managed | there's a place in the dark where the animals go

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there's a place in the dark where the animals go

[Akechi watches with muted interest as Joker finishes off his third game of darts, perfectly nailing a bullseye exactly when he needs to. He'd been invited out alongside a few of the other Thieves and readily accepted, eager to work his way deeper into the group, maybe try to solidify a few friendships.

It's clear that the others don't trust him. He doesn't mind - his public persona has been an antagonist to the Phantom Thieves for awhile, and they were only working together because there was a third agent out there, someone who the Detective Prince desperately wanted to capture... or so he'd told them. In truth, he's almost jealous to watch their easy friendship, how Ann laughs at something Ren says, how Ren knows the exact right thing to say to her to inspire her to be better. It's hard not to feel that way, and the feeling is ugly, something he's not comfortable with.

Things can't ever be easy for him, especially not with Ren. Their friendship, their - whatever the hell had happened between them - is layered with subterfuge, pride, a gratifying masochism. If he was honest with himself, Akechi would think that it's better this way, that he would be bored to death if their relationship was something as mild as the one Joker seemed to have with the rest of the Thieves.

But in truth, he doesn't know.

It's only been a few days since they'd met. The bruises on his throat are starting to fade, and Joker looks much better now than he had before. They hadn't spoken about it since - why would they? - but Akechi has thought of little else.

He knows these games are dangerous but he can't seem to stop himself from wanting to play, wanting to see him again like that - wanting, shamefully, to taste him again. It burns like a hot coal in his stomach while he quietly watches Ann hi-five Ren for their victorious game and invite him and Morgana out to sushi after this to celebrate. Her gaze slips over to Akechi and she quickly tells him that he's invited too, but it's a quick afterthought: polite, but tense.

Luckily, Akechi smiles and declines, leaving Ann to exhale in relief. Morgana perks up, interested, and Ann turns to Ren for his answer.

Akechi meets his eye over Ann's shoulder, his gaze incendiary. He hasn't seen him since that night, and even watching him like this from across the room almost feels like too much. He wants him - he finds himself startled by just how much, how he's imagined those hands on him, how he's imagined exploring all the different kinds of ways they can hurt one another.]

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[ Truthfully, very little else had been on Ren's mind, either. Much like before, the ache in his body and the bruises on his face was a constant reminder of what had transpired. Ann had even volunteered to put makeup on him, but even if Ryuji hadn't stepped in to defend his masculinity, he likely would have declined anyway. He liked being reminded of what happened. It made it that much easier to invite Akechi out for darts, just so he see him again in person since they'd somehow miraculously missed each other on the train platforms since then.

It was nice to get things back to normal however, even winning easy victories in darts over Akechi's teams. All those technique books were really starting to pay off in scoring them against him, though the billiards ones came at much slimmer margins.

There is still a tension in the air whenever Akechi is around them all of course, though much more pronounced between Ren and his rival than ever before, and he's sure the rest of the group can feel it, though the source is yet unknown to them. It's thicker, electric, and every time he looks at him, the only thing he can imagine is his mouth around his cock and his hands around his throat. Maddening.

The invitation to sushi is exciting, something he so rarely gets to do, especially with his friends, but catching that look from Akechi... No, not tonight. He politely declines, citing that he's pretty tired when he hands Morgana's bag off to Ann and even pulls out some extra cash instructing her to get him something nice. Morgana needed to be appreciated more, after all. This seems to satisfy him. ]

I'll walk you to the station.

[ The comment is directed at Akechi, though he's not sure whether they'll make it that far, only that wherever they end up, it will be together.

He says goodbye to everyone and starts making the trek with the detective down in the direction of the train station. ]

You owe me sushi. I was really looking forward to that.

[He smiles airily as everyone waves their goodbyes, joining in on the chorus of see you next time as the others head off, leaving him and Ren alone on the nearly-empty street. He can feel the thrum of energy already, this tangible thing between them that settles in his chest like a stone, dragging him down to Ren's feet.

