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[impede]

@goro.akechi | ■ ▲ ◌ ▼

Comments

@prom.argentum, misfire

[mercurio]

my favorite thing in a friend? it's their bones

[impede]

Oh? Do you make a delicious broth out of them?

@stephen.strange

[rehandle]

[ He's met with Damian, met with Daisy. The only one he's not met with is the boy whose face he didn't know until they were related, who he now knows better than he ought to. The youngest, who it feels uncomfortable to leave uncontacted.

Uncomfortable to contact, too. But duty and the memory of care wins out.

Curiosity a strong third. ]

Akechi.

[ Hello. ]

[impede]

[There was a comfort in the status quo before this precise moment. Forgotten and left alone by his fake family. He would be at peace without being forced to deal with them. He's used to neglect, to being forgotten. Of course, Akechi did well to fabricate this situation. He didn't make himself available, and even avoided his own roommate in the days that followed Zerzura.

But it was comfortable. It was the reality he knew. That reality is one that festered and twisted, turning him into the person he is now. He's a grand example of what could have been, and Zerzura was the stage for that particular show. His life was one, too, as he was a celebrity who had fanart on chalkboards in some schools. He was favored by many.

He could control his fate, or delude himself into it. That happened both in Zerzura and his real life. His life now, too.]

Hopefully you'll forgive me if I don't call you "father."

What can I do for you today?

[Because his actual father was a monster, a twisted creature who used and abused people his entire life. A man whose very child could inspire his mother's eventual death.

Unfortunately, Stephen Strange was never his father. Not really.]

@ren.amamiya

[variate]

I need your help.

[impede]

As long as it's not with dinner ...

@ren.amamiya

[variate]

[ it's a simple message. ]

I got it.

[ he knows better than to talk about it here. ]

I'll make coffee.

[impede]

[Rather than send him confirmation, Akechi finishes readying himself for the day: he just got out of the shower, so he's in the process of dying his hair properly and putting on his clothes. As he does it, he sends Ren a different kind of confirmation: three apartments, each rather nice, and set within walking distance of their jobs. They're expensive, but not out of Akechi's price range. What is a price range these days?

Once he exits his room, he moves to sit on the couch, crossing one leg over the other.]

I'm eager to hear what you found. [Not "found," but received. He doesn't correct his wording.]

@ren.amamiya | Feb. 19th

[variate]

I need your help, but I won't be able to answer a lot of your questions.

[impede]

And what questions would those be?

@ren.amamiya

[variate]

[ as soon as he's not sedated anymore. ]

Drugs are wearing off. Somewhere in South America. It's tropical. I'm fine.
What's going on with you?

[impede]

My next trip around the world involves New Cairo. I never got to try the cuisine, however. What a shame.

[This is exactly the response Ren should have expected, right?]

Do you feel compelled to do anything in particular?

@loki.odinson

[selfimage]

Where are you, exactly?
You don't exactly seem like an Everest person.

[ because guess who also isn't an Everest person? ]

[impede]

I intended to stay in New Amsterdam.

["Intent" means nothing.]

@ren.amamiya

[variate]

Let's go out tonight.

[ look who's taking the date initiative. ]

[impede]

[Ah, so he is.]

So long as it's nothing like that "music" festival.

@stephen.strange

[rehandle]

[ It's been a while since he last got in touch having staged a conspicuous absence at the latest sibling combustion convention, but here he is, Akechi's favourite guy, putting in an appearance. ]

Having fun?

[ Poor Fenris. ]

[impede]

It sounds like you're referring to something in particular.

[Akechi knows exactly what he's probably referring to right now.]

@tsera.vel

[bivariant]

I don't want a political career out of this, I'll prefix my offer with that.
Regardless of that, I can help you get what you need out of Jovavich. Want to meet up?

[impede]

Is this where I say something suggestive that contradicts your prefix?

[The amusement practically radiates from his text.]

Come by my place. Better to speak where it's secure.

@ren.amamiya

[variate]

[ I HOPE YOU'RE DEEP INTO SOMETHING AT WORK AKECHI

because someone's responding to your words with friends game and it's Ren. ]

DESIRABLE

[ enjoy. ]

[impede]

[It's tempting to send off a text instead of replying, but he looks at his letters, and decides on a word in turn.]

