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[orphne]

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sometime after midnight the night of reno's party; text [joker] THIS TIME IN THE RIGHT PLACE

[chemex]

can i ask a favor

[orphne]

Of course!

[It's an instant reply. She's still awake out of a stubborn desire to make sure that after midnight, before 1AM, there isn't a chance of the Dark Hour returning. It's silly, but the last time they went all out on a party, it's because they thought they'd ended the Dark Hour, and, well.... haha.]

[chemex]

check on akechi for me? later, or tomorrow.

[orphne]

What happened? I'm still here, so I can just come upstairs.

[chemex]

we fought, nothing new.
i'm naked tho, he threw me in the lake so my clothes are all wet.
just make sure he's good?

[orphne]

That's some fight.

Do you think he's still angry right now?

[chemex]

it was a bit ago, and as long as you don't mention me he should be fine.

[orphne]

I'm asking if you think he needs time to cool down. To sleep on it.

I don't know him that well. If he's still really mad, he might just kick me out, too. And that'll make it harder for me to check on him in the morning.

[chemex]

oh.
tomorrow is probably good, then.

[And then, after a delay of about a minute and a half:]

actually you know what, don't
don't worry about it, i shouldn't ask you to be involved.

[orphne]

He seemed pretty drunk, so I was planning to bring him some breakfast and some water in the morning anyway. I won't tell him you asked me to go.

If you let me in and talk to me.

[chemex]

huh?
no, it's good, i'm okay.
just indisposed, i can't let you in my room when i'm all naked and soggy.

[orphne]

It wouldn't be the first time!

I'm coming upstairs.

[chemex]

[He makes a sound, and gets up (naked) to scramble across his room and lock the door.]

this is different i am not wrapped in a towel after showering??
i am just freeballing here.

[orphne]

[Oh, she learned a new word. Nice. Thanks, Akira.]

What, did you roll around on your bed in wet clothes? Put a blanket over yourself or something.

[She is coming down the hall! He might even be able to hear the click of her heels.]

[chemex]

[Instead, he sits on the floor in front of his door.]

can we just text instead?
it's already here, the communication channel is open.
i am fine, my pride is a little bruised.
there, see? done.

[orphne]

It's voice to text, it's the same thing.

[She speaking softly, but he can definitely hear the low murmur of someone's voice approaching, and then the sound of her trying the door with a sigh.]

Really? [Through the door.] Are you going to make me ask Dazai-san to pick the lock?

[chemex]

[He sighs, and his head thuds against the door.]

I'm fine, I promise. [His voice is small again. He is not fine.]

[orphne]

Yeah, that's what I would say if something was really bothering me and I didn't know how to talk about it.

[Bluntly. They might not be exactly the same, but based on their conversation earlier, she can guess.

She presses her forehead against the door and sighs.]

Sixty seconds, then I'm getting Dazai-san.

[chemex]

[He flinches. Wow, is this what it's like for Akechi to be called out? Is this why he's so avoidant? So caustic? So-- God, he really does have it bad. He huffs softly.]

I have to give him back his clothing, anyway. [He does not mean that to come off as "yes, get your murder uncle to come pick my lock".]

[orphne]

[He'd used her first name earlier, so surely it's fine for her to do the same, right?]

Akira. Please. You got in a fight with one of your teammates, and you're more worried about him than you are yourself. You of all people can get why I want to talk to you, right?

[chemex]

[He hears her. He knows what she's getting at.]

[She's not going to leave him be, and he can't be upset with her for it.]

...yeah, okay. Hang on.

[He gets up, pulls his yukata out of his bag, wraps it around himself. Ties the obi. Shuffles back to the door. Unlocks it.]

[He hesitates just long enough before opening the door, trying to make sure he's breathing evenly. He's a mess, regardless-- his face is red, his hair is a mess, and he's very specifically looking at the floor.]

[orphne]

[Kotone herself is visibly tired, more than anyone might expect from how bright and cheerful she had been downstairs all night. But she still glances over him, noting the yukata (cute), the redness to his face, the mess that's been made of his hair, and the way he won't meet her eyes.]

Thanks.

[She carefully pushes herself inside past him and- helps herself to his kitchen, running a cold glass of water. She'll hand off the water and move to sit down on his bed, though unlike before, she isn't crossing her legs, showing off, trying to make herself look confident and sure -- her knees are together, hands resting on them as she glances up at him to see if he'll join her, or if he'd prefer to stand. Her posture is open, accepting, ready to listen.]

What happened?

[chemex]

[He takes the water. He doesn't register he's meant to drink it, that she's looking after him, until she walks away from him, until she sits down.]

[He stays standing, slowly rotating the glass in his hands.]

...I'm fine, I promise. It's... there's a lot I can't... really say, it's not fair to explain my history with him without knowing what he's okay with you being aware of. It's just a lot. I overwhelmed him. So he threw me in a lake.

[orphne]

Okay.

[No, that she gets. If something ever happened with her and Shinji, she wouldn't want to explain, well... a lot of the things that had happened to him in his life.]

Sounds pretty complicated, but I'm not sure I get how you "overwhelming him" led to getting tossed in the lake. Like, you were fighting him?

[Physically overwhelmed him like, attacked him? That doesn't seem right, for Akira to do something like that without provocation.]

[chemex]

[He just... sinks to sit. Carefully, on his knees, mindful of his lack of anything under his yukata. He doesn't need to actually flash her. He keeps rotating the glass in his hands, and for a moment he just sits there, quiet.]

...we. We fight a lot. We're rivals, but it's... [He shakes his head, carefully rearranging himself so he can sit in his usual wretched posture, angled so he's not giving her a full frontal upskirt.] We were both drunk, and he's really important to me, I... got too close, and he got mad, and he pushed me over the railing because I taunted him without realizing. [He sounds so tired.]