Akechi would be embarrassed by it, but it's more difficult to feel that way now. He'd won last time, hadn't he? Even though he'd gotten on his knees, even though Ren had talked shit to him until he came, he was still the one who could walk away and leave Ren quiet, aching with wanting him. It gives him a certain kind of power here, one that he wonders if Ren will try to take back tonight.]

I'll give you something better.

[True, Ren was able to beat him at both darts and billiards, but Akechi had borne it beautifully, laughed sunnily at his own defeat and none of the others had caught how tightly he'd been gripping the remaining dart in his hand, as if repressing the urge to just drive it into someone's face.

Well, Ren did, but Akechi wagered that Ren knew something like that would drive him insane regardless.]

Healing up alright?

[He asks it idly, though he's watching the street in front of him, making a few quick calculations - how empty is it? How many people would be walking here later? Akechi turns on the next intersection and trusts Ren to follow him, even though it's a longer way to the station from that direction. Here, it's quieter in the early evening air, and he knows of a sequestered alleyway nearby, sandwiched between a lunch place that closes early and a seedy pawn shop.

It's not that he wants Ren so desperately - well, he does - but he doesn't think he could endure this small talk all the way home without at least getting close to him, inhaling the scent of him. He's been desperate for it for days, ever since he walked out of Ren's room. Can anyone blame him for being unable to wait now?]

[ The real miracle was that they were able to get out of their friends' line of sight and not immediately start tearing at each other. Well, at least for Ren anyway, it was difficult to keep his hands to himself now that they were alone not when he knows what to expect when they are. ]

It's still sore but fine. Everyone was worried about me at first and Morgana had some questions about my neck but.. I told him it wasn't that big of a deal. You?

[ He watches Akechi turn down an alleyway and finds himself once again surprised by him. Here? In public? He does a scan of the area of his own, paranoia starting to spike in his chest. What if they're caught? What if they're arrested? Would Akechi be able to get any of the charges dropped? ]

...Is this safe?

Obviously.

[It's not like Ren had hurt him. The closest he'd gotten was that moment in bed, Ren's fingers playing with his hair, chatting just quietly as if it was normal to be like that. That sort of thing didn't leave bruises or scars though and so Akechi has nothing to heal, just the hairline fractures that seem to run through him, electrified and thrumming whenever Ren touches him.

He feels it now. He's not sure if he can go another moment without feeling him again.]

Do you care?

[Is his response to that question, haughty, and he's already grabbing for the collar of Ren's shirt to drag him in deeper. The streets are illuminated by street lights but there's no such light in here and as Akechi's shoes click over the cobblestones, he pulls Ren into the darkness and shoves him up against a brick wall, his arm braced against Ren's throat.

Akechi looks at him then - really looks at him, sees the shadows play across his face. Like this, it's harder to see the bruising but it's worth it, just to be able to touch him again, away from prying eyes.]

We can go home, [he concedes, though his voice is soft as he presses in close enough to steal away some of Ren's body heat, to feel him alive through the layers of both of their clothes.] I just wanted to - I couldn't take it. You felt it too, right?

I'm on probation. Of course I care. If I get into trouble I'll--!

[ Ren is cut off by Akechi grabbing him by the shirt. Apparently that's not a problem for Akechi. He stumbles along behind him, trying not to trip over any loose stones or trash in his way. And before he knows it, he's being forced up against a wall with an arm heavy over his tender throat.

Just the weight of it is enough to spark the memory of being choked to near unconsciousness, and earns him a few choking sounds to enjoy. He winces, reaching up to clutch at his arm, though with little conviction in wanting to pull it away. What the hell is he doing?

It's difficult, but he swallows, then nods with reluctance and shame. Yes, he could feel it, and he still feels it. ]

It was driving me crazy... Hasn't stopped...

[It's richly satisfying to know that he's not the only one of them who still thought of this, that Ren is after this just as much as him. Akechi doesn't totally press down to cut off his airway or leave any new bruises - just enough to fold into the ache of the bruises already there, the ones that are fading now.]

We won't get caught, [he promises, and how could they? It feels like the two of them live in their own reality, separate from everyone around them. Tucked in here, no one could find them. No one could understand them enough to find them.] I just...

