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hey fakir if you love ducks so much

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Look at you, strawberry blonde 🩷

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General Kenobi had a way of understating things, Echo thought wryly, expression mostly professional except for the way his eyes narrowed a tick at the explosion. It was an indication of how serious things were by the number of times those understatements started to stack up. That and the distant explosions.

At least the alarms hadn't begun sounding, a sign of hull compromise, which meant they had time.

"Understood, sir," Echo said with a nod, offering a sharp salute before he turned on his heel. He had more experience with ground-based warfare, but he'd been trained in spacefighter combat. More than that, he knew the war with the Separatists had several fronts, and none of them asked his opinions before beginning the fight.

It seemed at least that Kenobi had a tactical retreat in mind, but he doubted Skywalker had been made aware of such tactics. A wry smile danced on his lips as he pulled on his bucket, clambering into a fighter of his own, performing an engine check as soon as he settled into place. Captain Rex was already out in the field, keeping pace with his Jedi, as any good clone should.

Eyes ticking to Fives to automatically check on his brother, he flicked on his comms as the cockpit sealed shut. "Ready to launch at your command, General." He could already hear the battery of laser cannons chattering over the comms from those already outside the transport ship.

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patience was a very important trait in a jedi. unfortunately for obi-wan, anakin seemed entirely intent on testing every last ounce of patience obi-wan currently possessed inside of him. deep inhales, drawing comfort in the force, were the only way obi-wan was going to get through this battle with a shred of his patience in tact.

he should be used to it by now. perhaps, a small part of him was - as amused by anakin's choices as he was frustrated - but he had a lot more men to keep alive that drew his focus now.

gaze snapping to echo, obi-wan plastered on a reassuring smile. "we need to ensure that general skywalker's efforts are..." another explosion, this one more violent than the first. "... not in vain."

curse his former padawan and his unusual methods. "we need to be prepared to make the jump to hyperspace at a moment's notice."

he hoped he and anakin were on the same wavelength there. this battle wasn't about engaging the enemy entirely - it was about breaking their blockade in order to get the souls they rescued back to coruscant. anakin was merely helping them clear the way, right?

"in the meantime, i need your best pilots to join me out there. i'm sure your general would... appreciate the assistance."

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bonus points if you recognize will's shirt

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Akira took it as some mark of success that Akechi didn't try to keep him from coming to his place. He'd never actually had the chance to visit the other's apartment, and it wasn't for lack of trying. He'd dropped hints and left opportunities for the two of them to hang out at some place besides LeBlanc or any of the other random hangouts around Tokyo, but Akechi had never taken the bait. Probably on purpose, Akira had began to wonder, but he didn't push it. Akira wanted to leave the guy some privacy, and he'd always been something of a private person.

Then again, the fact that Akechi didn't protest his coming along might be a sign that he was doing worse off than Akira figured. Worried eyes cut to Akechi's face again, trying to get a read on the guy besides 'miserable' and 'wet' but there wasn't much more he could really get out of him from the moment. Not when Akira was also miserable and wet.

The jacket was a gesture in futility, he realized it almost as soon as he lifted it above his own head, but a small bubble of happiness grew in his chest as Akechi took the other side. Pleased and trying his darnedest not to be that Akechi had taken his gesture in stride.

"I thought you said it was close," he almost whined, glancing up at the ominous sky, wondering what else it might offer before ducking his head to focus on making progress.

Akechi's place came sooner than he expected and was much nicer than he would have thought it might be. Blinking owlishly as he passed into the entry way, he quickly clocked the many signs of elegance just from inside the door, automatically reaching up to try to tame his hair slightly, even if it was pressed flat against his forehead. Shuffling back on his coat, he managed a small nod to the security guard, a weak attempt at being friendly, before he followed in Akechi's wake.

He felt a little bit guilty standing on such a nice floor and steadily dripping but there wasn't much he could do about it. "What floor are you on?" he asked curiously, the gentle ding of the elevator sounding to indicate the doors would be opening soon.

When they did slide open, Akira was greeted with subtle wood paneling around three of the walls, with a mirror on the wall holding the elevator door and button pad. Very elegant indeed, and he felt even more out of place.

I didn't invite you to come along, Kurusu. Biting words in his mind that Akechi kept to himself instead of actually snapping out at Akira. It wasn't like it would do any good. The other man would just shrug and say some pithy response about how he knew that, and yet would still continue to follow along with Akechi despite the clear acknowledgement that he knew he wasn't supposed to be coming along with him. Why bother going through that humiliating song and dance when the outcome was already clear?

Especially when there was always the chance that wasn't how it would play out, and Akira would apologize and turn back, and Akechi would be left to walk home on his own. It'd be fine of course. He'd be fine. He was always just... fine.

But what if this one time he wasn't?

