messianic | IC

Very well. I will be over soon.

[ And just as promised, it takes him only a short while to get everything sorted out before making his way to Bluo. Upon arrival, he knocks on the door twice, a bucket of fresh water in one hand and a basket containing an assortment of berries and a can of spam that he took from Lupin's pantry-- with permission, of course! ]

Arisato-kun?

[It gives him time to make sure he's downstairs, at least, so it doesn't take him long to open the door.

But.

He's definitely still leaning against the doorframe a bit, pale and disheveled, though he's trying to be...subtle about it...]

Akechi-san.... hello. Sorry for making you come all this way, but...come in.

[ Akechi's brows all but shoot upwards at that sight; he knew Minato had been sick, but he had assumed it had been something far less serious than current evidence seems to point to. ]

There's no need to apologize. I did offer to come.

[ And with a quick "excuse me," he makes his way in, placing the water and basket on the nearest table before turning to face Minato again. ]

And I must say, I am glad I did. [ His eyes narrow, and then: ] I was correct about my suspicions: you did severely downplay how sick you were.

[... Ha... the light scolding does get Minato to duck his head a little, breathing out a soft sigh as he rubs at his face.]

... I'm recovering now. I just didn't...really want to worry you, Akechi-san.

[That's sincere, at least; he thinks he's worried enough people for a lifetime already.]

[ Seriously, what is up with these people? Fussing all over Akechi when he lost his color, calling him a friend-- calling him family, yet hesitating to rely on him when it's their turn to need help? How is he supposed to believe their feelings are genuine when they apparently don't understand the basic tenets of human relationships?

Akechi hates this. Liars, all of them. ]

You showed concern for me even when you barely knew me. I would think it's only natural to worry for a friend, isn't it?

[ But Akechi is a liar, too, and a hypocrite, so he doesn't really let any real signs of disappointment show-- not his anger, either. He keeps a neutral expression, calm, though he does heave a sigh. ]

There's no way this is a common sickness, either, correct With your powers, you could have easily healed yourself.

I guess that's true...

[Minato offers a rueful smile in return, tired and soft. He hates worrying people. He's never sure what to do about it, and even now...]

I appreciate the worry, I really do.

[For what it's worth.]

And I guess... I didn't want to get scolded again, but.

[Ruefully:]

It was the reward for the Jorogumo quest. I thought it'd be safe, but it was just poison instead.

Poison...?

[ Immediate reaction: Minato, what the fuck?

Secondary reaction: Minato, seriously what the fuck? ]

I... assume there was no way for you to know what you were dealing with. [ Though maybe he's being... very generous here. Would Minato really not drink poison even if he knew what it was? Unsure. ] Regardless, I have to wonder what you were thinking, drinking from questionable content like that. Even I am not quite that curious...

[ And maybe he has drunk from questionable contents before, so maybe that's why he's not yelling or giving Minato more of an earful. He doesn't exactly have the moral high ground. ]

[Sorry, Akechi... Minato just sighs, nodding a little. He wouldn't drink poison if he knew it was poison!! He's not suicidal, god!]

... The other instances of the potion had seemed harmless, so... I wanted to know what it would do. If it was useful to someone, I could've given it to them.

[But obviously he couldn't ask anyone else to put themselves at risk testing it.

So.

Poison.]

... It was more dangerous than I was expecting, I guess. Thankfully, I have my Persona...

[ Oh, okay, not suicidal. Just outstandingly stupid, then, got it. ]

It truly must have been, if even your Persona couldn't fully heal you from the aftereffects. [ But it has kept him alive, at least, so that's... good. ]

Regardless, I must ask you to please be more careful with what you consume in this place, Arisato-kun. I find it admirable that you wish to help people, but what good will it be if you wind up harming yourself?

[Correct.]

... Yeah, you're right. I definitely won't do it again.

[He just kind of sighs, leading the way inside so they can sit down.]

It was dumb to assume it'd be harmless just because the others were, I know.

[ WELL........... ]

It was... reckless, but your heart was in the right place. Do try not to be too hard on yourself, now that the worst is over.

[ See, not a full scolding! And he'll follow after Minato, but first! He'll drop by the table and pick up that bucket of fresh water he brought along, like the good boy he is!! ]

You should drink plenty of water to wash whatever is left of the poison out of your system, though. Do you have any mugs I can use?

[... Aw, Akechi. Minato is admittedly pleasantly surprised to not be getting a full scolding here. It's nice, since he's heard plenty of scolding until now.]

... Right.

[He appreciates it!]

Yeah, there are some mugs in the kitchen. It's just over there--they should be clean.

[Minato is a Domestic Protag, so he keeps the place tidy.]

[ Oh, good, a Domestic Protag comes really in handy at the moment. So Akechi will make a quick trip to the kitchen and return with a clean mug, then dip it in the bucket to fill it up. ]

Here. Drink up.

[ And now that he has kindly returned Minato's mother hen tendencies, he'll take a seat, like a proper guest. ]

Speaking of potions, though... I have been giving this some thought, and upon retrospect, I believe I, too, might have inadvertently consumed one before.

[... Oh.

Oh?

Oh... Minato assumes that Akechi didn't ingest poison, so-- he blinks over his mug of fresh water.]

