[Scott nearly snorts, before he starts to pick at his own food. Maybe if he starts eating with a little more energy, it'll prompt the other two to actually ingest something. Mostly Akira, but he can tell that Kotone is really bothered too.]
But we need to eat, especially since I'm paying. I'll kick both of you if you don't eat up.
[Akira actually just sets his spoon down, Kotone's forced brightness congealing in his chest and making it hard to breathe. He sets his elbows on the table and rests his face in both hands a moment, exhaling.]
Sorry, Scott, I'll get there.
[This was his fault, he was sure of it. He should have kept better tabs on things, but he's too busy fucking off trying to pretend he's a normal kid. Now there's a kid with a horribly broken leg, a dead clown, and three Persona users down for the count because he wasn't there to keep Goro from being cataclysmic.]
[Her brightness fades, and she nudges her shoulder into Akira's to get his attention before leaning forward, trying to put herself right into his field of view in spite of his best efforts.]
It's not your fault, you know. Even if he's part of your team, he's still his own person. Just like I can't control Shinji and Scott can't control me, [sorry boyfriend, she bumps his foot beneath the table with her own,] You can't control Goro.
[He offers a threadbare little laugh of a sound, pushing the dish in front of him away enough to fold forward and put his head on the table.]
I know. I know that, but I still feel responsible. Not a lot of people care enough about him to try and rein him in, and even if I'm mad he did all this, it's. Still really scary.
[Her shoulder itches again where the scar from Akechi's dumb breadknife sword still tugs sometimes, and she frowns uncharacteristically. It doesn't stop her from taking a bite of her rice, because like, it's right there, but...
The fact remains that Akira isn't wrong. Goro, for as much as he is her friend, doesn't make himself very likable to most people.]
If he really can't rein himself in when he uses that ability, he has to tell his teammates. Whoever they are. [She gives Scott a kind of guilty look, as if to wordlessly say yeah, I know, hypocritical, but continues anyway,] Maybe he just needs someone to tell him that.
[Scott sort of gets where Akira is coming from. Feeling responsible for your loved one's actions even if you don't control them. Luckily, Kotone is... less violent, but he thinks if he was in Akira's shoes right now, he'd feel the same. Like why wasn't he there to stop all this from happening in the first place. He'd... feel like shit.
Guess it's what happens you fall hard for someone.]
Do you think there's other people that Akechi would be willing to listen to?
[He adds after Kotone. And yeah, he saw that guilty expression, but in a way, it's progress. Scott almost wants to smile, but they're focusing on Akira-- not to mention that he thinks she needs to work on that more.]
[Akira just snorts a derisive laugh into the table, shoulders hiking up near his ears, and they stay there as he sits up and leans backward as if his spine is made of liquid in the booth. He's smiling, but it's a pretty ugly expression.]
You've both met him, you should know better. He barely listens to me, and I've been trying to get him to be more careful for himself and others for ages now.
It's not about getting him to stop. [Because yeah, trying to tell Goro "no" sounds like an exercise in futility. She takes another bite of her rice without really tasting it, going through the motions rather than any real desire to eat. She takes the time to chew, then swallow, before finishing,] It's about strategy. He likes to win at all costs, right? And hampering his team isn't gonna do that.
[Because if Goro's recklessness is getting her friends hurt, then she has a responsibility to step in as Goro's friend, too. Sure, she has a hard time imagining the SEES boys holding a grudge, but that won't always be the case. It's as much for Goro's sake as for others.]
[He takes a small sip from his soup, if only to help encourage with the whole eating thing. Yeah, he's pretty much lost all his taste buds too, but.]
I don't mind telling him when he sucks, but... Kotone probably has a better chance convincing him.
[Scott can admit it. He's pretty sure Akechi looks down at him most of the time, so he can't really imagine him listening to whatever he says. The detective at least respects her. Maybe he needs to actually blast his stupid pancake ass one day--]
He'll just argue that he doesn't need or want a team, and possibly make some egregiously homosexual note of "Joker is the only one who could keep up with me anyway", which is not the compliment he thinks it is, most days. [He smiles at that, even if he's also rolling his eyes and the smile is absolutely world-weary and borderline sarcastic.]
[Closing his eyes, he draws in a breath and sighs, slumping further in his seat a moment.] I'm sorry he's so exhausting, guys. I wish I could get him to understand that people would genuinely like him if he'd stop being a prick.
[Kotone's face has finally settled from its careful blankness into a determination that actually suits a leader for once. Usually, her expression hovers somewhere between playful and mischievous, but this time, she looks like she's ready to take something seriously.]
