personavelvetroomdr | [ open ] welcome, dreamer, to the new dream

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[ open ] welcome, dreamer, to the new dream

Buzz, buzz. Buzz, buzz.

Akira, holding onto the train pole with one hand, fishes out his phone. It's that one group chat again, huh...he swipes at it, getting the ghost notifications off his screen. Futaba won't let him leave it, even though like, half the messages are just random blank texts...and she was weird about it...it's part of her software testing, right?

The train rumbles. His phone buzzes. The world settles.

Right. The metal is cold against his left palm; he can feel it through the leather. Futaba likes programming. She does this kind of thing all the time. Isshiki-san isn't here to rein her in. She's on a business trip. Futaba misses her.

Buzz, buzz. Bu--

Missing your parents...Akira can't relate. If anything, his dad, Takuto...nah. Akira loves his dad.

Hey, dad. I'm on the train right now. Can you imagine a world where everyone who needed one could always get a seat? That's part of your research, right?

Hazy memories of toddling around an academic conference, youngest there by far, researchers taking an interest in such a young kid, and--

Message not sent. Retry?

Huh? Akira taps the retry button.

Nothing happens.

Maybe...the metro has iffy wi-fi connection sometimes, doesn't it? He just needs to get off the train and...

The room is blue. It's so blue. His lone gloved hand, grasping nothing, falls limp by his side.

This...isn't the train station.

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"Yeah! We'd visit Grandma and Grandpa and you'd make so many mistakes about which star was which that they joked about you--" audible pause. He looks sheepish. "Err...my dad...having a bad memory for someone who studied the mind." Morning kicks at the floor a bit. "Lost glove...probably. That'd make sense when I only have the one."

He works the gloved hand, feeling the leather against his skin. It's not worn in to him...probably pretty new. He likes the feeling, though.

...He doesn't want it to get worn in.

Edited 2025-01-03 02:05 (UTC)

This whole conversation is in regards to another Maruki from a different world so- why does he feel a pang of annoyance? Usually he's quick to dismiss any other Maruki from his own self but something about how this Akira's Maruki having a decent relationship with his parents was almost...odd. The last time the doctor checked, his parents never even noticed him beyond his own parents or just how unsupportive they were when he said he wanted to divert from studying something like pure science and mathematics to psychology.

They weren't exactly supportive when he scored rather well in his college entrance exams that he got seats to far 'stable' (as his parents liked to call it) subjects.

So to hear that this Maruki, whoever Morning might be referring to, whether went through the same thing or not, still considered keeping the familial bond after...having a child. Well, Maruki has studied that- how some get even closer with family after having children but-

Everything felt off.

Because right now, as Maruki stood there- he could catch something faint behind this Akira. A tendril of sorts, blooming right behind him- drawn from the position of his own heart. His eyes widened for a moment as he considered the words Assistant earlier and then this glove- well he can't exactly tell if it belongs to him, his Akechi or his Maruki or his own cat- but the hints of Actualization were very much present.

"...Call me Doc if that's easier for you," he sighs instead. "You can't exactly blame me for thinking all of this is a fever dream."

Or if your Maruki was somehow, more attached to you than I thought. And not in a biological sense.

"So um...what about your mother? Is your Mar-," he coughs. "-dad, well- did he marry someone after all?" His voice holds a faint quiver- as if he can't even believe the possibility of it. A world where he and Rumi...

His heart sped up in his chest as he finds himself being at his last straw- thinking his knees could give out at any moment.

Oh. That's right. Most people have...moms. Morning visibly deflates.

"Um. Dad-- Doc. Dr. Maruki." Just like all those conferences, right? "My dad wasn't married...he had. Arguments. With my..." what did he call her?? Oh! "Egg donor! With my egg donor. And he had a couple dates. But...he stopped eventually."

A pause. He tries to think really really hard. "There was one lady he really got along with...I liked her. I wonder why he didn't end up marrying her."

Edited 2025-01-03 17:23 (UTC)

Oh no.

Maruki visibly deflated from hearing those words. He would love to tell him that he doesn't mind if this Akira wants to call him dad but that would...come later. Right now all he can really do is nod slowly and runs his fingers through his head. So in another universe he's...

He's a single father with a son that shares the same face as his patient- one that he also considered to be his closest confidant at some point.

"Yeah knowing me," he looks away at the ground. "He probably lost all those arguments."

With those words he took his seat on the couch, placed his elbows on his knees and rested his forehead on the knuckles of his clasped hands. He feels like he's aged atleast two decades at this point.