[He doesn't want to tip his hand too much here, but it's difficult to keep himself held back when he can smell him, touch him, let his hands close around him and hurt in a way that satisfies both of them.

Joker had beaten them at their childish games. It just makes Akechi want him more.]

...I can't stop thinking about how you taste.

[It's shockingly honest, but he doesn't think it's a surprise. This - this thing is known now between them, and so it might as well be out there in the open. If Ren tells him to wait, to be smart about this and wait until they're home to get his hands on him, he will - and maybe one of them has to be the voice of reason here. It's a shame that's not going to be Akechi.]

[ He winces at the ache of the burn against his neck bruises, his gaze sharp on Akechi's expression, just waiting for something to change. What does change is the subject, and he finds himself a little uncomfortable, not able to do much with this new information and... wholly unsure exactly what to do with it.

Still, this is a game, isn't it? It hasn't exactly stopped since the first time they met like this, and it's not going to stop any time soon. ]

You would, wouldn't you? You did like it a lot. Did it feel good? How I perfectly fit into your mouth? Like your throat was made to be my personal toy...

[ He needs to be careful. If he lets things go on too long or get too heavy, they really could run the risk of being spotted. He reaches for his phone in his pocket, wondering if they should find a way to really get out and where no one could see them. Where no one would think to even look for them where they could fight and truly hurt one another and be as loud and debauched as the two of them could manage. ]

[His teeth grit in the wake of it and he manages a weak nod, all the confession that Ren would really get out of him, but it's plenty damning. He wants to kiss him, to even just feel the warmth of Ren's life against his mouth, as if that could stave off the ache deep inside of him, the ugly thing that needs this more than he needs anything else.

Akechi feels Ren shifting and his gaze drops to the movement, letting up on him just enough to see what he's getting at. He realizes, suddenly, what Ren's plan is and - yes, that's perfect. Ren is smarter than he gives him credit for sometimes, and Akechi can't help the little grin that perks up at the corner of his mouth at the thought.]

Mementos?

[He pulls away more fully from him then, missing the warmth against him, but - that can wait as he reaches for his own phone and idly tugs one of his gloves off with his teeth so that he can unlock it.]

...good idea.

[They can be as loud as they want there. With the other Thieves going home, no one could walk in on them, and the early floor was almost always empty of shadows or any other sort of danger. Not that Akechi would mind the danger, really, but - well, there's a time and place for everything.]

[ He had a feeling that Akechi would like that idea. After all, wasn't that at least in some part the whole idea of the place? A place where the darkest and wildest parts of the mind come to life, unbidden and free? ]

You think you can be patient long enough to get there? You'll even get to have a sword. Won't that be lucky?

[ There's a curl at the corner of Ren's mouth as well. The idea is exciting, and he even gives Akechi a shove of his own. Just something to get the blood pumping a bit. A slight that might make him want to fight. It's just not as exciting without the bitter anger and rivalry. ]

[He's actually not expecting the shove and it makes him stumble back, surprised for a moment as he lifts his eyes toward Ren, clueing in on what he's really saying almost immediately. It does sound better than frantically touching him in an alleyway, especially when Ren teases the physicality of it and gets Akechi thinking of just what they could do to one another.]

I'll wait as long as it takes, as long as you don't chicken out.

[He smirks, allowing Ren to lead the way. This is good, he can already imagine it, feel the blood pumping through his veins. Just a little more, and he can have Ren any way he wants him.]

We'll see how lucky you are that I'll be fully armed in there.

[It's an easy threat, and one he intends to make good on.]

[ Ren pushes out from the wall and starts back down the alleyway, activating the Metaverse app on his phone. No use in waiting for Akechi to do it when he's already gotten his out, after all. ]

Why would I do that? I'd have to be scared to do that, wouldn't I? I think we've already established we're beyond that.

[ And it is exciting. Surely Akechi hasn't forgotten that Joker has an arsenal of weapons as well, right? They can really let loose, and he can't wait, the anticipation picking up the pace in his step. ]

I look forward to it. No personas. Just you and me, understood? This is between us. Besides... it wouldn't be fair to you if I got to use all of mine.

