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[placation]

THE DOCTOR IS IN text / audio / video / action art credit code credit

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[girlybruiser]

It would be nice to get him to agree to sleep at an earlier time.
Is that something you've had success with?

[ Listen she doesn't know if Akechi listens to anyone, but she must ask. ]

[placation]

Oh, no.

No, not at all.

I'm hardly able to get him to sleep at all. If he stays awake all night, don't be surprised. I think he normally functions on an hour or two.

That explains some things, doesn't it?

[girlybruiser]

That is such an unhealthy habit!
Although, he's been particularly soured on me since my arrival. I suppose that is not helping.

[placation]

I've lived with him for a full year, Okumura-san. I can confidently say that none of his habits are healthy.

He'll be fine. Just ignore him as best you can.

[girlybruiser]

Well... the situation is rather complicated this time around.
I apologize Dr. Maruki, but I was not honest with you when we spoke a while back about the events in April.
I did not mean to, but I was not sure I wanted to talk about it with anyone so soon.

[placation]

That's okay, Okumura-san. You don't have to apologize to me. You know that I would never force you to talk about something before you're ready.

That being said... if you'd like to talk about it now, I'm here.

[girlybruiser]

Thank you for your understanding.
Yes, well

[ Another glance over at Akechi, before she angles herself to block sight of her screen and continues typing: ]

One of those imposters who appeared took the form of my father. Needless to say, it was troublesome.

[placation]

[ Haru... ]

I'm so sorry. I can imagine how distressing that was.

You weren't hurt, were you?

[girlybruiser]

Nothing so grave or concerning. Just some minor cuts.

[ There's a heavy sigh when she finally sends this next message, needing a few minutes. ]

Akechi-kun saved me.

[placation]

[ Ah.

It takes a while for Maruki to respond as well, unsure of how to handle this. Haru arriving in this reality with the knowledge of Azathoth could truly mean anything – what else does she know about his own life, the circumstances of his persona's awakening?

Best to keep it vague and see what lands, then. ]

I haven't told many people this, but I had my own experience with the doppelgangers last month.

I know what it means when you say Akechi-kun saved you.

I'm sorry you had to see that, Okumura-san. Even though it was a dangerous situation... that couldn't have been easy.

cw: death mention + P5R spoilers YAK STOP READING

[girlybruiser]

Did someone you know appear then?

[ She can only think of one person if it somehow wasn't another version of Akira or Yoshizawa running around.

Rumi.

The depths of Maruki's pained heart, on full display for them all to see as they watched each and every tape in his Palace.

"Give them back! Give me my mom and dad..."

It always feels invasive, even when their intentions are to understand their target's motives, but what Haru saw weighed on her own heart. ]

I know if he had not been there, despite the violence he inflicted, I would likely not be here today.
And I am grateful for that, but...

[ What does she do with this burning in her chest? ]

I saw Father die once and that was enough for myself.

shoves yak's face into the p5r spoilers and grinds it down

[placation]

[ Wow, would you look at the time, they're talking about what happened to Haru, not what happened to him. ♥ ]

It's one of the many unimaginable cruelties this reality can inflict on us, isn't it? Reliving the worst moments of our lives, again and again...

[ To have that grief dredged up anew, and at Akechi's hand, no less–

Every reality truly is more painful than the last. ]

It must make being around Akechi-kun exponentially more complicated now as well.

fine yak IF YOU'RE READING THIS PLAY P5R 🔫

[girlybruiser]

[ She's not a high school student anymore, so much of that innocence and naïvety is gone, a more mature young woman slowly blossoming from all her experiences and ridding herself of the lack of self-awareness.

So she sees how Maruki diverts the conversation. She doesn't press... yet. ]

I thought I could ignore it. I've been trying since I arrived.
Even if he does not understand, I do not hate him. I hold much anger toward him, but in a way, I pity him as well.

[placation]

[ ... ]

You pity him?

[girlybruiser]

Is that so surprising?

[placation]

It's not surprising, no. You're a very empathetic person, Okumura-san.