There's a pause while Morning thinks and then-

His eyes widen as he looks at him like he just locked on a jackpot."Do you remember her name? Did she have red hair?"

"You lost them, but it was funny." Dad has a bad relationship with his parents? Huh...Akira's world tilts on its side a bit.

And then it fully inverts.

[ It's a cold and snowing February 3rd and the year just started and Mom (who's better than "real Mom") won't wake up. Why won't she wake up? Why is she screaming? She's Mom, not...not...-- ]

[ She can scream all she wants. Akira is brave! He'll stay with Mom. He can-- he can-- ow-- why is she-- ]

[ A stranger with brown hair and glasses clutches his hand. "When am I gonna be home?" The squeeze gets tighter. "I wanna see onē-san's school project..." His older sister is cool! The other person in the cab with him nods--]

...Oh! Huh? He blinks. Did he fall asleep? Hazy images are already filtering out of his mind like grains of sand.

"Hi, Dad." He murmurs. "What's for dinner?"

Edited 2025-01-04 01:49 (UTC)

Maruki's sharp gaze locked onto Akira as the boy suddenly fell silent, his expression shifting from composed to distant, spiraling into something uncomfortably familiar. Eyes widening, Maruki shot up from his seat, placing a firm yet supportive hand on Akira’s shoulder. "Akira? Hey Morning!" he asked, his voice low and steady, as though grounding the boy through sheer presence. "Morning, listen to me-!"

But then, just as quickly, Akira’s demeanor flipped. His words landed like a dissonant chord.
Maruki froze, the shift so sudden it felt like whiplash. His eyes widened further when he realized Rumi was the trigger to the Actualization and that made things...so much more complicated than they already were, and--

-his hand slipped from Akira’s shoulder as he staggered back onto the couch. He buried his face in his hands, the weight of realization crashing down on him.

This isn’t just another universe, another life to observe from a distance. No, this is going to be his responsibility. All of it.

Pulling his hands away, Maruki stared at Akira with disbelief etched across his face. He inhaled sharply, his voice trembling just enough to betray his inner turmoil.

“Do you remember when I said I’m Doc? Not your dad? I’m from a different universe.” The words hung heavily in the room, as though he was trying to convince himself as much as Akira.

Blink, blink. He pops up, back to rights. "Oh! Hi, Dr. Maruki. Not-Dad. You wouldn't know anything about dinner..." his stomach rumbles. "What were we talking about again?"

At Akira’s stomach grumbling, Maruki’s stomach grumbles in kind.

Almost comedically he remembers that he hasn't even had breakfast yet. He buries his face in his hands and releases a loud- "oughhhhhhh"

Morning grins. "Maybe you do know something about dinner, then."

Kurusu-kun."

He looks up- a tired expression on his face. "Maruki- er-"

"Morning," he finally relents. "There are far pressing matters then dinner here. By the way, its breakfast we would be having- and no I can hear the joke with your codename but my brain is struggling to catch up with everything else."

Kurusu...where's he heard the name before...aside from on the board...oh! That's Dad's...cousin? Something like that!

And...no food...he visibly shrinks. It's morning here, too. He had to spend his morning dealing with the weird cat that keeps following him and then at lunch all his friends kept talking and he didn't get the chance to eat...how does he even get food here?

"We can talk about it over food?" His stomach rumbles again and he looks at Dr. Maruki, his sad grey eyes pathetically begging: Please. Please food? Pleeeeeease?

Edited 2025-01-04 21:25 (UTC)

Maruki let out a long, weary sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to collect himself and felt like he should use his last wishing star to request a specific noise-cancelling room to scream in.

The look in Akira’s eyes—wide, grey, pleading—was practically weaponized, the kind of gaze that could make him question every boundary he’d ever set.

“Alright, alright,” he muttered, his tone a mix of resignation and exasperation. “We’ll get you food. Just—just stop looking at me like that, please.” His hand fell to his side, and he gave the boy a tired yet pointed look. “And for the record, I am not your dad, Morning.”

Standing up, Maruki exhaled deeply, running a hand through his hair as he sent a silent, desperate plea to Azathoth, the entity nestled in his psyche. Please, just this once, give me a hint. What does he like?

His hand dipped into the pocket of his coat, and with a touch of theatricality—perhaps to keep the mood light—he pulled out a single apple, holding it out like a peace offering. “Here,” he said, trying to sound casual despite the sheer absurdity of the situation. “It’s not much, but it’ll hold you over for now."

"Whatever you say, Dr. Maruki!" Morning chirps, easily taking the apple and munching away with impressively-big bites. "I'mf followfin' youghr lead!"