[Ren doesn't have to tell him twice. Akechi nods quickly, his fingers curling in anticipation of getting him alone, without any of the others around to save him. He wonders if Ren knows how dangerous this is. He wonders if Ren wants this because it's so dangerous, because Akechi had already threatened his life, because he wants to feel the thrill of fighting just to stay alive.

That's what Akechi wants anyway.]

Of course.

[Ren, of course, thinks that he's at a disadvantage when it comes to personas. Maybe he is, but Akechi has never needed more than the two he has, one of which he's still keeping as a hidden card up his sleeve. Someday, he thinks, he'll show Joker the true extent of Loki's power. Someday he'll relish the look of shock on his face.

I'm more like you than you think, he thinks, but says nothing as they continue to move toward the entrance to Mementos.]

Just you and me, [he echoes quietly.] What about guns?

[ Though Ren certainly has had his suspicions about Akechi's nature, his role in the wider investigation, and what he might possibly have to do with the mental shutdowns and accidents happening, the full extent of Akechi's abilities is something he is not yet aware of or even suspicious of. As far as he's aware, only he can use more than one, after all. Why would he need to think he wasn't alone in that?

He shakes his head. ]

I don't think guns will work. They whole reason they even work in the first place is because the Shadows don't know they're not real. But you're welcome to try.

[ Even with his connections, there's no way that Akechi could get a gun, right? Not at his age? And it's something of a shame, too. He can't imagine the danger if they did work, and just the thought excites him. How far could Akechi think to go? Even if they don't work, they could liven up the scenario. ]

The entrance isn't far. I did say I was walking you to the train station, didn't I?

[Ah - right. Akechi is so used to using his gun on others in the Metaverse that it had slipped his mind for a moment, how it likely wouldn't even work on someone who knew the truth. He's killed plenty of people, destroyed cognitions, and of course, taken apart shadows with just the threat of one... but Ren would know that it wasn't true, and so it would likely be rendered ineffective.

So then, he's just left with his blade and his own bare hands. He's worked with worse.]

I guess that's true.

[He shoves his hands in his pockets then, his heart pounding as he readies himself for it. Will he just go straight for him? Try to negotiate first? This is even better than just shoving him against a wall and getting his mouth on him, and the anticipation makes him shiver with want already.

Akechi pauses at the entrance then, taking his phone out again to navigate to the familiar app. His eyes lift up to meet Ren's own, flashing dangerously.]

No holding back.

[It's a promise, an agreement that he's seeking. Even if their purpose for this isn't just to fight, Akechi will never forgive him if he pulls his punches.]

[ Ren isn't sure about his plan of attack just yet. He'll have to feel it out. It's easier to react to threats than it is to be proactive in this situation. He can adapt and has gotten quite good at it. The real question is what Akechi would do once they were inside. ]

Wouldn't dream of it.

[ And just like that, the veil seems to waver and swallow them into the Metaverse, the bowels of Mementos beckoning them down into their depths. But they won't be going that far. Not this time.

It's almost like he can feel the cognitive world sigh when they enter, coat heavy on his shoulders and gloved hands reaching for the dagger he know he'll need sooner rather than later. How ironic that he wears a mask in a world where he's supposed to be free to be himself. It doesn't matter now and will matter even less very shortly.

With a breath, he's steeled himself, dark eyes darting here and there, waiting for Akechi to pounce. It's less of a matter of if, but when and from where. ]

[The world dissolves away around them and Akechi closes his eyes, exhales, and thinks: I'm the Detective Prince. Despite all the distractions, he forces it to be the only thought in his mind and makes it his reality as he grasps onto the tendrils of the Metaverse, holds them tight in his hand - and then the Metaverse believes it too. His brown coat and slacks fade away, replaced by the immaculate white of his Crow outfit, and when he opens his eyes, he can see that Joker has changed as well.

