[Day 12, afternoon: Akechi]

[purrtagonist]

[ANYWAY, he's totally pushing himself down the hallway. . . with one foot. . . again. aiming for the kitchen this time. which is, incidentally, right where he was coming from, so it isn't far off]

Right or left?

[???]

Comments

[afailedmurder]

Shouldn't you be back in the infirmary? I don't mind pushing you.

[purrtagonist]

Ichigo and Ulaz are there. Not yet.

Right, or left?

[afailedmurder]

[Irritable huff]

Left.

[purrtagonist]

[he pauses at a hallway corner, planting his foot against the ground to bring the wheelchair to a stop]

Huh.

My left cheek is the one that almost got shot, but I suppose you can still punch it anyway. If it'll make you feel better.

[CHIN UP, HEAD UP, lay one on him, detective. he's fine with it]

[afailedmurder]

[blinks]

Wh—I'm not about to hit someone in a wheelchair!

[purrtagonist]

I could stand up.

[seems contemplative?? about this?? Akira no]

[afailedmurder]

That's not the point! You're already injured!

[purrtagonist]

[hmmm!]

Okay.

[begins wheeling himself towards the kitchen again]

You don't have to. I was just throwing it out there as an option.

[afailedmurder]

[stands there and watches him, grunting with frustration]

You're such an idiot.

[purrtagonist]

[stops when he realizes Akechi isn't following]

. . . not an untrue observation. But what else?

[afailedmurder]

[stays right where he is and clenches his fists]

I can't depend on you.

[purrtagonist]

[. . . not unexpected, all things considered. tone even, he continues]

Why not?

[afailedmurder]

[straining to remain calm]

Your priorities are elsewhere. Do you really expect me to just chase after you? Like I'm some kind of pet?

[purrtagonist]

[that breaks through Akira's attempt at a poker face, because of all the things he expected, that wasn't one of them]

Huh?

-- no! What? Why would you think. . .?

[afailedmurder]

Because you have all the power here! I have to do what you say, but you can go off and do whatever you want? What kind of friendship is that?

[welp so much for staying calm]

[purrtagonist]

[. . . those words actually sound like an echo of something awfully familiar in the back of his brain, but he's way too focused on the yelling to think too hard about it right now]

I'm not-- what?

What power do you think I have, here?

[afailedmurder]

Not "here." You have power over me. You're the one who controls our situation back home; you're the one who has other people to fall back on. All I have is the threat that I represent.

[purrtagonist]

[what???]

[his own bewilderment finally gives way, and he raises his voice as well. this is probably a bad place to be yelling]

I'm trying to be someone you can fall back on. I'm trying reach out and grab your hand so you don't fall into the same patterns in which you got caught up back home. I'm trying to encourage you to make other friends so you have other people who will catch you, too-- like Graham, or Shuichi.

Or do you think that I wasn't being honest when I said I didn't think it was too late?

[afailedmurder]

[sort of realizing that himself, finally approaching him and grabbing hold of his wheelchair to steer him into the kitchen]

As a matter of fact, I don't think that. I'm fully confident that you believe every thoughtless, deluded thing that comes out of your own mouth!

[purrtagonist]

[lifts his foot so Akechi can do that, at least]

I don't make offers I don't intend to follow through on, Akechi! You of all people should know that!

And I didn't mean it as some sort of power grab to control you, either!

[afailedmurder]

I almost wish you had! At least then I could believe that you have the slightest idea of what you're doing! Maybe if you were using me then you could at least pretend as if you've listened to my concerns!

1/3

[purrtagonist]

I don't even know what I'm doing!

[purrtagonist]

[. . . . . . .]

[purrtagonist]

[slumps in the chair a bit, hand pressed against his forehead]

. . . I don't know what I'm doing.

[. . .]

And that's terrifying. Because Joker always did.

[afailedmurder]

You were objectively the most powerful human being alive, and now you're completely helpless.

[stops pushing, but maintains his position behind the chair]

Do you think I don't know exactly how terrifying that is?