"Okayyyy, so you're not going to question me showing up with that apple," he nods to himself. After all of this he might actually have to go to psych eval.

"And you," he points at Igor. "We are not fucking done. I am going to make you regret crossing me."

And then comedically he nods over, his lab coat flourishing almost dramatically as a serious frown takes over him while he leaves the place. Like he had just declared war on the master of this place- quite unlike him. He knows that.

Happily, Morning follows Dr. Maruki, crunching through the apple in record time and talking with his mouth full. "Dafd awaghys havs shnacks. I fifghred Nogh-Daghds do foo!"

Edited 2025-01-06 07:22 (UTC)

When they walk past the doors, Maruki levels him a curt look. "You really shouldn't talk while eating but..." A small wistful smile follows on his lips. "You're right. I always carry snacks on me."

They are back in Shibuya again, the murmurs of the cognitive crowd shifting beside them as he shakes his head and snaps his fingers- a small hood unfurling from his lab coat. He pulls it over his head, much for the sake of protecting his own identity and to ensure that no one else spots him and Morning together.

"I know a place," he nods ahead to one of the cafes on Central Street as he runs his hand through his hair. "Can you bring me up to speed about your father? Have you two been living together in Shibuya for long?"

"Shorwi..." Morning crunches straight through the core of the apple until nothing but the stem is left; he puts it in his pocket. "Uhhh...yeah! We've been living in Tokyo for as long as I can remember...Dad is the school counselor at Shujin and he's researching...uh...cognitive psience!"

Edited 2025-01-06 16:31 (UTC)

Maruki makes quick note of what he just mentioned, unsure on how believable all of this is. Always living in Tokyo? "So you...know about his research. Or does he keep you in the dark about it?"

"I know some of it." Akira nods, proud. "Not the science-y stuff, but...cognition is so powerful! It's super cool!"

Scienc-y.

If Maruki truly is this Akira's father he might have to rip a personal hole through the space time continuum to burn away that doctor's PHD because who allows their son to say things like-

"...scientific," he quietly corrects as if he were physically holding himself back from saying more. "And yes its...its very cool. Very enlightening. I am very hungry." How the hell does he even know-

Maruki presses his palms together, almost too suddenly as if sending a silent prayer to the gods above when there is one residing in his brain. God, give me strength-

Akira gives him a mischievous little grin. "Cognition is suuuuuper science-y!"

The look Akira will recieve is equal parts tired teacher and fed-up parent—a combination only Maruki could truly master. “Okay,” he said flatly, already feeling his patience slipping through his fingers like sand.

They reached the front of a small coffee shop, and Maruki pushed the door open with the weight of a man walking into another cognitive battle. The cozy ambiance greeted them warmly, but it did little to quell the simmering exasperation bubbling just beneath his polite smile.

“Keep this attitude up,” he said as they shuffled inside, his tone calm but dripping with warning, “and you will pay for your own breakfast, son.”

Maruki matched the grin—sharp, knowing, and just smug enough to hopefully give Akira pause. “I know exactly what you’re doing,” he replied, his voice so eerily pleasant that it had to be a trap. “But do go on. Please. Tell the nice barista how science-y cognition is when you order your plain black coffee, since that’s all your student budget can afford.”

Tell the nice barista how science-y cognition is...

Without missing a beat, Morning skips forward to the counter, eager and shining and earnest. "Hi, Mr. Barista! Did you know that we can use the power of our own cognition to change our realities? It's true! There's a new branch of psychology called applied cognitive psience attempting to harness the power of our own perception to change the world! Have you ever heard of the placebo effect? It's like that, but imagine it on a much bigger scale..."

And he goes on and on, sounding a bit like he's regurgitating a powerpoint presentation, but mostly like he actually knows what he's talking about. Morning knows his stuff.

Edited 2025-01-08 04:01 (UTC)

His words did not make him pause.

In fact, Maruki got the chance to watch Joker walk up to the cognitive barista who offered them a lilted smile and proceeded to be overthrown by the sheer presence of Akira Maruki.

The fact that he did go on and on, made Maruki stall off on his own points of interest and arguments at Akira's understanding- like a teacher willing to pose a question to test him but ultimately he falls short. In fact, he finally decides to step forward and go- "Hookay- I get it. You do know quite a lot about this pscience- maybe I shouldn't have sold your father short."

"It's just-" he is about to pose him a question but instead denies against it. "You know what. Nothing costs money here, I will order some drinks and snacks then." He shook his head. "Go ahead and order because after that- we have things to discuss."

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