Friend or Foe

[takutomaruki]

Location: Kichijoji Square
Interaction: +P4Sumi (engaged)

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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

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.