactly why he is content to be here. "I'm sorry you had to go through all of that. I know you don't want pity, and I don't want to make this strange or uncomfortable. I just..."

He's not sure what he's going for here. It's been months. All the stuff he learned, he learned while Magpie was small.

[pancakeboy]

Yeah, Magpie shoots him a quick look. But it's not dismissive or superior, it's... shy, almost. Hunted.

"Stopping this train of thought would be a good way to avoid those things." He hasn't let go, though, or moved to leave; his thumb is moving absently against Raven's shoulder. "Those things were all years ago, for me.

"How do you feel?" In other words, Raven, let's talk about you.

[fogboundcrow]

"Happy to see you." That's important to stress. He can't emphasize it enough! "Sad that he has to return to his awful uncle... but I hope he'll be able to find a path that makes him happy. And that we'll be able to stay in touch."

He might as well be honest about that. That's important. Still... "But I'm not disappointed you're here. So please don't think that. ...I don't know if you do, but on the off chance that was a concern of yours, I am nipping that in the bud right now."

[pancakeboy]

"I hope you don't think I'm going to run errands with you and"—he winces, looking confused—"that guy. Shit, that's almost the worst that could have happened, isn't it?"

Rather than get up, he turns, taking his arm back to drop it over his eyes. "Of all the people here it could have been. Anyone else." He peeps out. "Don't worry about Jiro. I moved on from him in the end. Though I guess he'll have to handle it differently."

How elder-Magpie "handled" his uncle is apt to be a more alarming thought than it in fact was, but still.

[fogboundcrow]

He blows a small sigh. "I still don't know what happened between you two to cause such ire, but I know it's none of my business." Too personal for him to fairly say one way or the other how he ought to feel. "...Is it okay? That we told the truth, about everything."

He wasn't sure. It was a lot to trouble a child with, but... "I think it'll help him, but I understand if you believe we overstepped. I didn't want to break my promise..."

[pancakeboy]

There's a long moment of silence, as he thinks about it. Then... he sits up, grabs Raven by the back of his neck, and buries his nose in his hair.

Letting him go with a sniff, he folds his arm back under his head, watching the kid. "I think it was unavoidable. If you hadn't told him, someone else would have. And who knows, maybe he can even make a better fist of it than I did."

Which is unfair as fuck, for the record. But then again, Akechi did bring all his miseries on himself, as he'll swear to this day.

[fogboundcrow]

Um... All right. That was all very sudden, and it leaves Raven staring for a few seconds, slightly confused. A nuzzle from Magpie... but as he is now. A shy little smile forms for a few seconds, before he ducks his head, slightly embarrassed.

"I suppose time will tell." Hm... "You were alone for so long. It wasn't fair, but you aren't alone anymore. If he's able to contact me, then that means we should all be able to stay in touch. It's... comforting."

[pancakeboy]

"With all of you advising him, maybe it'll even make up for all the advantages Ren had. Like his magic cat." Yes, he's still grumpy about Morgana.

"Or maybe he'll meet him before he's in middle school. That would... well, that would change everything, wouldn't it?"

And if he can go back, and still talk to Crow? Even if things work out badly with Ren...? What would that change? Hell, it's like he hasn't thought over what's waiting for him at home for... months.

[fogboundcrow]

"Considering Crow's connections, I imagine it might be an even greater advantage. He has the knowledge of the Metaverse and ties to many powerful allies who have doubtlessly given him a wealth of knowledge."

And, okay, maybe he's pouting just a little at that. There's still so much to live up to, damn it!

"It's difficult to say what will change. Time will tell. And we're still here for you, too. I'm sure Crow will talk your ear off the second he gets the chance."

[pancakeboy]

"Crow is going to be relieved he's not wiping my nose and digging me out of the snow any longer, I'm sure." It's almost the same old too-light tone. Then he blinks.

"You know, I bet one of those newcomers has taken my apartment? That would be typical, wouldn't it." Of course if he vanishes for two months he'll just lose everything. What else would you expect?

[fogboundcrow]

Heh. That gets a little smirk to take root. "Crow anticipated that and acted accordingly." He'll give Magpie a second to stew on that. "He put up a sign informing those within the vicinity that the apartment is occupied and that you rather like your privacy..."

Another lil' pause. "However, since Crow found a way to access his own bedroom, we do have an open vacancy, should you ever wish to stay here for the night."

[pancakeboy]

Magpie absorbs that. "Crow's old bedroom? You know, that idea's not immediately repellent."

[fogboundcrow]

"It's rather spacious. Since he regained his version of this room, he's left it open for any prospective guests. Ren seems happier as well."

His face crumples a little. "You know, he tried to check the soundproofing, since both rooms occupy the same space. He had me stand out in the hall while he allegedly pounded the walls and blasted loud music. I did not, in fact, hear it."

[pancakeboy]

Yeah, Magpie doesn't even try to keep his face from crumpling. "Do you have any idea how much happier I was, not kn..."

For some reason, though, it's the thought of Crow's newfound sex life that pings something far deeper; something that drives him straight into action. He sits up, looking about. "Where's my phone?"

[fogboundcrow]

"Try the desk." It's not far from the futon. Raven's phone is there, too, flipped shut. "Is everything all right?"

[pancakeboy]

"Yeah. Fine." But he's up—in a perfectly upscaled version of younger-Magpie's pyjamas—and dwarfing the tween-sized desk, he picks up his own old phone, which has been out of commission the whole time he was gone.

He sits on the bed, swiping in a blur of a lock pattern and going to his contacts, to the As. He scrolls down a surprisingly long distance, stopping immaculately on Amamiya Ren.

... but that's all. Two contacts. One is Crow's Ren, presumably asleep, or fucking, somewhere between dimensions. The other contact, the one he was looking for, has no world code and is greyed out.

He bites his lip looking at it, before realising he doesn't do that any more and unpicking it. Greyed out. Of course it is. Shit.

[fogboundcrow]

"Oh." Right... his Ren was here during Halloween. That's what started all of this, isn't it?

Raven scoots a little closer. "He could come back. I know Crow talked to him after you... changed. He may be able to tell you more about that."