... You did? How... did you drink some inadvertently? Are you okay?

[ Well, no, it wasn't poison, but... it might have been just as deadly, in different ways. ]

Ah, yes, I'm fine! [ He waves a hand dismissively. ] And, as I said, this is only speculation so far, but not too long ago, I found myself acting rather... strangely.

[ This is putting it mildly, to be honest. But anyway!! ]

Granted, it's true we often fall victim to the whimsies of whoever rules this place, but at the time, Kyrie-san was acting in a similarly strange way. I happened to drink from a bottle I had found in his house, and shortly after noticed the change in my behavior.

[Strangely...

Kyrie-san...

Now he's getting more and more concerned.]

... What do you mean by "strangely"...?

A-ah, that was...

[ Embarrassing. Very embarrassing. And he'd rather forget about it if he can help it, but now that he brought it up: ]

He was acting strangely... affectionate. [ A subtle cringe. ] To the point of... hugging me.

[ The cringe isn't so much over the fact Kyrie gave him a hug. though. Rather, it's because, as previously stated, Akechi was acting in the same way. ]

[... Oh.

So then that means--]

That's definitely unusual for Kyrie-san... but then that means you were also hugging people?

[Is that really so bad, Akechi...]

[ UGH. Why did he have to be reminded of that day, he's still reeling from the aftereffects of embarrassment...!! ]

That would be... correct. [ And the cringe is more visible now. ] First it was Kyrie-san himself, but on the way home, I happened to run into an unfortunate lot of people...

[ And he hugged every single one of them. Yup. ]

[Huh... he doesn't think it's that bad of an effect, but on the other hand, it's clear Akechi's uncomfortable, and he doesn't intend to undermine what he went through.]

I guess hugging people you don't want to hug and don't intend on touching is really invasive... I'm sorry you went through that, Akechi-san. You feel fine now, though, right?

[Minato didn't get any hugs, so...!!]

[ WELL. It's definitely not as bad as, say, actual poisoning, but it was a pretty mortifying experience, considering Akechi's complete lack of affection and human touch for essentially all his life. ]

Indeed, it is. And I happened to run across a good number of strangers back then, too. They were all mostly kind and understanding, but... I still can't help but regret how terrible of a first impression that must have made.

[ This just in, everyone thinks Akechi is a needy, touch-starved soft boy. Spoilers: they're not (entirely) wrong. ]

But, I am glad the effects have long since run off. That would have made for a fairly inappropriate greeting, haha...!

[ Minato, you don't want a hug, right?? ]

[He would totally have taken a hug, but he doesn't need one right now. Still... he does look a little bemused by that.]

I guess you're just not a very affectionate person then...? I mean, I agree that hugging strangers is really embarrassing, but we're friends, right?

I don't think hugs are that inappropriate between friends.

[He's not super touchy-feely either, but still. Every now and then, it's not so bad...!

Though there's nothing wrong with wanting personal space either, so he doesn't sound judging about it, just quietly curious.]

[ Calling Akechi "not a very affectionate person" is really an understatement, but there's no need to bring that up when he has a perfectly valid excuse to be the way he is!! ]

Arisato-kun, do you really come from the same Japan as I do? [ It's said in a friendly tone, though, very much in jest. ] Such displays of affection aren't exactly welcome in our society; if anything, they're frowned upon. Or... could it be that you simply don't mind their judgement?

[ If that's true, then that's one more way in which Minato and Akira are alike. ]

... I did for a long time.

[Minato admits that much ruefully, expression more contemplative than anything. He remembers the thought that maybe, maybe if he could be more like a normal boy, if he could do better and be more like what people wanted, he wouldn't be sent away again. Maybe someone would actually adopt and keep him, instead of shuffling him from home to home because he was never, ever truly wanted.

But.

It didn't work out that way. And now...]

I thought that things would be easier if I was the sort of person that everyone wanted me to be. But... that didn't help either.

[... A shake of his head, more contemplative than anything.]

So I'd rather be myself now, whether that means giving people hugs or not. [A beat, and he adds a touch sheepishly:] Though I'm not really that into physical affection either. Sometimes it's just...important.

You thought... things would be easier?

[ Well, damn. Akechi listens to the exposition attentively, and perhaps a little more curious than his usual-- because, this time, it's genuine. He can't place his finger on it, but there's something about it that just feels too familiar-- not just Minato's choices and behavior from the past, because that is all obviously the exact same Akechi still does, but something... deeper. A connection, as intangible as it's real.

Unbeknownst to him, and for all that he gives him flack for being too similar to Akira, Akechi, too, has a lot in common with Minato. ]

I suppose I can understand why you would feel that way.

[ This much, he can say in earnest. More than simply understand that need to belong, he relates to it. ]

But, in order to fully be yourself, you have to disregard the opinion of others... To be honest, I'm not sure whether I should admonish or envy you.

[ He definitely feels the latter, though. ]

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actions!!

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what happened to my question mark in that tag...

eaten by the question mark monster

I hope that's a quest next month

me too, i'd fight that monster

nobody in awash can ask questions until it's defeated!!

don't give them ideas

HEY MODS LOOK OVER HERE

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