AKIRA

[stormsoff]

this literally is going to be isaac at rank 10

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WEEK ZERO: SATURDAY AFTERNOON

[stormsoff]

Oh, hey! Akira!

[ It's sometime after those weird... maid girls?... showed up and weren't actually that helpful at all.

Isaac will trot over to him, hailing him with a little wave.

He's still got the monocle on, btw.

ANYWAY he looks kinda ... awkward? hm. shuffles. ]

You, uh... I mean... uh, you free?

[ nailed it. ]

[survivaltricks]

[WHO KNOWS WHERE THEY ARE, IT IS A MYSTERY. but Akira slows to a stop to crane his head over his shoulder when he hears his name]

Isaac?

[the monocle looks ridiculous]

[(he will not be so mean as to ruin this poor kid's love of monocles, tho)]

Ah-- yeah, I'm free. Do you need something?

[stormsoff]

[ He actually takes the monocle off to fidget with it. But he'll actually step up by Akira's side, meaning to join him. Maybe they can wander while they talk? He does seem pretty restless. ]

... not really. I just wanted to ask you something, I guess.

[ a pause, for a moment. he's staring at the floor. ]

How are you so calm about all of this? All of this... I don't know, everything.

WEEK ZERO: SATURDAY NIGHT

[stormsoff]

[ His journey from the lounge to his room is a deeply fraught one. Isaac’s hunched over, ducking his head and staring intensely at the floor as he all but sprints upstairs. What would people say if they saw him like this?

But it’s that very thought that stops him at his door. What are Nia and Ash going to think? This is a disaster. Everyone... everyone’s going to be so angry...!

Swallowing, Isaac backpedals away from his door, desperately casting about the hallway in search of some answer. Something. Anything.

Which is when he spots a door bearing a plaque with a familiar name.

Isaac makes a beeline straight to it, but ... doesn’t immediately knock. Instead he hovers there, shifting from foot to foot, just ..... lingering .... awkwardly .... in the doorway ....




whisper-hissed: ]

Akira??

[ yeah he can definitely hear that through the door Isaac ]

PLACEHOLDERRRR

[survivaltricks]

[. . . YEAH HE DEFINITELY CANNOT HEAR THAT THROUGH THE DOOR]

[but luckily for Isaac, some late-night restlessness (perhaps being cooped up in a giant building for two days is finally starting to get to him) has Akira needing to wander, so. despite not hearing the whisper? the door to his and Chuuya's room opens mere seconds later, with Akira standing at the entrance, stripped of the fanciest parts of his suit (he's now only wearing the pants, the shoes, and the blue undershirt with sleeves rolled up) and looking-- well. needless to say, he starts once when he sees Isaac, because he hadn't expected anyone to be waiting for him outside]

[behind him, further into the room, Isaac can see that the single bed has been stripped bare and there there's a sort of pillow fort set up with the chaise and the dresser]

-- Isaac?

[what the fuck, dude]

here we gooooOOOOOO

[stormsoff]

Ah!

[ Isaac startles back, the motion forcing him to straighten up and lift his head, and ... oh boy.

The most noticeable thing is the blood, still wet, smeared across his throat. There’s not a lot of it, to be fair, and whatever caused it doesn’t seem serious; if he’s even still bleeding at all, it’s very sluggish, very little. But the bright red is stark against his skin.

There’s an abrasion on his head, just beside his temple, red and angry and already purpling. With one hand he clutches his shoulder, and the skin of that hand is a livid red across the knuckles. They, too, are already purpling into bruises. Both his hands have got the same weals.

Basically it’s pretty clear someone decided to kick the crap out of him and succeeded in doing so!

Isaac himself is at a loss for words, his mouth working silently until he manages: ]

... I didn’t know where else to go.

WEEK ZERO: WEDNESDAY

[stormsoff]

[ So by today Isaac is no longer falling on his face constantly due to a new acquisition:

A pool cue!!! Yeah he’s using a pool cue like a walking stick what of it.

It’s been a few days since he caught up with Akira, and given certain developments, his friend deserves to know some things.

So around lunchtime Isaac will be in the dining room, hoping to see Akira pop in so he can grab him for a conversation. So he’s just kinda chilling by the doorway and not actually eating like a smart and normal person, please come save him Akira. ]

[survivaltricks]

[Akira might not be able to enjoy the succulent taste of food (or, more importantly, coffee) but that doesn't mean he doesn't need to eat. and so on Wednesday around lunchtime (because he slept through breakfast) Akira meanders his way into the dining area!!]

[he stops at the doorway as soon as he sees Isaac though]

[. . .]

People watching, are we?

[stormsoff]

YyyyUP, [ he half yelps, clearly startled by Akira's appearance and trying very hard not to act like it. Goddamnit dude, he's gonna die of fright before the tutorial murder if you keep this up. ]

Yeah. Yup. It's one of my favorite hobbies. Just like yours is sneaking up on unsuspecting people watchers.

week 0, friday post-body announcemnt

[survivaltricks]

[it takes Akira a while to pull himself together, to check on his roommate (whom he unwittingly left alone the night before), and to kick himself into "helping those who are still alive as much as possible" gear. once he manages to get there, once his anger at the situation has cooled to a simmer. . . he sees Isaac out. not for anything important; just to make sure that his young friend is coping in the wake of the recent tragedy]

[he finds Isaac in the library, and announces his presence by knocking at the door and calling out his name]

Isaac? Hey, are you free?