[ . . . ]

I can't imagine you're unaware that he would hate that.

[girlybruiser]

Fortunately, Akechi-kun does not dictate my feelings. No one does anymore, as I am free of those expectations.
He suffered as much as us. Our fathers were not good people.

[ The only difference being, she wanted hers to be good again. Kind, loving, nurturing, how he used to be.

A chance ripped from her before anything could happen. ]

Father used to be, however.

[placation]

You're right, of course. You're allowed to feel however you want.

Still...

I can't recommend ever telling him that.

[ HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BOY. ANYWAY! JUST GONNA TAKE THE OUT TO NOT TALK ABOUT AKECHI ANYMORE. ]

Aside from that, though, many things have begun to make much more sense since I arrived here and was able to learn the truth of what was going on in Tokyo that year.

The man who was a good person and a good father to you was the real one, not the distorted version you knew at the end. I truly am sorry you had to see him like that again here.

[girlybruiser]

Akira-kun and Akechi-kun do not seem to remember, is that right?

[ Are her and Maruki the only ones from a shared timeline? She has no idea what Akechi has experienced and assumes he won't be forthright with her anyway. ]

I know, but I also understand my father became selfish and cruel. He was willing to marry off his only daughter for political gain. My fiance was not a kind person.
For that, I had to seek out my will of rebellion and change his heart. I had to accept his crimes needed to be punished.

[ It feels like a weight lifts off her chest. ]

Thank you for listening, Dr. Maruki. I guess I wasn't over his passing as much as I had thought.

[placation]

You don't need to thank me. It's not something that you can get over in just a year... it may not ever be something you fully get over. If talking about it helps, then I'm happy to listen, any time at all.

[ A beat, heavy. ]

To that end, Kurusu-kun remembers everything that I do about what happened that year, and then some. He's from much farther along than I am, just as you are. It's only that he doesn't remember me.

Strange, isn't it?

[girlybruiser]

He had mentioned it, but I'm still unsure if he's from a different timeline or is affected by something here.
I met someone who said his memories were gone in this land.

[ Sorry about your Kazuya, Maruki. ]

I'm sorry, that must be frustrating for you.

[ She may have watched Maruki throw hands at Akira from the Monacopter, but there was something heated and heavy between the two she'll never quite know.

But it's there and it was important enough for Maruki to show up to help Akira in the end. ]

[placation]

Ah! You met Kazuya? He's a close friend of mine as well. I intend to help him recover his memories as soon as possible.

Kurusu-kun has been this way since the day he arrived. We might all occasionally have our cognitions manipulated in this reality, but no one does for that long. I can't imagine he would be the first, when he has resolve stronger than anyone else's.

It's not frustrating. [ It's incredibly painful. ] It's difficult, but the theory behind it is fascinating, isn't it? We might all be from realities that are just slightly off from one another. How many lives have we all lived, I wonder.

[girlybruiser]

[ WHY DOES HE KEEP BEFRIENDING PEOPLE WHO CAN'T REMEMBER HIM. ARE YOU A GLUTTON FOR PUNISHMENT, MARUKI... ]

I'm so sorry, Dr. Maruki. You're right, I should not assume it's nothing short of difficult for you and anyone else involved.
If Akira-kun didn't remember me, I'm not sure what I'd do.

[ Rejection stings, but to be forgotten? ]

Perhaps it is, although I would prefer the reality where we all remember one another.

[placation]

[ IT JUST KEEPS HAPPENING ♥ ]

Well, of course I do too.

It's only a theory. It's equally likely that, at the very least, you, Akechi-kun and I come from the same reality, simply from different times. I certainly prefer to believe that!

We may never know the truth, so I think it's more important to appreciate the time we have here together regardless.

[girlybruiser]

[ Hmm... unsure if she is fond of the idea Akechi and her share even more common ground... okay, moving past that. ]

I hope you know that you and Akira-kun are good friends in our reality.
I don't know the full extent of it, but he clearly cares a great deal about you.