Friend or Foe

[takutomaruki]

Location: Kichijoji Square
Interaction: +P4Sumi (engaged)

---

He finds himself sitting on the top of a pole situated at the very entrance of Kichijoji entrance- watching the crowd ignorantly walk around the premise with some children giggling and pointing up at a grown ass man housing himself at the top of some signal pole like a lost haunted sole. What they don't seem to pay attention to are the tentacles wrapped around the body of the metallic hub, making themselves comfortable as they burrow around Maruki's legs to make sure he's comfortable from the height- making it look like he was in a pod floating in air.

His own feelings however were no less peaceful.

Is it really true that the only thing he did was confront his senior teachers to accept his cognitive research before working with this entity who works like one of his own limbs...this felt immoral somehow.

He supposes that its better that he has this sort of power for now.

We can begin our research again. Doctor. The cure to humanity's true happiness is but a long arduous task.

"Where would you suggest to start?"

A tentacle loosens around the body of the pole and pulls up and pinches its spidery appendage together to point at a certain spot overlooking the general scenic view of Kichijoji's shops and Odaiba as a whole.

Kichijoji was a special place for Akira, wasn't it?

There is a lot of information in his mind but a lot of it doesn't have a source linked to it. Like bubbles popping and coming with no pattern- that's how his memory served him. It made things so much more difficult and now- with the ruckus everywhere; none of this was voing to turn out easy.

A research lab...

Suddenly a voice calls out to him from below as he looks below his pod- only to be shaken by the height. "Woah-!" He siddles back, watching as Yoshizawa-san calls out to him. He doesn’t recognize this one though so its best that he's a little careful.

"Erm...can you put me down, please?"

You don't have to ask twice.

Well all of this is still so new to him. "I'll be with you in just a second, Yoshizawa-san!" He yells down through his pod before nodding at it. Its then he realizes he's still in this strange clinical all white attire. He huffs as he closes his eyes and snaps his fingers.

His clothes manifest again and unlike the unstable transformation from earlier- they change back to his usual therapist clothes from earlier. Much better. He should look more friendly towards the likes of Yoshizawa-san.

Right. Yoshizawa. Not Kasumi.

The tentacles break and slowly wrap around Maruki's legs(while keeping a feet distance between his actual body) as it lowers down before the young woman like a gift. Well, Maruki was still a bit confused as usual but hey- it was not the worst thing ever. It actually came quite handy.

"I learned some interesting info from your friends over there, don't worry," he points his now bare finger towards the south-east. "At the Shibuya Square I mean. I am now 25% sure that we are still dead and going through delirium at its finest but considering how you kids adapted to the situation so easily...perhaps I am overreacting at this point."

Comments

[flightpen]

His hand tightens on the Evoker. "No. I won't use it if you don't fucking touch me. And you are obsessed. You never leave me alone."

The way Maruki is always ready to shut him down when his thoughts are heading a direction Maruki doesn't like; the way Ren alone hasn't been actualized. The way the fate of the entire world was Ren's decision to begin with.

Maybe what's happening to Maruki's arm would disturb him more if it was happening to another person, but all Ren can see is that it's holding Maruki back, lessening the danger.

1/3

[takutomaruki]

"This is literally the first time I am meeting you-!" The tone of anger slips in his voice again as he regards this young man who can't be the Akira he knows. The Akira he's quite literally indebted to for the sake of his own research, for the sake of others like Sumire or-

Even him.

He wanted to repay his kindness in some way but seeing his doppelganger here, shaking from his own presence is as confusing as it is horrifying. His own hand, even while the bullets of the Riot Gun are still being surgically removed by the scales of his own persona- is only relevant at the back of his mind. He knows very well he needs to be careful. He could try to steal that gun with which- that persona was linked somehow. In that way he could safely escape but...
What if its not his arm this time? What if its his entire body? What if its Azathoth?! Because without him he wasn't even sure if he would be standing here right now- knowing how this boy was acting.

He purses his lips together as his arm is once again concealed. Fine, if compassion doesn't work, he won't force it on him. He's sure he has his reasons- if he's anything like the one he knows.

"What made you like this?"

Why are you scared, doctor?
Those who reject paradise deserve to be thwarted. This one is one of them.

Maruki takes a deep breath as he regards Azathoth's words- now letting his hands rest on his sides as another tentacle shoots up behind him and grounds itself further- now lifting him as another follows suit. Like a spider backing up on a wall with Maruki at the centre of its body. He tests his proximity with the other- knowing he's threatened but he doesn't do anything just yet.

Re: 2/3

[takutomaruki]

What...what was that memory just now?

Did that belong to Azathoth as well?

If he's capable enough to incapcitate a strong willed woman like Wakaba...did that mean he could do other things as well? Such as...

"He doesn't accept Sparrow-san for who he is now and thinks he'd be better off dead. I don't think he'd be too happy with you, either, so it might be a little dangerous if you looked for him." He vaguely remembers Kasumi's voice. It was not even once did she warn him- it was nearly three times she explained that Sparrow couldn't even read him. If he had nothing to do with Sparrow, surely he would come off normal like this Kasumi from the other universe, wouldn't he?

And then there was this whole thing about him being unable to find Ren in the depths of mementos.

His head hurts.

If this...this Ren here is acting like this-

What are these memories? What is Azathoth? How can something like this grow to be his persona?

"You're..."

Re: 3/3

[takutomaruki]

"Huh."

His lips curl up a little as if he's with the strongest Eureka! ever. He's still worried, he's still afraid but...he can work around this.

"I think I finally get it."

[flightpen]

Blood drains from his face as he watches Maruki skitter up the wall like a bug. "What?" he asks faintly. I think I finally get it, Maruki has said, like they're back in his office and Ren has helped him make another fucking breakthrough, or given him the keys to Mementos again, but it can't be anything like that this time. Ren's barely said anything. His mind is starting to work again, sluggishly, but he's not sure he likes it any better to have to think about Maruki.

[takutomaruki]

Okay so his previous assumption was correct. Ren really wouldn’t attack him if he stays afar and right now- he can't afford to get personal. Hell, he shouldn't get personal in the first place- he needs to be mature about this.

He holds out his other proper arm and gestures away from Ren, hand thrown back as Azathoth quickly responds to him by diving around Ren and going back to the stall, its appendages growing close as he traps the bowl of Ramen inside it- sealing it in an air tight mechanism where not a single drop spills from his food.

Sure, his priorities are all over the place right now but he is hungry. In fact the regeneration of his arm had taken away significant amounts of his energy so the less mistakes he makes right now- the better.

"Don’t take it personally," he offers a wry smile. "I see you still like the thick noodle broth, hm?"

"Ren?" He finishes as one of his eyes narrow.

"...You are so similiar to the Akira I knew," his smile sobers up as he regards him. "But you're that one."

He turns away from him this time, looking over his shoulder to keep an eye on his movement. "Let's hope for your and-" he stops. He shouldn’t mention him just yet. "Your sake I don’t run into you again without warning." Sure he's the one with the destroyed arm here but...Ren must be in agony right now. If he was the same Ren who was close to Sparrow.

He will work around this. He always has. With his words, with his actions because this Ren once also trusted his Maruki.

With his parting he gestures with his head at a pole and just like that- he's flying again. This time he has control or perhaps its still a facade considering his hands are shaking again.

He needs to do something about his memories.

Just like that, the octopied doctor disappears away from the greens of the park to the busy buildings of the once alive metropolis.