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[laevateinns]

wip wip but hit him up anyway

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[laevateinns]

[ akechi has a teenager moment of UGH, WHATEVER, at this guy's CALM ACCEPTANCE. ]

Seems like you already know the answer, then.

[ he knows, logically, that he's being unfair. that mistletoe had sent everyone wild in different ways, and... it's not like akechi had meant to attack him either, really.

but.

but. ]

You told me you'd forget it, but something tells me you're not going to.

[vecna]

[He can't blame him. He'd feel the same.

And maybe that's the point.]

The memory itself will be hard to forget, but I don't feel the need to rub it in your face for no reason.

[Henry weaponzies bad memories, trauma. He doesn't fling them about for fun, just for the heck of it. At least... not in this hotel.]

It's more... Well. That politeness you put on, would you say that's just an act for you?

[laevateinns]

[ "for no reason," he says.'

so if he had a reason...?

the question makes him pause though. ]

Politeness has its uses.

[ which is. not technically an answer. but also totally an answer. ]

[vecna]

[If he had a reason.

It's a half-answer, anyway.]

To get people to do what you want, right?

[laevateinns]

[ ...when he puts it like that... ]

That's certainly part of it. Although I wouldn't put it so broadly, personally.

I don't just go around trying to get everyone to do what I want for fun.

[ ...perhaps much like henry needs "a reason" to use things against people. ]

[vecna]

[Much like that, yes.]

No, I suppose not.

I'm wearing a smile because otherwise, it makes it difficult for people to function around me. [That's a nice way of putting it.] But if I had a choice, I wouldn't need to do it at all.

It's tiring, that's what I mean. Adhering in the stage play that is everything all around us. Along with my apology, I just wanted to let you know that someone else functions the same way as you.

[Maybe this is too much of an assumption, but. Henry's making it anyway.]

[laevateinns]

[ akechi immediately bristles again at someone trying to act like they understand, like they know, him, but.

but. ]

A stage play? That's awfully dramatic.

[ akechi agrees. he also... agrees with wishing he didn't have to. he'd spent all that time acting that way for all kinds of reasons, but then... he has to admit he had... fun, getting to let go and be more himself when the ruse was finally up. ]

Most people are shallow. [ is what he'll allow.

is he... sympathizing?? ]

[vecna]

Really? I think it's fitting. Aren't we all just playing some role expected of us?

>[It feels a little like sympathy. Maybe that's a step in the right direction, when it comes to... smoothing over their last meeting.]

[laevateinns]

[ HE'S NOT WRONG... and akechi agrees, he's just still feeling like a little shit and unsure if he wants to answer honestly or not. ]

You're not wrong. Everyone has a persona they show to the world.

[ haha... haha... ]

[vecna]

[Despite seeing Akechi's persona already, he has no way to correlate the two to what he's just read, alas.]

And that's not always a good thing. My own family employed that very well.

[But maybe that's a tale for another time.]

Either way, I hope there's not too much bad blood between us for now.

[laevateinns]

No, it's not always a good thing.

[ akechi's father tried to do much the same-- akechi himself did much the same.

ha. ]

I'd be interested to hear about that sometime. [ it's only fair, after all-- but yes, perhaps another time. as for the question... akechi mulls it over. thinks about it. eventually decides, ]

I know it wasn't your fault. I'm not happy about it, but I understand.