Rote

@loki.odinson

[selfimage]

[ guess who's kinda grumpy ]

I need an ID and I'm not in the mood.
Consider a favor in return.

1/2

[impede]

I've been surprisingly forthcoming with you, you know.

[Normally he wouldn't point this out. But—well. Loki's mood. And Akechi decides to be a pain.]

@yennefer.vengerberg

[angerberg]

You've seen this, haven't you?

[ she makes it seem like she's bringing it to his attention, confirming that he read the rest of the post he was in, but really she's grappling with how much of this is absolutely fucking greek to her. akechi is clever enough that if she introduces some of the links she's seeing, he's liable to help her fill in what she can't grasp. he's also not the only one receiving this message because yennefer knows better than to bank on a productive conversation here yet. ]

[impede]

Of course.

[But he doesn't launch into an explanation.]

I assume you'd like a private conversation away from the ignorant masses. I'm glad to have earned your approval.

@ren.amamiya

[variate]

There's a few things you should know about this group, if we're all going together.

[impede]

A rather large group, by my estimation. Are you certain that this isn't a general declaration on the Displaced themselves?

@tomoe.mikage | during the trip to antarctica

[jinshi]

[ after a few hours of trying to reach Ren... ]

Ren won't answer me.
Is something going on over there?

[jinshi]

I'm aware that you don't appreciate being bothered, but I'm out of patience.
Just tell me if the two of you are alright.
I swear I will leave it at that, against my better judgement.

@stephen.strange, earlyish during his absence/antarctica

[rehandle]

You'll be pleased to hear you're down a sibling.

[ Humor is easier than straight facts. Agitating Akechi with familial references at least gives himself a break from navigating feeling. ]

[rehandle]

[ Nothing for an hour. Stephen's not surprised, exactly, given the content of his message, but the opportunity to needle at anyone is rarely missed. It prompts a message to Ren. ]

@ren.amamiya

[variate]

I know things are still settling, but it's your birthday week.
Let's go somewhere.

[ as in, he may have somewhere in mind. also maybe something else, he is himself, after all. ]

[impede]

I haven't celebrated that in quite some time.

[It's a sad remark, and he knows exactly what it sounds like.

It's just also the truth.]

I'm sure you have something in mind. But if we're to celebrate it, I'd like to plan an outing for us, too.

@ren.amamiya

[variate]

I need your help with something, but it might be uncomfortable.

[impede]

This dreams business, I assume?

[Of course he stalks him online, too.]

@ren.amamiya

[variate]

[ after this. ]

We can't leave this alone.
It'll be like old times.

[ time for a heist. ]

[impede]

How do you intend to accomplish this? I have some thoughts, but traditional theft is out the window. We're dealing with data and suspicions.

[And they can't choose the wrong targets to ask questions, lest it screw them over.]

@stephen.strange

[rehandle]

You're on form today.

[impede]

Someone needs to be.

The fucking idiot who nearly outed El wishes to be domesticated by this world!

@ren.amamiya

[variate]

Hey.
Want to go somewhere? We could hit up the arcade.

[impede]

If this is a means to keep me in check, I'm not interested. You know precisely what I'm doing.

THE AERIE ( au event ) | @robinhood

[impede]

@cassian.andor | post aerie

[evasives]

I hear you were there until the end too.

[impede]

So it seems. I missed the opportunity to properly influence my punchability rating a bit more.

But the trade off was a conversation with JPG. The spoils of not dying, I suppose.

[For once. It could be said here. Akechi isn't keen on these little inconvenient alternate realities leading to death. Zerzura hadn't for him, but others had since then, mostly at home. It's annoying and unpleasant. He'll pass.]

@ren.amamiya

[variate]

[ so this is the second? words with friends game he's won in the last two hours. moving onto the third, he seems to be doing way too good. ]

PYX

[ is that a word he usually knows? probably not, but he's off to a good start. ]

[impede]

[It's not a word that he should know. Akechi has a sour look on his face, one that nearly terrifies one of Delafield-Chapin's office assistants.]

LOX

[A word very near and dear to the hearts of this city, especially since they wish they could have more of it.]

@ren.amamiya

[variate]

Kavinsky and Lynch have experience with dreams.
In their own world, but I don't think the experience can't be tried here.

[impede]

Are their dreams like ours? Something tells me that Kavinsky isn't much of a teacher.