Even if it makes him mad, I'll talk to him. No excuses.
[Even if it sounds like a lot of work, which she hates, it's important.]
Maybe he just needs to be shown that it's actually beneficial to work as a team. [What that actually looks like, Scott really doesn't have an idea.] Accomplish more things. Then he can gloat more instead of failing.
[It's nice to see Kotone delve into her leader mode right now, because it's something he really respects about her. He likes this part of her leadership, just not the whole... immediately sacrificing herself before anyone is able to get a word in. Scott can't help but keep this in mind as he listens to her, sees the determination in her eyes.]
Or if that doesn't work, beat his ass so hard that he understands. [What a helpful suggestion.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[Scott nearly snorts, before he starts to pick at his own food. Maybe if he starts eating with a little more energy, it'll prompt the other two to actually ingest something. Mostly Akira, but he can tell that Kotone is really bothered too.]
But we need to eat, especially since I'm paying. I'll kick both of you if you don't eat up.
no subject
Sorry, Scott, I'll get there.
[This was his fault, he was sure of it. He should have kept better tabs on things, but he's too busy fucking off trying to pretend he's a normal kid. Now there's a kid with a horribly broken leg, a dead clown, and three Persona users down for the count because he wasn't there to keep Goro from being cataclysmic.]
no subject
[Her brightness fades, and she nudges her shoulder into Akira's to get his attention before leaning forward, trying to put herself right into his field of view in spite of his best efforts.]
It's not your fault, you know. Even if he's part of your team, he's still his own person. Just like I can't control Shinji and Scott can't control me, [sorry boyfriend, she bumps his foot beneath the table with her own,] You can't control Goro.
no subject
He glances at Kotone when she nudges Akira and yeah, she has a point there. Even if she's using him as an example!! But. Yeah.]
Knowing Akechi, he'd hate it if you tried to.
whoops i missed this one
I know. I know that, but I still feel responsible. Not a lot of people care enough about him to try and rein him in, and even if I'm mad he did all this, it's. Still really scary.
Re: whoops i missed this one
[Her shoulder itches again where the scar from Akechi's dumb breadknife sword still tugs sometimes, and she frowns uncharacteristically. It doesn't stop her from taking a bite of her rice, because like, it's right there, but...
The fact remains that Akira isn't wrong. Goro, for as much as he is her friend, doesn't make himself very likable to most people.]
If he really can't rein himself in when he uses that ability, he has to tell his teammates. Whoever they are. [She gives Scott a kind of guilty look, as if to wordlessly say yeah, I know, hypocritical, but continues anyway,] Maybe he just needs someone to tell him that.
[Like Scott had for her.]
no subject
Guess it's what happens you fall hard for someone.]
Do you think there's other people that Akechi would be willing to listen to?
[He adds after Kotone. And yeah, he saw that guilty expression, but in a way, it's progress. Scott almost wants to smile, but they're focusing on Akira-- not to mention that he thinks she needs to work on that more.]
no subject
You've both met him, you should know better. He barely listens to me, and I've been trying to get him to be more careful for himself and others for ages now.
no subject
[Because if Goro's recklessness is getting her friends hurt, then she has a responsibility to step in as Goro's friend, too. Sure, she has a hard time imagining the SEES boys holding a grudge, but that won't always be the case. It's as much for Goro's sake as for others.]
I don't mind telling him that.
no subject
I don't mind telling him when he sucks, but... Kotone probably has a better chance convincing him.
[Scott can admit it. He's pretty sure Akechi looks down at him most of the time, so he can't really imagine him listening to whatever he says. The detective at least respects her. Maybe he needs to actually blast his stupid pancake ass one day--]
no subject
[Closing his eyes, he draws in a breath and sighs, slumping further in his seat a moment.] I'm sorry he's so exhausting, guys. I wish I could get him to understand that people would genuinely like him if he'd stop being a prick.
no subject
[Kotone's face has finally settled from its careful blankness into a determination that actually suits a leader for once. Usually, her expression hovers somewhere between playful and mischievous, but this time, she looks like she's ready to take something seriously.]
Even if it makes him mad, I'll talk to him. No excuses.
[Even if it sounds like a lot of work, which she hates, it's important.]
no subject
[It's nice to see Kotone delve into her leader mode right now, because it's something he really respects about her. He likes this part of her leadership, just not the whole... immediately sacrificing herself before anyone is able to get a word in. Scott can't help but keep this in mind as he listens to her, sees the determination in her eyes.]
Or if that doesn't work, beat his ass so hard that he understands. [What a helpful suggestion.]