Akechi curls his fingers in his gloves as he steps into the power he can wield easily, the power that he's had for longer than anyone here. It's a familiar weight, the rush of it, and he embraces it readily, feels as it drips through every inch of him, filling him with the confident, cocky air of someone who knows that they've already won.

And he has, hasn't he? He's woven a deliberate web around them all, ensnared them, lied and killed his way to getting what he wants. He's so close now.

The only issue is... Joker.

Akechi moves then, darting in from the shadows, his sword already in his hand. It's not often that he kills with his sword - at least not humans anyway - but he can use it well, and he aims the first cut quickly at Joker's shoulder.

There's no quarter here, no holding back. If his blow connects, it's strong enough to cut clean through the muscle of his arm. Akechi is coming in hot, just in case Ren thought he might also hold back for want of something else.]

[ It's the briefest of flashes, but Ren feels like he can move more quickly here, jump higher, run further, hit harder. This boon serves him well when he catches that glimpse of red and white, narrowly dodging out of the way and catching the tip of his saber on the shoulder. There's a sting and a flash of blood and a wild grin forms on Joker's lips. He welcomes the challenge.

He flips the dagger around in his hand, rushing in himself to slash out himself, weapon racing for Akechi's chest. He doesn't want to kill him, but he wants him to feel that rush that Ren has been feeling, the intoxicating thrill of danger, of being just close enough to the edge of mortality to peer over it and walk himself back from it. ]

I thought you said you weren't going to hold back! Don't tell me that was your best, now!

[ Mockery seems to be the best way to get Akechi to aggression, and possibly even to making mistakes. He knows full well how good Akechi is, and anything he can use to his advantage, the better. ]

Don't tell me you were lying to me, Crow!

[He hisses as Joker deflects, skittering back to avoid the resulting dagger slash. Joker's weapon is more short ranged than his own, which should put him at the advantage - but if there's anything he knows about Ren, it's how he can easily lull his opponents into a false sense of security. No, Akechi is too smart for that and refuses to underestimate him, even now.]

You're saying that after I've gotten first blood?

[He retorts from where he's backed off, lifting his blade to see the way the red of it catches at the dim light in Mementos. He's still for a moment, watching Joker through both of their masks, and presses his tongue against the sharp steel of it, his instincts going frenzied and haywire at the taste.

(Ren had fed him his blood last time, had swiped it from his brow and pressed it into his willing mouth, and this tastes just like it did then-)

It's enough to spur him into action once more, his feet barely touching the ground as he stabs at him again. As much as he tries to play it cool - well, the taunting is grating against his ears, frustrating him. Joker won't be taunting him when he has him on the floor, he thinks, and that spurs him on to unleash a flurry of attacks, each of them singularly deadly if they manage to catch the other boy off guard.]

You got lucky. That's all.

[ Ren watches that tongue gratuitously lap up the blood that Akechi had earned from him. As vile as he knows he should think it is, seeing the wild enjoyment of it on his face is more exciting than nauseating. Would he do that every time? ]

Come on. Put some effort into it.

[ Yes, yes this had been what he wanted. Feeling the fury in each slash brought down on him and deflected with his dagger. He can taste the fire in his soul, and it warms him and threatens to overheat him. The crash of metal strikes again and again make his hand sting, and he hasn't got the luxury of being ambidextrous like his opponent.

Frustrated with the onslaught, he lifts a leg, striking out toward Akechi's stomach. Even if he misses, it should put some distance between them for the time being. ]

[He's so preoccupied with his onslaught, he doesn't leave much room for defense. Ren catches him there, with his boot against his stomach and it sends Akechi sprawling backwards with the weight of it. They're stronger here, and each blow has an impact - Ren's kick knocks the breath out of him and throws him onto the defensive.]

Shit-

[Akechi's targets are, admittedly, shadows or people who don't have much fight in them. When fighting a real person, someone who is cognizant of him and knows him well enough to anticipate his moves, he finds that he falls short. How could Joker deflect his attacks like that? How could he fight back so readily?