The downpour got worse as the two of them walked, and in a feeble attempt to try to lessen the force of the rain Akira peeled his jacket off to hold it above his head. One side was offered to him, and with a sigh Akechi grabbed hold of it to hold it above his head. He was already soaked to the bone so it wasn't like it was doing anything to help with that, though he supposed it did help the worst of the heavy drops from splattering against his head.

"Not far." And a pause as one side of his mouth curved into something that was an almost smile. "Maybe just a ten minute walk?"

You signed up for this, Akira.

The rain showed no sign of letting up as they continued walking, leaving the both of them soaked to the bone by the time they reached the building his condo was in. Akechi tapped at Akira's arm before jerking his head to the side, indicating to follow him before stepping inside a building that felt far too nice to be where he lived. Clean marble floor (or relatively clean; wet and muddy footprints could be seen, but it was clear someone was actively mopping them up), bright lights, a seating area, and a security guard who frowned at Akira before nodding at Akechi.

They'd have to take the elevator up; his floor was too high to reasonably walk.

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"Nice to meet you, Felix," Akira replied politely, words clipped short, terse. It was a habitual greeting, something he said before he even realized what he said. Because it was not nice to meet this person, this not-Akechi. Not at all.

I'm going to be sick, I'm going to be sick, rattled around his mind as his eyes cut away, staring at the distant wasll as he tried to master himself. Again, he could just leave. Drag his sorry self back to the regular world and probably mope for a bit, even as he did his best not to show it. He didn't want to think about what it meant that there was a boy hear who could have been Akechi's twin, Akechi's ghost.

But where would that get him? Last time he tried to resist the pull of this cognitive place, he found himself dropped unceremoniously in the middle of it. And while he didn't think Lavenza was as powerful as the god who used Akechi and himself as play things, he didn't really want to push her to it.

What was that about free will again?

He didn't miss the question about safety for not-Akechi versus the world, tucking that thought away for a moment. Forcing back broiling emotions, he forced himself to look at not Ake--Felix. "Are you curious about the human world?" he asked, trying to keep his question as neutral sounding as possible and failing miserably.

Akira didn't finish his question, but she knew what he was hesitating to ask. How could she not? And yes, this was what she wanted, what she needed him to do. And it was cruel. To have to walk around with someone who was essentially the living corpse of person that you once knew and cared for was bad enough, but the relationship between Akira and Akechi had been... more complicated than that.

"Yes." Her eyes were downcast for a moment before Lavenza drew in a breath and made herself look up at him. "This is something only one with the power of the wildcard can do. No one else can."

He could deny this request. She could also try to force him. Lavenza hoped it wouldn't come to that, because what good would that do either of them?

A question was finally directed at him, and the pale-haired young man blinked as he met the other's gaze. He smiled after a moment, the expression perfunctory and stiff. "I am... not sure what I would be remembering. My sister has explained to me that I was only just born. What memories could I possibly have if that is the case?"

An answer. A non-answer. Whether or not he remembered his prior life, there could be no denying that he was created from Akechi's spirit.

"... My name is Felix. And I am certain I could explore the human world on my own, Lavenza-"

"No." Her voice was stern as the young woman cut him off near immediately. "We have already discussed this. It is not safe for you to wander about on your own."

"Not safe for me, or not safe other people?" A question that Lavenza chose not to answer.

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Akira's shoulder bumped Ryuji affectionately, smile still dancing on his lips as he tried to undo some of the guy's sudden nerves. Akira hadn't realized his initial question about knee pain would spring into such a lively dialogue or that Ryuji would be so uncomfortable about it when this was pointed out. It wasn't even Ryuji's knee pain that Akira had mentioned, more of a passing statement about his own knee that he'd tweaked while crossing traffic a couple weeks ago.

And Ryuji's comments had been insightful, talking about the most likely mechanism of injury and then beginning to run through helpful stretches and strengthening exercises that might even help. Akira had been staring, but more because he was impressed by just how much Ryuji had learned so far, not because it was weird or anything.

"I like listening to you talk," he reassured Ryuji, voice gentle. "It's really cool what you've learned so far." Reaching down, he rubbed at his own knee, poking at the place where it was still sore every so often, swinging it back and forth experimentally as he considered some of the stretches Ryuji suggested.

Shoulders bounced in a shrug as considered what to say in response to Ryuji's question, smile dulling slightly. "Not really doing much, just working at LeBlanc. I'm thinking about taking the test again." A lie, but one he still sometimes told himself. Failing the second round of testing before getting into university was enough of a sign for most people not to try again, and it was a sign for him too.

But sometimes he still tried to resist it.

For most of his life, that had been the plan--get into university and get a degree in...something. Then get a job and do... something else. But the more he'd had the chance to think about it, the more he'd been forced to think about it, the more he realized those vague plans were just that, vague, and he really should come up with something better than just vague. He still managed to crack a small, mischievous smile. "So, not that exciting."