[stormsoff]

[ isaac still almost dies but less than usual wrt akira surprising him. he just sends his pen flying off the table he's sitting at.

GROAN.

(the table, for the record, has a few pieces of paper scattered across it, all covered in pretty sloppy notes.)

but he'll turn at the voice, and look Akira up and down ]

Yeah. Come on. [ he'll nod his head at the chair across the table from where he sits. ]

[survivaltricks]

[ISAAC HOW EASILY IS IT TO STARTLE YOU JFC]

[. . . Akira lets out a slightly amused huff, but he follows the tilt of that head and takes a seat across from Isaac]

I wanted to see how you're doing. [his gaze flickers towards the notes] . . . are you all right?

week 0, sunday post-execution

[survivaltricks]

[well. that happened]

[. . . Akira hadn't been able to seek Isaac out the night before, if only because he spent like his entire evening in the shower washing off the grossness of rats. even so, he hadn't forgotten Isaac's reaction to Nikki's guilt. and that's why he seeks out the younger captive after the difficult-to-watch execution]

[wherever Isaac is, he'll hear Akira's voice calling out to him! and this time he doesn't sneak up on him, either. MERCY]

Isaac? Do you have a moment?

[stormsoff]

[ Isaac is actually ... in the billiards room! Returning to its home the pool cue he's been using as a cane all dang week, since he can walk again now.

But he'll hear Akira's voice, and poke his head out into the hallway.

The question gets an unusually long silence, but then he'll shrug. ]

Sure.

[ He's obviously pretty subdued, but at least he isn't saying no! ]

[survivaltricks]

[the unusually long silence gets a pause and a curiously tilted head from Akira, but he chalks it up to everyone being super stressed out. especially Isaac]

[so he's just gonna slip into the billiards room and close the door behind him, nodding towards the table as he does so]

Those things are way heavier than they look.

WEEK ONE: TUESDAY

[stormsoff]

[ While Isaac hadn’t come down with cabin fever as bad as some, it’s still a huge relief to actually go outside. Unsurprisingly the grounds are beautiful and well-kept, and the garden especially so.

Isaac only came here to enjoy the fresh air, but once he he spots a familiar face he’ll head over. ]

Hey Akira! You here to check out the garden too?

[survivaltricks]

[honestly? Akira is fucking delighted when they are given access to the grounds. a little bit of fresh air goes a long way, so it is no surprise that he has been spending the majority of his time outside since Monday]

[he's crouched in front of one of the flower beds when Isaac finds him, fingers extended to brush against the rose petals]

Oh— hey, Isaac.

[a smile, and he stands up straight]

I've always been pretty fond of flowers. You too?

[stormsoff]

Heh, not really. It's just nice to be outside! You like flowers, huh? Yeah, somehow I can see that.

[ it's said kindly, so it's probably not a dig. ]

Actually, since I found you... there's been something I've wanted to ask you for a while. You said there's someone else here from your home, right? You never told me who it was.

w1, sunday post-execution

[survivaltricks]

[although technically the outdoor areas of the mansion were just as prison-like as the rest of the building itself. . . Akira couldn't help but feel like having access to it was a slight opening of their cage. just a tiny, minuscule, barely notable-but-still-effective one]

[he isn't surprised to find Isaac outside as well, considering their conversation earlier on in the week. the duck pond makes a great backdrop for some quiet (and emotionally fraught) thinking, so Akira approaches his fellow captive with caution, hands dipped into his pockets]

I can't imagine the ducks are too happy about what happened this weekend.

[with the fucking HORSE HEAD]

[stormsoff]

[ A huff. Isaac doesn't smile, but it's still something. ]

You know, I'd bet they've seen worse.

[ oh. that was ... pretty morbid.

Isaac doesn't even look up, but he will wave Akira over with a vague, lazy motion. ]

Needed to think?

[survivaltricks]

[THAT. . . is pretty morbid, but Akira can't exactly blame Isaac after. . . well]

[everything]

[so he just lets out a soft snort as he approaches and takes a seat next to his friend]

Yeah. It's easier to think out here than it is inside.

[even knowing about the horse head that was found here]

And you?

WEEK TWO: POST-TRIAL

[stormsoff]

Akira...

[ Wherever Isaac finds him, he'll kind of move to join his friend slowly, watching him, trying to gauge how he is. In contrast to a lot of folks at the end of the trial, he's almost shockingly calm. He doesn't seem upset, really, just ... focused. ]

You okay, dude? How are you?

[survivaltricks]

[outside again! hanging around the duck pond!! and Akira isn't visibly upset, either. just. . . quietly contemplative. calm and pensive]

[he tilts his head up when he hears Isaac, greeting the younger boy with a wave]

I'm-- [a breath out] I'm okay.

[his feelings are mixed. he's upset and sad and frustrated, but hopeful. he believes they did the right thing]

How are you?

WEEK THREE: TUESDAY

[stormsoff]

You know what weirds me out most about this place? I'm at least pretty sure all this stuff belongs to past ... invitees? You get what I mean.

[ Isaac isn't the biggest fan of the museum. It just gives him a weird feeling he can't place... ]

[survivaltricks]

[a snort, and Akira tilts his head in Isaac's direction, mouth quirked into an amused grin. he is standing in front of the glass cases, of course. the buster sword, to be more precise]

Oh, it absolutely does.

[he says that with such certainty]

I don't like it.

[SO WHY HAVE YOU BEEN HERE SO OFTEN AKIRA]