wizardmanor | Floor 1, Room 3

It's not that you're the issue here. It's more like... where I come from, most people wouldn't believe half the things I say without seeing them for themselves. You're the skeptical type, so I thought you'd need convincing to believe me.

[He's kind of a bullshitter, besides.]

[ Well, he has a good reason for that, it seems. Still, he can't help but feel a mild sense of frustration that Akira wouldn't just ask him anyway.

He sighs. ]

Akira, I'm a Conjurer. I used my own spiritual power to conjure my weapon. You don't need to convince me of much at all.

Alright, I get it. So if I told you I was the Phantom Thief of Hearts, you'd believe me without question?

[ It sounds almost ridiculous, but... ]

I will. Just tell me about it.

[ And if his shoulders tensed at the word "phantom"? Well, he can't do anything about that. ]

[He sees that flinch. Maybe Kurapika saw The Phantom Menace and hated it. Poor guy.]

Can you promise me you won't tell anyone else? Just knowing how my power works could enable other people to do the same, and not everyone has noble intentions.

[ Bold of you to assume he watches movies. ]

Do you really think I'm some kind of gossip, Akira? I won't tell anyone. [ ... ] The knowledge of someone's abilities in my world could mean life or death. I take this seriously.

Edited 2024-05-13 03:12 (UTC)

[Deep breath in. Long, whistling exhale out.]

We stole the desires of the corrupted and the people who abused their power to trample over others. We took the very root of that evil and destroyed it. That's what my friends and I did.

We weren't the only ones, though. A few people with less noble intentions were able to access the same "reality" we could and wreak havoc instead. That place is called Mementos, and you can think of it as the collective human conscious.

You changed the very core of people's sense of self?

[ He doesn't sound in disbelief, but...

It's a noble cause, but immediately his mind starts to calculate the risks. ]

I'm sure you don't need me to tell you how risky that sounds, especially to yourself.

[Akira nods just once.]

I know. We'd pulled it off several times and we were taking big risks every time. Some things are worth doing no matter what the personal cost.

Why was it worth it to you?

[ He genuinely wants to know, especially when he understands the weight of significant risks being worth it himself. ]

Why else? Because those people were hurting my friends. Those people were ruining lives. I had the power to put a stop to it, so I did. It's just that simple.

For most people, it really isn't that simple. I hope you're aware of that much, at least.

[ That you really are a good person. ]

Of course I am. Most people shouldn't be doing that sort of thing anyway. Most people aren't cut out for engaging with life and death situations on the regular, right? That's why they need heroes.

[Those who can, should.]

[ Those thoughts feel painfully familiar to him—that's exactly how he felt about Hunters, back before he became one and got caught up in attaining his goals. ]

And you're really okay with taking something like that on?

Of course I am. I spent a year doing it, Kurapika. If I didn't believe in what I was doing, I would've quit long before now.

[Besides... He meets Kurapika's gaze.]

It gives meaning to my life. A purpose. I wouldn't give up what I do for anything.

[ He can feel Akira's gaze, though he can't see it... not quite. As the red fades from his eyes, so does his lack of vision—now, he can see vague shapes and outlines. ]

So you understand how I feel, then. At least partially.

...You got me there.

[He hadn't wanted to admit it. Hadn't wanted to see their similarities as starkly as Kurapika lays them out before him.]

Guess that makes me a hypocrite, huh? Oh well. That's not going to change the way I feel.

[Not about his own path, and certainly not about Kurapika's. Revenge, he'll insist, will always lead to death.]

It makes you a self-aware hypocrite.

[ Now that he has a better sense of his surroundings and the pain has subsided, he unfurls himself from the blankets, creating a crumpled mess of them in the process. ]

But so am I. After all, I don't think you should bear a burden so heavy. You deserve a peaceful life, not one with the weight of other people's very sense of selves on your shoulders.

[Akira rises from his seat and steps over to the side of the bed. Kurapika still can't see, can he? He'll need help getting back to his room (that better be where he's going).]

And I believe you deserve the same.

[At least they want this for each other even if they're solidly convinced their paths can never be so rosy and peaceful.]

Here, Kurapika. I'll take you back to your room.

[ He can vaguely see the outline of Akira's body, so he places a hand on his shoulder for balance as he moves to the edge of the bed. ]

You don't have to do that.

[Akira loops a hand around to support Kurapika's lower back, helping him up onto his feet and heading for the door.]

It's not about having to do anything. I want to.

I still don't get why you do.

[ He isn't worth worrying about to this extent. The fact that so many people have helped him, and now Akira is too, has thrown him for such a loop that he isn't sure what to do or how to feel.

It's a small moment of weakness, but he stops in their trek towards the door to just... rest his forehead on Akira's shoulder.

Give him a minute. ]

[Take all the time you need, Kurapika. The hand at his back holds him closer.]

Spend enough time with me and you'll get it sooner or later.

[Maybe he's just being kind. Maybe Kurapika's special. That's not an answer for Akira to give.]

[ He sighs. Will he really? Kurapika isn't so sure about that, but he does know that he won't mind spending more time with Akira.

That that says or what it means is something he doesn't want to think about right now, so he instead focuses on the way Akira pulls him closer, warmth emanating from his hand. ]

...Thank you.

[ For helping him? For caring? For making out with him?

It's hard to say, but he wants to express that much, at least. ]

Mm. Any time.

[He doesn't mind helping Kurapika... or caring about him, or even making out with him. So long as the latter never elicits such a strong reaction in him again, Akira will gladly indulge.

Slowly, carefully, Akira moves them along to the door and out of the room. It's with similar care that he helps Kurapika up the stairs and down the hallway to his room, helping him unlock the door if need be.]

Take it easy, okay?

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revengier - 2024-05-18 05:56 (UTC) - Expand