He snarls, tightening his grip on his blade again. All of his experience gives him plenty of offense - enough that he can easily use it to overpower most of the shadows they come across as a group, enough so that he can fight through Mementos himself for his targets - but not much in the way of defense, as if he's surprised to be attacked at all, after he'd given his best attempt to skewer his opponent where they stood.]

[ There's no time for gloating when Ren notices that he's gotten Akechi on the defensive. As much as he wants to, he had promised that he wouldn't hold back.

Ren has little experience fighting actual people in this world, if any at all, only shadows and monstrous insecurities. This fight is different, and he knows it. He narrows his eyes at Akechi, and charges forward, the point of his dagger forward, seemingly aimed right for his chest as he advances without a sound other than the shuffle of boot leather on concrete.

No holding back. That's what he had promised. If Akechi wants to live, he won't hold back either. ]

[Akechi lifts his blade to deflect, but only barely - Joker's dagger presses in with all of his strength and Akechi manages to hit it with his blade, steel on steel. He presses it away, holds it back, but Joker has momentum and raw strength on his side, and his knife isn't quite stopped yet.

He pushes, but Ren has better control with a shorter blade and - the moment seems suspended in time like glass when Akechi realizes for the first time that Ren is stronger than him. The realization makes his eyes widen, even as the dagger slips through his guard and slices at his uniform's shoulder. He'd managed to deflect it enough to where Joker mostly caught fabric with his blade, but with gritted teeth, Akechi feels a cold sharpness against his bare skin and knows that he's been scored.]

You -

[He retreats, just enough to put a quick distance between them and snarls, his blood dying the edges of his immaculate uniform a deep red. Akechi pulls that power around him again, his frustration rising as he moves his blade to his more skilled hand.]

You're going to regret that.

[ He'd almost had him. He'd almost had him. That thought shouldn't be as evoking a it was. Outside, he would insist that he's not that kind of guy, the kind who hurts people for the joy of it, and yet, finding his footing and watching the red bloom over Akechi's uniform, there's nothing holding back his grin from curling up his face, nor the mischievous glint in his eye. ]

Am I? Well. Go ahead and make me regret it then.

[ Just as Akechi had done before, he runs his tongue along the flat of the blade, making sure that Akechi sees the blood, his blood collected on his tongue. It's bitter and coppery, but it was a small trophy he could have for now. They'd gotten a taste for each other's blood. Now they can be equals and hunt each other.

There's a quick shuffle of feet before Joker leaps backward, a distance that would be superhuman outside Mementos. And with another, he's obscured by the dark. Would Akechi chase him or would he simply allow himself to be hunted? ]

[There's a visceral urge that ripples through him when he watches Joker mirror what he'd done earlier, tasting his blood, swallowing it down. We're the same, he suddenly thinks again, bonded even further now by the blood they've both tasted. He feels at once, a powerful need to consume Ren, to somehow cut him open and bury himself in his warm flesh, to have Ren do the same to him. They're linked, inextricably, and - it's impossible, it's stupid, but he swears he can still feel the heat of his rival's blood burning through his stomach.

He takes a step closer, but before he can move too far, Ren is already gone, into the shadows. The game is obvious, and Akechi centers himself for a moment, focuses all of his senses in the looming darkness ahead of him, before he bounds after him, on high alert.

It would be easy for Ren to double back and strike at him - easier still to obscure himself in the shadow of a wall and catch him as he passes by. He doesn't care. He'll find him. There isn't another option. As Akechi moves, he can see shadows in the distance: weak and beneath his notice. The pathetic ones so close to the surface would know better than to interrupt their game and so he ignores them as he hurtles himself into the darkness after Ren.]

[ Once he's hidden by the dark, it's easier to start formulating a plan now that he has an idea of Akechi's methods and his attacks. Before the other can get too close, he jumps, clinging to the pipes that line the ceiling. Sure, they didn't actually do anything, but it's as close as they're going to get to a subway than actually being in it for real.

Thankfully, Akechi isn't far behind, and hearing his approach, Ren swings himself.

One.

Two.

And on Three, he releases his grip, launching himself feet-first toward the too-visible Crow advancing toward him. ]

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