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Ryuji couldn't quite remember what had set him off in the first place. Some comment from Akira, nothing that had been meant seriously but just something offhanded about-- something. And from there, a comment, a thought, and maybe just a little bit more than that. He hadn't meant to dominate the conversation (though it wasn't unusual for Akira to stay quiet and just listen instead of chiming in himself), especially not when it came to something as uninteresting as physical therapy.

But... well, yeah, he was passionate about it. (He guessed, at least.) It was a topic that made sense in his head. The way the body worked, how things were put together, what you had to do to make sure you didn't get hurt when you exercised, what you had to do to try to make yourself feel better after you were hurt - it was just Logic because it was something he could test out for himself. There was nothing confusing or mysterious about any of it, not like how it felt to deal with math or science.

Even if this was technically a science.

"I, well. I mean." A slight blush had started to stain his cheeks as Ryuji reached up to scratch at one cheek. "Sorry. I hadn't meant to go off like that." And Akira didn't have to just stare at him like that while he was talking either!

"... I wouldn't say I like school now. Or maybe I didn't actually dislike school before. I, I dunno. Everything just makes a little more sense now."

It wasn't a topic he wanted to dwell on for too long though, and not just because the way Akira was staring at him was starting to make him feel just a little self-conscious. Akira hadn't been able to get into college and Ryuji had, and those two things just didn't feel quite right. Like the world had gotten the events mixed up and backwards. The last think Ryuji wanted to do was rub in the fact that he was where Akira had wanted to be.

"But-- I mean hey! Why talk about that? I'm sure you've been up to more exciting things. ... right?"

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Lil' Link and Zelda

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And here Akira thought someone couldn't be struck by lightning multiple times, but there he stood, staring at the newcomer in LeBlanc after being hit by a series of lightning bolts.

First he thought it was incredible that he'd run into someone from Inaba, someone that had gone through the incidents in that city all those years ago. Then he was even more shocked to hear she knew his identity. But of course that culminated with her final statement, one that left him feeling hollow--there would be more Persona users.

He just had to take one thing at a time, he tried to reason with himself, reining in his stampeding imagination. Head down, just keep going. "I appreciate the help," he said after a beat, hands still stuffed in his pockets as he watched her practically fly through the textbook. She wasn't reading it, was she? And Akira thought he was good at speed reading. "Do you know who's behind all this?"

@gloryseized / Akira said:

there’s nothing reassuring about what you just said.

RANDOM DIALOGUE PROMPTS 2.0

Had she been too dry with the way she shared her thoughts? It must have been the answer because it had been the same for the Investigation Team. Naoto sighed, thought of other ways to rephrase, but couldn’t think of any. She settled for running her index finger around the rim of the coffee cup once before trying again.

“You have me as an example. I thought I would be finished with this after Inaba, but here I am, speaking with one of the acclaimed Phantom Thieves of Heart.”

Naoto then flipped through another page of her textbook and didn’t bother to read, as the chapter was full of information she already knew. She considered herself lucky that Narukami was going to be the next recipient once the semester wrapped up.

“It’ll be your turn to guide the next generation of Persona users at some point.”

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sends your shuakes on 33 expeditions

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“Reality”

—

I love the concept of Maruki’s reality. It’s a heart-wrenching “happy ending,” where only Maruki and Akiren are aware it’s not real.

Shuake in this reality feels like Akiren betraying Akechi’s wish by caging him in an illusion. The scene of Akire is haunted each night by a real (and dead) Akechi while he’s sharing these blissful moments with another Akechi in the false reality.

I struggled between “Traitor” and “Reality” as the title. I chose “Reality” because it feels more neutral, whereas “Traitor” carries a hatred vibe. I do love both titles btw.

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★ 【凫一】 「 joker 」 ✔ republished w/permission ☆ follow btt’s fanart twitch stream!

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Akira's brows pinched as his mouth went slack with Morgana's protest, frankly worried about exactly what the not-cat could be implying. He didn't think taking Morgana to the vet was the best idea, nor did he want to be the one to do the examination himself. Both sounded like awful possibilities and he's not sure what he would do with the knowledge if he was to learn the truth. Some things were best left hidden.

Grateful for an excuse to move on to a different part of the conversation, he looked down at the food as well, nose wrinkling slightly. "The wet stuff was really expensive," he said. "And it smells worse," Akira added, remembering the time he bought cat food for a stray back home.

@gloryseized // HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN TO ME. I MADE MY MISTAKES. GOT NOWHERE TO RUN.

"You don't know that! You never checked!"

Morgana's cat-shaped face stared forward in instant regret. He didn't want to go to the vet just to check on... if he actually had cat organs and things. What if he didn't? How were they going to explain that?

What if he did, and that really meant he couldn't have sushi for every meal after all! A tragedy!! In three parts!!!

His tail flicked. His nose pointed down at the kibble in that bowl.

"Why does it have to be bland crunchy rocks, though...?"

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Downtime in Mementos.

Don't worry, it was Ryuji's idea.

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whatever. royal trio be upon ye